There was a time when one of the benefits of having a ham radio in your car (or on your belt) was that you could make calls through a "phone patcher". In the 1970s, calling someone out of a parked car attracted attention. Well, that is of course everyday life with mobile phones. But in 1977 there were no cell phones anywhere. Legendary JS&A founder Joseph Sugarman saw a need and wanted to fill it. So he developed the Pocketcom CB, billed as "the world's smallest band transmitter". Check out the full-page advert from 1977 below.
Keep in mind that this is from a time when ICs that could run at 30MHz weren't the norm, so you'll have to lower your expectations. The smaller unit measures 5.5 inches by 1.5 inches and is less than 2.5 cm thick. Actually not bad, but has an output of 100mW. They claim the N-Cell's battery should last two weeks on average, but we're imagining a lot less once you start streaming. It weighs 5 ounces, but we're guessing it's battery-less.
The device has a crystal for channel 14 and you can buy another crystal to get the second channel. Since the device retails for around $40-$20, an additional glass costs $8. We hear that over 250,000 of these have already been sold. The promotional text mentions that it was used in the Charlie's Angels TV show, but we don't understand how that happened. He also noted that it could be used as a pager, intercom, phone, or security device.
The device is quite simple to operate. If you move the antenna 40 inches, the device will be slightly heavier. We came across a relatively recent CB Gadget review from someone who bought two of these on the used market. It seems to work, although perhaps no better than a baby walkie-talkie.
Many radio hobbyists change the CB to 10 meters or even 6 meters, and we wonder if the crystal will make 10 meters. Before cell phones, people thought we needed bigger towers, more power, and more channels. It seems the other way around.
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