Midland Stories: episode #2
We started from our origins and the first encounters made by Corrado during his travels, thanks to the little shack. Then there were the stories of Vittorio, a CB radio user since he was 12 years old, Rodolfo who followed in the footsteps of his trucker father, and Pasquale with his legendary Fiat 127.
Your stories are creating a map of Midland Stories that takes us back to the '80s-'90s when the button that started radio communications opened the door to the world. In this second episode of Midland Stories, we tell the stories of Orazio, Davide, and Alessandro.
Orazio, from onboard radiotelegrapher to Disaster Manager
Orazio's passion for electronics began during high school, first at IPSIAM as an onboard radiotelegrapher and later at ITIS as an electronic expert. It was the '80s in Italy, and the first CB radios were circulating.
During these years, Orazio, along with his brothers, bought their first CB device, which he, as an electronics expert, referred to as a CB radiotelephone. It was the Midland 4001 with 120 channels, paired with the legendary Skylab antenna. At that time, the nominal 40 channels were not enough given the large number of people using the frequencies (remember, cell phones were not yet in use).
Orazio and his brothers were driven by a great passion that also helped them overcome the bureaucratic "obstacles" of the time, including licenses and contributions.
Those were the years when "tinkerers" enjoyed the art of repairs and DIY projects, but above all, it was a time when the radio was one of the few communication tools that allowed you to meet new people who shared the same passion. In addition to playing a social role, CB radios were already widely used in emergencies, and Orazio himself experienced a unique dynamic.
It was the mid-'80s when an earthquake occurred on Mount Etna; Orazio was tuned into a frequency like any other day when he heard a call from an ambulance headed towards his base station. Being in a very open position, Orazio could hear both sides, enough to act as a radio bridge on channel 9: this gesture allowed the crew to perform their work more quickly, thanking Orazio for the (spontaneous) work done.
Even today, CB radios play a very important role in emergency management: technology has made great strides, but radio communications never lose their effectiveness.
Davide, from sea to mountain, always with Midland.
Davide's first encounter with Midland was on a small sailboat purchased by his father and equipped with a VHF radio. Before then, he had never been a radio amateur, but it was at that moment that the spark was ignited. When you are at sea, communicating via phones becomes complex, often impractical, and it is in those moments that you particularly appreciate the power of the radio.
From those first sea voyages, the radio never left Davide, who found the legendary shack in his father's car. It's true that at sea, the radio is particularly useful both in emergencies and to not lose contact with land, but even when traveling by car, the shack proves to be essential.
Today, Davide continues his story with Midland thanks to the G7 Pro, which accompanies him during his mountain excursions, thanks to the special channel Rete Radio Montana. His next purchase will be an Alan 42 DS, the portable CB that can also be used if you don't have a fixed station.
From that first departure at sea to car trips with his father, to the latest excursions: coincidentally, every encounter Davide has with the radio has been with a Midland!
Alessandro, that crackling sound that introduced him to a sweetheart
It was the evening of July 16, 1991, and Alessandro had long been a fanatic of the CB. In his car, he had an Alan 34, the historic 34-channel shack he used on every trip, from the shortest in the city to the longest. He used it to talk to other people, other radio enthusiasts like him, or to meet new ones.
That evening in July '91, as he was driving along the shores of Trieste with the Alan 34 turned on, he started talking to a girl: from that first radio encounter, others followed in person, eventually leading them to become husband and wife.
From July 16, 1991, to today, Alessandro and his wife have never parted, and of course, Alan 34 is still part of the family, an indelible and still perfectly functioning memory.
Do you have a personal story related to a Midland product? You can share it with us with a written text, a video, or an audio! Send an email to [email protected]!