[Milsurplus] GPT10K whole enchilada

[CL in NC]

I had seen an add for that gear, (ANFRT39?) pretty sure in the ad section of one of the Handbooks prior to 1972 when they stopped the ad section, a big mistake in my opinion, the ad a promo for the AF or TMC.  But it had  3 racks, the third on the left with a rack mounted  GPR 90 receiver and operating table.  This exact system of all 3 racks was in possession of a CB radio operator down in Jax, FLA in the 60's, where he got it, not sure, but there were 5 navy installations and a huge salvage yard in the area at that time, for all I know he comshawed it a piece at a time (Johnny Cash song) .  My friend, Everett Lamar 'Little Joe' Wilson, W4UHN, (SK) he was 6'5" and weighed 250 so of course he was 'Little Joe', got the whole thing going for him and the CB'er used it on the CB band.  Little Joe was in the Army in the early 60's and got his radio training there.  The CB'ers trademark statement when skip was rolling in and the locals were trying to work it, was "Stand by boys let me burn us a hole"

I know today of another CBer in Swannanoa that has a home brew 10K input amp, the driver is a 4X150, and a 4 watt rig will drive it to full output, which is what the Johnson Thunderbolt would do and is highly sought after still today because a CB rig will drive it to full output.  He uses that amp feeding a huge hardline going to a huge yagi, and is thankful for HDTV because all the TVI he caused went away.  I have seen his Bird 43 with 10KW slug showing 6500 watts out.  Of course he knows that he is still messing with TV's but now all the folks get is pixelation or frozen screen and attribute that to cable, satellite, internet of through the air propagation, not TVI with no sound bars or audio anymore as the sign.  Also, his amps construction  would put every tube amp made by a ham to shame, it is a work of art.  I asked him why he was not a ham, he obviously knows his theory,  but his reply was simply, he was having fun, he is a free bander, and according to him, the FCC could care less about CB radio today.  Maybe because he has not been caught yet. 

Charlie, W4MEC in NC