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Lookin for a new radio to run with the TS DX500

look for what you will use....

do you use or want to use ssb?

do you use or want to use free bands?

do you want echo?

freq counter?

front or side mic matter?

big or small meter?

digital meter?

ect ect ect....

write a list of what you want in order from most important to least important, and nce you have that then you can start narrowing down the choices from there.
 
oldslowchevy said:
look for what you will use....

do you use or want to use ssb?

do you use or want to use free bands?

do you want echo?

freq counter?

front or side mic matter?

big or small meter?

digital meter?

ect ect ect....

write a list of what you want in order from most important to least important, and nce you have that then you can start narrowing down the choices from there.
Click to expand...

Actually most all of that. I want to be able to use a radio like the rci to its potential and to understand what I am doin. I am on the road a lot and have a lot of time to do this. At first, a few years ago I just wanted a cb for truckin but lately I have become very interested in what else is out there in the radio world. You have to forgive my ignorance. I fall into the "teaching an old dog new tricks" catagory. It's never to late right? This forum rocks as far as info so Thanks to all for that.

I just dont want to have to buy another radio for a while. In just a couple of days I have gone back and forth with Radio or radio with seperate Amp. After reading and watching a couple of vids, I think I am back to the single unit and the rci ffc4. It seems to do it all and then some. I'm thinkin I will just save a bit longer and see if I can find one.

And yes I will want the basic 1-40 cb channels as well.
 
Last edited:
just so you know the ranger rci ffc4 does not do ssb, how ever the galaxy 98vhp does, it my not do 400 plus watts, but i tell you i never had a had a problem being heard with it.
 
There is a company advertising a 69ffc4 however on SSB it has a tendency to drift like a sail boad in a hurricane. I have seen another company who is fitting the ffc4 amp to a rci2970 and calling it the 2970ffc4, it is ment to be rock solid on SSB
 
oldslowchevy said:
just so you know the ranger rci ffc4 does not do ssb, how ever the galaxy 98vhp does, it my not do 400 plus watts, but i tell you i never had a had a problem being heard with it.
Click to expand...

I have been doin some lookin and all the advertisements say it is an SSB.

The Rangers front panel has CW, FM, AM,USB ,LSB

This is from the features from the jokerman site on the RCI-69FFC4
AM, FM, SSB 10 Meter Radio
•*Power 200w AM, FM & CW - 400w SSB


I deleted a bunch of it. What Am I missing something
 
racetra said:
I have been doin some lookin and all the advertisements say it is an SSB.

The Rangers front panel has CW, FM, AM,USB ,LSB

This is from the features from the jokerman site on the RCI-69FFC4
AM, FM, SSB 10 Meter Radio
•*Power 200w AM, FM & CW - 400w SSB


I deleted a bunch of it. What Am I missing something
Click to expand...

Yep drifts like a sailing boat in a hurricane. Seariously they are no good for stability on SSB
 
racetra said:
I have been doin some lookin and all the advertisements say it is an SSB.

The Rangers front panel has CW, FM, AM,USB ,LSB

This is from the features from the jokerman site on the RCI-69FFC4
AM, FM, SSB 10 Meter Radio
•*Power 200w AM, FM & CW - 400w SSB


I deleted a bunch of it. What Am I missing something
Click to expand...

may fault i was looking at the rci 63 ffc4 which does not do ssb.... :oops:

i still think you might want to take a look at the galaxy 98vhp. i loved the one i had and to this day i regret getting rid of it.
 
This is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.
The Radios like the 6900FFC4 ( and the large Galaxy) are handicapped from the start as far as being stable on SSB.
You have a radio that is "fairly stable" on SSB and then you bolt a 400 watt amp to the chassis.
Almost any radio needs to be turned on for a bit before it settles down on frequency, you have to give the radio a moment for everything in the radio to warm up .
As you start talking, you are pouring heat into the chassis of the radio, 4 2879`s ( or in the case of the Galaxy 8 MOSFETS) and it builds fast, then the internal fan comes on. Then you un-key and the radio starts dropping temp and you are getting Temp swings.
I know that the heat sink on these radios have fans, but look at the size of a heat sink on a DX-500 and the heat sink on the bottom of a 6900FFC4.
And even the 500 needs a fan(s).
Some will say that the heat sink is not getting that hot...but a considerable amount is getting transferred to the side rails of the radio, and it is heating the internal components.
The VCO section of the radio has to deal with this and I just feel it is too much.
If you have an AM/FM only radio it is not so critical, but in a SSB radio it is just asking too much.
Plus the added heat is not good on the longevity of the radio in general.
I feel you are better off with separate radio/amp combinations, and the added thing that some one already said, if the amp goes down, you can still talk on the radio.
For what it is worth.

73
Jeff
 
All of your points are defenitly being taken. I think My main Problem with the Seperate amp is where to put it. The TS is kinda big. With my Galaxy 99, I had it attached to the radio hanging off the cb mount in my truck. That mount eventually cracked. Can I mount it somewhere else and run longer lengths of Cable? Will that cable length be a problem? There is room behind my seat I think but it would take 10-12 feet of cable to and from

I didnt realize that the heat issue was as critical as you describe....Makes sense though.

Maybe I will just use the 250 palomar for now since it is smaller and get a regular radio without all the power.

Back and forth.....Make me crazy!!! However, I am learning a lot so thank you.
 
A new issue has risen, I finally picked up my new truck and it has been set up for a radio (Off the upper console at windsheild...Peterbilt) and a amp behind the passenger seat. Its already set up. So, Now I am back to the Amp/Radio combo. I really like the rCI 69ffb4 but the $$ are a tough one.

What do you guys think about the RCI Superstar 158edx paired up with the TS DX500. I understand it does have a little SSB drift but I am new to it so I could deal with it. Would I have to have that radio tuned down as to not screw up the DX500

Thanks
 

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