I own a Pristine like new store demo model. Mine is the SSB 600 which is basically a late model SSB 500 with a more traditional case and front plate. The boards where more alike then different but different ic's where used for audio amp, and the pll changed 3 times. So most of them just do the 3 pin's pulled to ground for channels above and bellow the legal 40. So no need to install a channel kit usually three of the front switches that no one needs are used so the radio appears stock. One mod had you installing a 6 position rotary switch.
I had a friend that owned a couple when we where High School. I went from RadioShack CB's to 2950 and President Lincoln while he went from that SSB 500 to a Cobra 148 with Channel kit.
His SSB500 was in many ways a much better radio then the 148 GTL or the Uniden Grant XL. It put out better power, had very loud and clean audio, the freq. conversion only required 3 wires and 3 of the stock switches and on SSB it was a beast. On AM and SSB it was a beast. He reversed polarized it and fried the audio ic so he pitched and got a Cobra 148GTL. His Cobra was no gimp but by the time he had a channel kit installed he could have bought an RCI2950 and had a lot more radio. In fact in 1991 when I got my RCI 2950 his single final Cobra outperformed my dual final RCI 2950 in terms of AM and SSB power output.
The only down side to the Palomar SSB 500 and 600's where noisy receive but they did pull in weak signal really well so always a trade off. It was no worse then the receive on my 2950. Well the SSB500's where also very ugly to look at!! The SSB600 kept the tan color for it's tins but the face plate was changed to a separate unit that was nicely chromed. On SSB for instance his Cobra would cleanly do 32 or 36 watts my RCI would only do 28 watts.
They are huge radio's. I owned a 2950 for 15 years and a Grant XL and this radio makes those two look short. From the rear of the case to the front plate it measures 10 3/4 inches. It is very wide as well. Those where taken after a full alignment of both radio by the book. That repair shop was waste deep in scopes, signal generators, Bird watt meters etc.....This was not a cut and hack truck stop affair with a light bulb and a pair of diagonal cutters. LOL
I am going to recap this one and might add a RFX150 to it. After I we done doing body work on it he will be inheriting a well used 1995.5 Toyota Tacoma 4x4. Having spent plenty of time in Georgia I know that every kid should have a CB to go with his first truck especially if it is a 4x4! He has recently shown an interest in CB and SSB due to his interest in apocalyptic/para-military/zombie/survival off the grid interests! He knows that you need to be able to talk and has seen how limited FRS radios are. So he asked me what it would take for him and his buddy to make a 15 mile trip reliably and told him a that a dipole antenna and a CB with SSB would do it just fine.
He has no clue. I think he is thinking I might let him have one of my TRC-453's but a vintage truck should have a Big Vintage Radio!!! I can not stand the idea of a radio just sitting in a box in the closet rotting away from age and lack of use. I am not a collector. I use things for what they are built and if I wear them out or damage them then I will normally rebuild them since I do not usually buy things that are designed to be thrown away.
If you can find a Palomar SSB500 or 600 in good shape at a good price and you like vintage CB radios go for it. They are as good if not better then anything else from their time frame that was a type accepted FCC 40 Channel SSB CB radio. I would not go out of my way to find one that is for sure but I likewise would not go out of my to find an old tired raped RCI2950, Cobra 2000, Cobra 148GTL, Uniden Grant XL etc.....I take care of my gear so I really do not want to pay $150+++ for any of the above then need to put another $200+++ into it to make it perform as good as it once did. Far better to look for a great deal on a mint unit that does not need that much work or get a new export radio. Lets face it a $250 RCI2950 is a bargain compared to what you get in CB's for $150+++Plenty of export units with out all the fancy stuf that RCI has that have great audio on AM and do not need $200-$500 of parts and labor to make them work right again!
No magic in vintage radio's not everything that is old is worth paying a lot for or worth owning!
I had a friend that owned a couple when we where High School. I went from RadioShack CB's to 2950 and President Lincoln while he went from that SSB 500 to a Cobra 148 with Channel kit.
His SSB500 was in many ways a much better radio then the 148 GTL or the Uniden Grant XL. It put out better power, had very loud and clean audio, the freq. conversion only required 3 wires and 3 of the stock switches and on SSB it was a beast. On AM and SSB it was a beast. He reversed polarized it and fried the audio ic so he pitched and got a Cobra 148GTL. His Cobra was no gimp but by the time he had a channel kit installed he could have bought an RCI2950 and had a lot more radio. In fact in 1991 when I got my RCI 2950 his single final Cobra outperformed my dual final RCI 2950 in terms of AM and SSB power output.
The only down side to the Palomar SSB 500 and 600's where noisy receive but they did pull in weak signal really well so always a trade off. It was no worse then the receive on my 2950. Well the SSB500's where also very ugly to look at!! The SSB600 kept the tan color for it's tins but the face plate was changed to a separate unit that was nicely chromed. On SSB for instance his Cobra would cleanly do 32 or 36 watts my RCI would only do 28 watts.
They are huge radio's. I owned a 2950 for 15 years and a Grant XL and this radio makes those two look short. From the rear of the case to the front plate it measures 10 3/4 inches. It is very wide as well. Those where taken after a full alignment of both radio by the book. That repair shop was waste deep in scopes, signal generators, Bird watt meters etc.....This was not a cut and hack truck stop affair with a light bulb and a pair of diagonal cutters. LOL
I am going to recap this one and might add a RFX150 to it. After I we done doing body work on it he will be inheriting a well used 1995.5 Toyota Tacoma 4x4. Having spent plenty of time in Georgia I know that every kid should have a CB to go with his first truck especially if it is a 4x4! He has recently shown an interest in CB and SSB due to his interest in apocalyptic/para-military/zombie/survival off the grid interests! He knows that you need to be able to talk and has seen how limited FRS radios are. So he asked me what it would take for him and his buddy to make a 15 mile trip reliably and told him a that a dipole antenna and a CB with SSB would do it just fine.
He has no clue. I think he is thinking I might let him have one of my TRC-453's but a vintage truck should have a Big Vintage Radio!!! I can not stand the idea of a radio just sitting in a box in the closet rotting away from age and lack of use. I am not a collector. I use things for what they are built and if I wear them out or damage them then I will normally rebuild them since I do not usually buy things that are designed to be thrown away.
If you can find a Palomar SSB500 or 600 in good shape at a good price and you like vintage CB radios go for it. They are as good if not better then anything else from their time frame that was a type accepted FCC 40 Channel SSB CB radio. I would not go out of my way to find one that is for sure but I likewise would not go out of my to find an old tired raped RCI2950, Cobra 2000, Cobra 148GTL, Uniden Grant XL etc.....I take care of my gear so I really do not want to pay $150+++ for any of the above then need to put another $200+++ into it to make it perform as good as it once did. Far better to look for a great deal on a mint unit that does not need that much work or get a new export radio. Lets face it a $250 RCI2950 is a bargain compared to what you get in CB's for $150+++Plenty of export units with out all the fancy stuf that RCI has that have great audio on AM and do not need $200-$500 of parts and labor to make them work right again!
No magic in vintage radio's not everything that is old is worth paying a lot for or worth owning!
