Amazon have these radios at a good price. How close are they on frequency out of the box? I can convert to 11 meters. Just don't want to send it off for alignment if not needed..
Bobby
Bobby
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2970n2
- Thread starter undertaker
- Start date
It will be ok if you want to sound average at best. Bottom line is Export radio's get "ballparked" in when assembled, I have always felt any Export needs some alignment after a conversion.
I also remember reading where the conversion process on many radio's changed to keep the FCC happy. Gone are the simple ports where you move a plug or chip from con1 to con4, there is now some soldering involved. Hope your good at soldering a surface mount board.
I also remember reading where the conversion process on many radio's changed to keep the FCC happy. Gone are the simple ports where you move a plug or chip from con1 to con4, there is now some soldering involved. Hope your good at soldering a surface mount board.
Man for $440 you might as well save up some more and get an HF radio if you are planning on using a lot on SSB. Forget the exports. All the money you have most likely already ended up spending on differnet export radios I bet you could have had a decent HF radio already!
I know having a bunch of radios might seem nice, but you can only use one at a time really. JMHO. I ended up plying the buy radios game for a while and after buying a couple of used HF radios, a kenwood ts140s and an Icom 746 for a good price, I truly wish I would have done it along time ago!! Its just a totally different animal, I'll say that!!! At any rate, JMHO's and my own experiences. Don't get sucked into the pit of never ending happiness with exports LOL!!
I know having a bunch of radios might seem nice, but you can only use one at a time really. JMHO. I ended up plying the buy radios game for a while and after buying a couple of used HF radios, a kenwood ts140s and an Icom 746 for a good price, I truly wish I would have done it along time ago!! Its just a totally different animal, I'll say that!!! At any rate, JMHO's and my own experiences. Don't get sucked into the pit of never ending happiness with exports LOL!!
222, you are so spot on with that!! I have made that same mistake. RCI 2950, 2970n2, 3 Galaxys, and 2 Superstars later and I have just added a Yaesu FT757GX2. Not sure if it works yet, but I got a hell of a deal on it.
I was looking at HF radios on ebay a little earlier, and there are a bunch of Kenwood, Icom and Yaesu units available for way under $500. Truly a steal compared to a $400 plus dollar export, especially if you ever plan on upgrading to ham tech or general.
Don't get me wrong, the RCI'S are a good, solid radio, but they have their limitations.
Best of luck, and hope to hear y'all on the air soon!
595 NE Iowa
I was looking at HF radios on ebay a little earlier, and there are a bunch of Kenwood, Icom and Yaesu units available for way under $500. Truly a steal compared to a $400 plus dollar export, especially if you ever plan on upgrading to ham tech or general.
Don't get me wrong, the RCI'S are a good, solid radio, but they have their limitations.
Best of luck, and hope to hear y'all on the air soon!
595 NE Iowa
222dbfl you are right. They have an alinco srt8 for a few dollars more. But you have to solder some pads together to make it all mode...
Just had my 2970N2 fail the other night while running 10 watts carrier AM. I always run it below 20 watts AM carrier and no more than 125 watts AM PEP.
So, I was transmitting into a 1.7 VSWR match 11 meter vertical antenna that I always use and "pop-pop" went something in the lower amp section. Then came that burnt plastic smell
The Radio still functions albeit at a reduced power level. Since it still has the warranty seal on it I'm going to take it down to R&R and let them have a look see. It was very reliable for several years...then, poof! for no apparent reason.
Back went the old original Toshiba 2sc2290 powered 2970 in its place for now and all is working well on that Non-MOSFET powered rig. This was my first experience with a high powered MOSFET rig. So that being said, I now say buyer beware.
That raises a good question. Can an older RCI 2970 (2) 2sc2290 amplifier unit be swapped in place of a newer RCI MOSFET amplifier unit in the newer 2970DX without much fuss?? Hmm...
So, I was transmitting into a 1.7 VSWR match 11 meter vertical antenna that I always use and "pop-pop" went something in the lower amp section. Then came that burnt plastic smell
The Radio still functions albeit at a reduced power level. Since it still has the warranty seal on it I'm going to take it down to R&R and let them have a look see. It was very reliable for several years...then, poof! for no apparent reason.
Back went the old original Toshiba 2sc2290 powered 2970 in its place for now and all is working well on that Non-MOSFET powered rig. This was my first experience with a high powered MOSFET rig. So that being said, I now say buyer beware.
That raises a good question. Can an older RCI 2970 (2) 2sc2290 amplifier unit be swapped in place of a newer RCI MOSFET amplifier unit in the newer 2970DX without much fuss?? Hmm...
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"That raises a good question. Can an older RCI 2970 (2) 2sc2290 amplifier unit be swapped in place of a newer RCI MOSFET amplifier unit in the newer 2970DX without much fuss?? Hmm..."
Sounds like a question for Doug over at Custom CB Radio's. If anyone can do it he probably could.
Sounds like a question for Doug over at Custom CB Radio's. If anyone can do it he probably could.
I just sucked it up for now and ordered a bunch of Vishay Siliconix IRF520s MOSFETs from RF Parts for the N2 to get it back in the lineup.
They are only $1.65 each. Think about that...(8) $2 parts replaced (2) $40 dollar Toshiba parts, RCI is charging the same if not more for the radio and its more prone to letting the smoke out So I'm now reserved to the fact that MOSFETs finals are a (regular) service item. Get'em while they're "cheap" (I was going to say "get'em while they're hot" but that's probably what started the issue)
I looked into the way the mosfets are heat sunk to the aluminum casting because I accidentally cracked one of the RCI transistor insulator pads under one of the MOSFETs. Of course RCI used the white heat thermal transfer paste also, but there are some new thermal heat transfer "pads" that are made of a silicone composite that require no paste and may conduct heat even better. If I find them, I'll post them up. It's been suggested that the backs of the mosfets be a flat as possible. Running them over a fine tooth file can perform this function before installing them.
More on heat sink design with tons of info here:
http://sound.westhost.com/heatsinks.htm
Oh, while I was at it I also got a few of the Mitsubishi RD16HHF1 POS MOSFETs for the Uniden 980 and Cobra 150 as its probably only a matter of when, not if they blow. Shell out a few more bucks for those @ $4.75 each.
They are only $1.65 each. Think about that...(8) $2 parts replaced (2) $40 dollar Toshiba parts, RCI is charging the same if not more for the radio and its more prone to letting the smoke out
So I'm now reserved to the fact that MOSFETs finals are a (regular) service item. Get'em while they're "cheap" (I was going to say "get'em while they're hot" but that's probably what started the issue) I looked into the way the mosfets are heat sunk to the aluminum casting because I accidentally cracked one of the RCI transistor insulator pads under one of the MOSFETs. Of course RCI used the white heat thermal transfer paste also, but there are some new thermal heat transfer "pads" that are made of a silicone composite that require no paste and may conduct heat even better. If I find them, I'll post them up. It's been suggested that the backs of the mosfets be a flat as possible. Running them over a fine tooth file can perform this function before installing them.
More on heat sink design with tons of info here:
http://sound.westhost.com/heatsinks.htm
Oh, while I was at it I also got a few of the Mitsubishi RD16HHF1 POS MOSFETs for the Uniden 980 and Cobra 150 as its probably only a matter of when, not if they blow. Shell out a few more bucks for those @ $4.75 each.
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Replaced the (8) mosfets from the same batch and all is good, for now. Repairing the damaged traces on the double sided SMT board was an extra treat.
A good SWR meter is a requirement between the 2970N2 and other stuff Lesson learned.
A good SWR meter is a requirement between the 2970N2 and other stuff
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