Looking over the websites of dealers, I see a lot of radios designated as 10M, yet the descriptions never state the frequency ranges and they appear to be regular export CB's on steroids with a high power output using a FET based class C amp somewhere either inside or on the back and typically 5 ranges of 40 channels.
Unlike their microprocessor based competitors like the Magnums or RCI's, these make no pretense they aren't being made for CB conversion and use. The check outs of these websites offer recommended tune jobs and tout their trucker/CB performance features that no amateur would be interested in such as talkback and other CB specific features.
This makes me wonder about something. Do these radios really come out of the box covering 10 meters and how the hell are these companies switching 5 or 10 loop crystals and retuning for around $45 to put them on CB?
My experience with converted CB's to 10M has been spectacular and far better then using a dedicated amateur radio. The CB conversions outperfrom in superior noise blanker and sensitivity although adjacent channel and image rejection aren't the best. These radios price adjusted would be a boone for amateurs if there wasn't a stigma attached to them and the knee jerk response to their use without any understanding of the rules and regs that make them perfectly legal on amateur bands.
Those of you that have either converted these units, operated them on tech/novice voice areas, or have experience with them, I'd like to hear your response. I've already done some conversions and we have a a handfull of guys that were originally on 29.6 fm move over to 28.5 and above for SSB using some of these radios or conversions although the price of a custom cut crystal has skyrocketed to nearly $50 unless you can find a standard microprocessor crystal close to the range or use a surplus rock to move the radio economically.
Back in the 70's, I converted a Sears 23 channel unit that was originally a 300+ dollar radio that blew out for $25 even though they were illegal to sell after the 40 channel radios came out. Crystals were cheap back then and I converted two 4 frequency ranges for local nets and did so with other JCPenny and Radio Shack similar units for some locals before the 02A hygain chassis pushed the surplus market towards am and fm. My cheap 8 chanel mobile with a plus 3 turner mobile mic and &$ 3.50 usb/am crystal blew away the perfromance of my then Heath SB-102 and any of the guys running a yaesu FT-101, Tempo, or Kenwood TS-520. Even during the morning drive to work, I could hear distant stations that the guys with beams and dipoles couldn't hear on their amateur 80-10 stations and got signal reports like I was running power using a barefoot radio with an ASP trunk lip antenna. Defintely a superior setup then. I moved over to two GE transcievers and antennas for 29.6 and 52.525 when everything went FM during the 40 channel surplus and half assed FM conversions. Always did have 2 GE progress line converted mobile into base power supply units since '73 for FM, but the CB conversions really rocked if you were dealing with established nets and totally blew away amateur stations of the day on 10M.
The standard later was for conversions for the usual 40 channels on the PLL rigs starting at either 28.5 or 28.45 that was standarized for early export radios sold in the states for 10M like the Mongoose Cybernet radios sold to amateurs as 10m dedicated radios. Odd their was no stigma attached to those as old timers were buying them and raving about how great they were.
Try that now and watch the condendcention and attacks by former cb'er's
Unlike their microprocessor based competitors like the Magnums or RCI's, these make no pretense they aren't being made for CB conversion and use. The check outs of these websites offer recommended tune jobs and tout their trucker/CB performance features that no amateur would be interested in such as talkback and other CB specific features.
This makes me wonder about something. Do these radios really come out of the box covering 10 meters and how the hell are these companies switching 5 or 10 loop crystals and retuning for around $45 to put them on CB?
My experience with converted CB's to 10M has been spectacular and far better then using a dedicated amateur radio. The CB conversions outperfrom in superior noise blanker and sensitivity although adjacent channel and image rejection aren't the best. These radios price adjusted would be a boone for amateurs if there wasn't a stigma attached to them and the knee jerk response to their use without any understanding of the rules and regs that make them perfectly legal on amateur bands.
Those of you that have either converted these units, operated them on tech/novice voice areas, or have experience with them, I'd like to hear your response. I've already done some conversions and we have a a handfull of guys that were originally on 29.6 fm move over to 28.5 and above for SSB using some of these radios or conversions although the price of a custom cut crystal has skyrocketed to nearly $50 unless you can find a standard microprocessor crystal close to the range or use a surplus rock to move the radio economically.
Back in the 70's, I converted a Sears 23 channel unit that was originally a 300+ dollar radio that blew out for $25 even though they were illegal to sell after the 40 channel radios came out. Crystals were cheap back then and I converted two 4 frequency ranges for local nets and did so with other JCPenny and Radio Shack similar units for some locals before the 02A hygain chassis pushed the surplus market towards am and fm. My cheap 8 chanel mobile with a plus 3 turner mobile mic and &$ 3.50 usb/am crystal blew away the perfromance of my then Heath SB-102 and any of the guys running a yaesu FT-101, Tempo, or Kenwood TS-520. Even during the morning drive to work, I could hear distant stations that the guys with beams and dipoles couldn't hear on their amateur 80-10 stations and got signal reports like I was running power using a barefoot radio with an ASP trunk lip antenna. Defintely a superior setup then. I moved over to two GE transcievers and antennas for 29.6 and 52.525 when everything went FM during the 40 channel surplus and half assed FM conversions. Always did have 2 GE progress line converted mobile into base power supply units since '73 for FM, but the CB conversions really rocked if you were dealing with established nets and totally blew away amateur stations of the day on 10M.
The standard later was for conversions for the usual 40 channels on the PLL rigs starting at either 28.5 or 28.45 that was standarized for early export radios sold in the states for 10M like the Mongoose Cybernet radios sold to amateurs as 10m dedicated radios. Odd their was no stigma attached to those as old timers were buying them and raving about how great they were.
Try that now and watch the condendcention and attacks by former cb'er's
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