SBE Est. 1962 , closed 1975 | USA

SideBand Engineers was founded by the founder of Gonset, Mr. Faust Gonset in 1962. Its goal was to create ideal mobile equipments with latest transistor technology and advanced design.

In 1963, SBE started to sell their first model, SBE SB-33 transceiver. It is known as the first practical transistorized rig; one of the important milestones of the amateur equipment history. The SBE SB-34 followed in 1964.

In 1970s, all of the U.S. amateur equipment manufactures were under attack of the Japanese made rigs. SBE started to sell the SBE SB-35 and SBE SB-36 which were manufactured in Japan, but they could not save the company. Reportedly very few SBE SB-35 manufactured.

SBE withdrew from the amateur market in late 1970, kept manufacturing high quality - high performance CB radios and scanners for a while. Sometime later however the company completely disappeared from the consumer radio equipment market.