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Galaxy DX959 "swing" help

Jan 18, 2017
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34
Central KY
i have read a lot of opinians and write ups on the different methods to get this radio to swing. i have heard good things and bad things about the diode swing mod. what would you guys reccomend and how would you do it?
 

I'd leave it alone and enjoy using it and ignore people that tell you you need to tamper with it.
There's no swing in this Cobra 29 and I heard it just fine ( mobile to mobile ) from a great distance away with mountains in between us so if people are having a hard time hearing you the problem is not with your radio it is with their receiver.
 
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With a 959 all it really needs is a correct alignment and maybe extra channels. Add a nice little 2 pill amplifier and a decent mic and your done.
 
Everybody seems to have their own opinions and ideas about swing mods.

I think that they are best left for AM/only radios. In a SSB radio, it doesn't work as well as an AM radio swing mod does and it just messes up SSB so much that it renders SSB mode - useless. Might as well just have a AM/only radio if you are going to do that to any SSB radio for that matter - IMO.

On the other hand, the 959 is quite a performer just so long as it gets the transmit peaked. AM and SSB will be more than bodacious and both modes will do real well w/o hacking it. Been there/done that with the 959.
 
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most of the swing mods I have used over the years is only for the AM portion of the radio.
you never want to do a swing mod that effects SSB at all.the npc/rc mod is for AM only if you do it right.
 
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Many years ago I had a Magnum Delta Force and an orange display 2950, they both had the non-volted final version of the NPC mod. Ran them with a Texas Star 667 and a Joker 2 pill that was regulated AB. Both radio's sounded superb and were great talkers.
 
I don't need to modify SSB. A swing kit or NPC mod would not effect SSB at all since, 1, SSB is no carrier and all modulation driven and 2, I'm only working with the AM side of the radio. I have no swing with the barefooted radio. And I'm getting backward swing with my 4-pill. The rf power only reduces over all power and does not lower the dead key. I need a lowered carrier for AM. I know it can be done since I've used many 959's with a low 1 to 2 watt carrier and swinging up to full power on AM. I put a swing kit in my cobra 29 and set the carrier to 1 watt and it matched up perfect with my 4-pill. I appreciate everyone's opinion. Thank you guys.
 
I don't need to modify SSB. A swing kit or NPC mod would not effect SSB at all since, 1, SSB is no carrier and all modulation driven and 2, I'm only working with the AM side of the radio. I have no swing with the barefooted radio. And I'm getting backward swing with my 4-pill. The rf power only reduces over all power and does not lower the dead key. I need a lowered carrier for AM. I know it can be done since I've used many 959's with a low 1 to 2 watt carrier and swinging up to full power on AM. I put a swing kit in my cobra 29 and set the carrier to 1 watt and it matched up perfect with my 4-pill. I appreciate everyone's opinion. Thank you guys.

Hi Matt,

I just joined the site. I run 959’s and a 2547 (959 with a power supply). Adjust your VRs for power and modulation. Adjust your max/min power for your RF dial. I set mine for 2 watts min and 4 watts max. Simply turn the RF dial counter clockwise for 2W into the amp. Adjust the modulation in the same way. Max it out until it clips – then dial it back a bit. You can do the same for the SSB power but balance channels 1 and 40 to avoid bleed.

Your comment about backwards swing generally means you’ve used up your headroom. You will always swing less with more power dialed in.

Personally, I’ve never seen a need for a swing kit. They never did more than I can tune the radio for. For, best results use a scope, but some common sense and a wattmeter will do just fine.

Good luck.
 
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Everybody seems to have their own opinions and ideas about swing mods.

I think that they are best left for AM/only radios. In a SSB radio, it doesn't work as well as an AM radio swing mod does and it just messes up SSB so much that it renders SSB mode - useless. Might as well just have a AM/only radio if you are going to do that to any SSB radio for that matter - IMO.

On the other hand, the 959 is quite a performer just so long as it gets the transmit peaked. AM and SSB will be more than bodacious and both modes will do real well w/o hacking it. Been there/done that with the 959.

I don't need to modify SSB. A swing kit or NPC mod would not effect SSB at all since, 1, SSB is no carrier and all modulation driven and 2, I'm only working with the AM side of the radio. I have no swing with the barefooted radio. And I'm getting backward swing with my 4-pill. The rf power only reduces over all power and does not lower the dead key. I need a lowered carrier for AM. I know it can be done since I've used many 959's with a low 1 to 2 watt carrier and swinging up to full power on AM. I put a swing kit in my cobra 29 and set the carrier to 1 watt and it matched up perfect with my 4-pill. I appreciate everyone's opinion. Thank you guys.

It all depends on what they do, the actual swing kit doesn't have any affect on SSB. Most of the poor SSB issues come from modifying other things like the mod limiter (AMC)....ect The last radio I helped a friend with was a Galaxy 98vhp, I used a diode and resister. lower the resistance till just before the radio starts flat topping. Adjust the AMC till the negatives are not pinching off. Simple clean and easy. However still pointless even at %200 modulation this mod doesn't increase loudness. SSB is untouched and the radio has more than double the output on AM

If people say that the NPC Mod increases loudness they are operating the final outputs into saturation creating distortion (loudness)
 
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There is one reason and one reason only on God's green earth to reduce your carrier and enhance the radio's 'swing' on AM transmit.

An amplifier.

All linear amplifiers tend to exaggerate the carrier and diminish the peak power. Modding the radio to bring the carrier down so the amplifier isn't straining is half what's needed. Preserving the radios full peak modulated power when the carrier is reduced serves to counteract the amplifier's tendency to suppress those peaks.

Set up right, the radio should sound as good amplified as it does barefoot.

But for a radio you will use barefoot? Waste of time.

73
 

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