Gonset Communicator
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| Frequency | TX/RX: 6 m (50 MHz) or 2 m (144 MHz) |
| TX power | 6 W |
| Modes | AM |
| Weight | 10 kg (22 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 1952 |
| antenna | SO-239 |
An early, popular VHF mobile transceiver, nicknamed the 'Gooney Box.' Self-contained (transmitter, receiver, and power supply in one box), running on 110VAC or 6/12VDC. The Communicator was built for both the 6-meter and 2-meter bands (~6-10W output on early models). It helped make VHF AM mobile operation practical in the 1950s.
AM only. Crystal-controlled transmit needs a crystal per frequency. The receiver drifts. Output of ~6-10W is fine for local work but no more. Gonset is long gone, so parts are scarce.
The radio that popularized VHF mobile. Before the Gonset Communicator, VHF usually meant a homebrew rig on a bench; the Gooney Box let hams operate 6m (and later 2m) AM from their cars. A working Communicator is a hamfest conversation piece.
The Gonset Communicator (universally nicknamed the "Gooney Box") is one of the most iconic VHF radios in amateur history, a series of vacuum-tube AM transceivers sold from 1952 into the early 1960s. Designed by Faust Gonset, it packaged a complete station (transmitter, receiver, and power supply) into a square box with a carrying handle, making it genuinely portable. Models were built for both the 6-meter (50 MHz) and 2-meter (144 MHz) bands.
It evolved across four generations: the original Communicator I of 1952 (single crystal, magic-eye tuning), the Communicator II of 1954 (more crystals and a 2E26 final), the Communicator III of about 1958 (a meter replacing the magic eye), and the low-profile Communicator IV of 1961. Power grew with the line; early models put out roughly 6 to 8 watts, while the IV runs about 24 watts of input for some 12 to 14 watts out. It runs from 110-volt AC mains or a 6/12-volt car battery and can even double as a public-address amplifier.
As one of the first commercially available post-war VHF transceivers, the Communicator put 6 and 2 meters within easy reach and became hugely popular for mobile and civil-defense use. The antenna connects through an SO-239 on top. It is a discontinued classic. Compare it with the HF Gonset GSB-100 and the VHF Eddystone 770R receiver.