I know little about operating a ssb base. I'm still looking for a president Madison that won't break the bank. Question 1. What is the advantage of having an unlocked clarifier? 2. If I don't find the Madison I want, what other base stations are nice talking/ reciving radios of the Madison era? 3. What are the most desirable chips? I've been reading on WWDX that a few radio shack ssb radios are very nice ssb stations. I think Thay were the 490 and two others, I don't recall the model numbers of the other two yet I noticed these TRC models are readily available on eBay. A few for auction now are nos or very nice used TRC's. I found a nice president Madison but don't want to spend $500. Although I'm beginning to Concider it being that it's an extremely nice original boxed radio. I also been looking at a stalker Vl or maybe it's a lV. I can't remember. Any other sugestions. I'm open to all you ssb base radios that are forty channel radios with easily modified chips. As if it's not already offered with extra channels I would like to have it moded with extra channels. I noticed most of the afourmentioned radios have been peaked. I need to use my 500 elite amp with the one I will be purchasing. I'm in a raural area using a vertical wire dipole for local qsl. 5 watts aren't cutting it with most locals not so local. I'm hoping to get a radio that hasn't been peaked. I'm currently running the 500 elite with a Sonar fs 2340 that's keying at 2-1/2 swinging to six. Does anyone know the safe max input to this amp without frying it?