I'm new here, but everyone has said this site is the best of the best so here I am! Went to a garage sale and picked up a galaxy dx98vhp for $75 this thing works great! Didn't realize how good of a deal I had got until I got home and was researching, got it installed in my Jeep but... When I key it up the frequency will move by .001 so say it's at 26.965 when I key up it'll go to 26.966 then when i un key it goes back down to 26.965 is there a way to fix this? Is it OK? Seems to get out fine and everyone can hear me but my OCD kicks in on the fact the last number moves. Also the radio causes my LED fog lights to flicker when talking if that counts for anything. Hopefully this posts in the correct spot if not lead me in the right direction. Bear with me while I learn to use the site.
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Rummage sale dx98vhp
- Thread starter Jdocks305
- Start date
Welcome to the forum sir. Hope you enjoy it. Lots of good info floating around here! At any rate. Lets get down to the biz.
How is the radio being powered? I.E., does it go directly to battery?
Also what size (gauge), wire is being used to feed the radio to the battery? And is the ground wire of the same gauge and grounded directly to the frame?
What type of antenna setup are you using? More descriptive the better!!
All of these things will help us help you figure out most if not all of your issues.
From the sound of it, the radio is starving for power, or your battery or alternator doesn't have enough amperage to hold the load of the power of the radio. As this radio will draw up to 20-25amps of power. They need to be fed with the proper size power cables, keeping the run as possible and the ground as well. And also ground to frame. JMO in this. But find a good frame ground, like a seat bolt or under the dash at the steering column, anywhere that directly attaches to the frame of the vehicle.
Antenna setup needs to be up to par as well for this radio to perform properly. And last but not least. Do you know if the radio has had any peaking and tuning done?? I know you said you got it at garage sale, but what kind of wattage are you seeing on AM and SSB??
Sorry for so many questions, there are more, but let's start with the ones I have posted. All of the above, power, coax, antenna mount, antenna, coax routing, wire size, battery/alt amperage output, and if the radio has been messed with will all determine how it works.
Telling us what antenna setup and such is at your discredit obviously, but the more we know, the better we can help overall. Hope this helps? But truly there are so many variable that are being left out it's almost useless answer anything without a bit more detail. JMHO. Have a good day. And like I said, the more info you post, the more help your going to get most likely!!
How is the radio being powered? I.E., does it go directly to battery?
Also what size (gauge), wire is being used to feed the radio to the battery? And is the ground wire of the same gauge and grounded directly to the frame?
What type of antenna setup are you using? More descriptive the better!!
All of these things will help us help you figure out most if not all of your issues.
From the sound of it, the radio is starving for power, or your battery or alternator doesn't have enough amperage to hold the load of the power of the radio. As this radio will draw up to 20-25amps of power. They need to be fed with the proper size power cables, keeping the run as possible and the ground as well. And also ground to frame. JMO in this. But find a good frame ground, like a seat bolt or under the dash at the steering column, anywhere that directly attaches to the frame of the vehicle.
Antenna setup needs to be up to par as well for this radio to perform properly. And last but not least. Do you know if the radio has had any peaking and tuning done?? I know you said you got it at garage sale, but what kind of wattage are you seeing on AM and SSB??
Sorry for so many questions, there are more, but let's start with the ones I have posted. All of the above, power, coax, antenna mount, antenna, coax routing, wire size, battery/alt amperage output, and if the radio has been messed with will all determine how it works.
Telling us what antenna setup and such is at your discredit obviously, but the more we know, the better we can help overall. Hope this helps? But truly there are so many variable that are being left out it's almost useless answer anything without a bit more detail. JMHO. Have a good day. And like I said, the more info you post, the more help your going to get most likely!!
Also these radios do drift when cold until they warm up, and even then they can drift. Sounds almost like someone has messed with the clarifier?? Check to make sure it's lined up both on RX and TX as you may be receiving on one frequency and transmitting on another with a radio like this. Not sure if the display actually shows the difference between RX and TX freqs and displays them, but it's very possible as it does have dual clarifier control. Hope this helps as well.
So basically you want to make sure that when you key radio on AM mode you then move the knob that controls the TX freq. to read same as RX freq. only thing I can think of. Unless the radio has issues?? Or the setup itself. Just some more food for thought.
Amp draw says 45amps with this radio per the manufacturer. So keep this in mind as well. That is a lot of power being drawn off the battery and alternator. Sorry when I said 20-25 amps. Had to look again. It's 45amps per what Galaxy states. Hope you get the issue figured out. I'm sure someone can help more than me. I am by no means at all a technician of radios!! But there are some common things that can be of issue!! This much I do know.
Ok let's see here, I am using 4awg cable as a power wire and ground wire, I have it grounded to the battery, I'm using a Wilson t5000 that I'm borrowing for the moment, the paper that is taped to the top of it says 270watts and has a list of states not sure if that's where he has talked or something maybe? I'm not sure on the whole moving the knob while TX I haven't tried that. I just hooked it up turned it on let it sit for 10 minutes or so keyed up and the freq would move by one thousandths but my brother could hear me and he lives about 25 miles away give or take a mile so once he verified he could hear me I turned it off because I didn't want to tear it up in case this issue was something that could mess something up. This is my first CB so I guess I've jumped in head first. I would ask the guy what has been done to it but he is no longer with us as I bought it off his parents that was cleaning the house. And there isn't a tech within an hr that I know of.
Totally understand. I'm sure someone will come along to help.
However in the mean time, what does the VSWR look like on the Wilson 5000 you borrowed?? It did you tune it for your vehicle? If not, start there. Every install is different.
The radio you have there is nothing wrong with it as in what it's capable of doing! They just get butchered up so much by techs that don't what they are doing. That radio uses 2 2290's to drive it. If I'm not mistaken. And if it's the newer MOSFET version it has 8 irf520's oe something like that. Rated at 200w. The transistors in that thing if it has Toshiba 2290's, are no longer made. Tip. With the power you say the guy was seeing with it, 270w, that is really overdriving the radio! JMHO. Have the power turned back to about 150w AM, and about the same 150-175w on SSB and the radio will last a lot longer!! Again, JMHO. It has probably been peaked and tuned by someone. If the tech truly knew what they were doing they would have left it stock. Other than the 11m conversion. But hey, every one has a differnet opinion on how much power those radios should put out power wise cleanly. Put it on an scope and see what it looks like at 270w. Again, JMHO. Again, it's Subday and early. Give some of the tech fellas a chance to get up! But did you ask your brother if you sounded different on SSB when you see this freq jump?? Just curious. Hope you get an answer or get it resolved.
However in the mean time, what does the VSWR look like on the Wilson 5000 you borrowed?? It did you tune it for your vehicle? If not, start there. Every install is different.
The radio you have there is nothing wrong with it as in what it's capable of doing! They just get butchered up so much by techs that don't what they are doing. That radio uses 2 2290's to drive it. If I'm not mistaken. And if it's the newer MOSFET version it has 8 irf520's oe something like that. Rated at 200w. The transistors in that thing if it has Toshiba 2290's, are no longer made. Tip. With the power you say the guy was seeing with it, 270w, that is really overdriving the radio! JMHO. Have the power turned back to about 150w AM, and about the same 150-175w on SSB and the radio will last a lot longer!! Again, JMHO. It has probably been peaked and tuned by someone. If the tech truly knew what they were doing they would have left it stock. Other than the 11m conversion. But hey, every one has a differnet opinion on how much power those radios should put out power wise cleanly. Put it on an scope and see what it looks like at 270w. Again, JMHO. Again, it's Subday and early. Give some of the tech fellas a chance to get up! But did you ask your brother if you sounded different on SSB when you see this freq jump?? Just curious. Hope you get an answer or get it resolved.
Swr's are around 1.3 on an external meter and the factory meter is showing 1.8, and I didn't ask him if I sounded any different talked through it for maybe 3 minutes and turned it off didn't want to mess anything up, especially after seeing the price of them new. If I can't figure it out I may send it off to someone if I can get some recommendations and have them figure out what all has been done to it and get me some specs on it.
For what you paid as long as it is transmitting and receiving, you did very well. And it would definitely be worth it to send it to a good tech and have it properly tuned and aligned and any issues worked out. Like I said, Galaxy radios are known to drift a bit when they are cold, depending on how cold it can take a while for the radio to warm up and stop drifting so much. But you are doing the correct thing if you don't know much about radios, then send it out to a good tech. JMHO.
I appreciate it, wish I would've bought the rest of the radio stuff there while I was at it now that I'm looking at prices. Maybe someone will chime in on a good tech they recommend that I can send it to. I haven't let the radio actually warm up either to see if it will stop drifting so I may do that tonight when I get off work.
Let it warm up for about 5-10 minutes and see if the drift issue is still there. I know mine shows off when I first turn in on and once warm stabilizes just fine. But then again I live in FL so it's never really too cold here LOL. Seriously though, try letting it warm up. Worth a shot!! And a good tech or a couple of them are, DTB radio, Dougs Custom CB radios, and I know there are a few others as well. Just can't think of anymore of them at the moment.
Good deal on the DX98VHP,
It is a screaming radio for AM use, audio for days.
For SSB not so much as frequency drifts, If you do not mind occasionally moving the clarifier then it will do for a SSB radio.
BAD NEWS, it I a galaxy, thin circuit board and installed in a jeep probably will not hold up to being bounced around.
You can use it for a base and will last for years but not to many galaxy last long in off road vehicles,
It is a screaming radio for AM use, audio for days.
For SSB not so much as frequency drifts, If you do not mind occasionally moving the clarifier then it will do for a SSB radio.
BAD NEWS, it I a galaxy, thin circuit board and installed in a jeep probably will not hold up to being bounced around.
You can use it for a base and will last for years but not to many galaxy last long in off road vehicles,
Hey there. I'm not a professional tech, but I do use a Galaxy 94HP. Essentially the same radio with dual finals instead of 4.
Mine has the same issue from time to time, but all you need to do, is key the mic and adjust your outer clarifier knob to correct the freq. Unmodified, the outer ring is the clarifier, and the smaller inner is only to adjust the receive like a fine tune.
I almost never use the inner, I tune to freq on the outer and forget about it. Like 222DBFL was saying, these will drift a bit until they are warmed up. Also the Roger beeps are known to come and go when cold.
I hope I caught you before you spend the money to send it in unecessarily. It sounds like it's just being a typical Galaxy. I hope this insight helps you out!!
Chris/595 NE Iowa
Mine has the same issue from time to time, but all you need to do, is key the mic and adjust your outer clarifier knob to correct the freq. Unmodified, the outer ring is the clarifier, and the smaller inner is only to adjust the receive like a fine tune.
I almost never use the inner, I tune to freq on the outer and forget about it. Like 222DBFL was saying, these will drift a bit until they are warmed up. Also the Roger beeps are known to come and go when cold.
I hope I caught you before you spend the money to send it in unecessarily. It sounds like it's just being a typical Galaxy. I hope this insight helps you out!!
Chris/595 NE Iowa
Hurricane95, does yours show a differnet freq when you transmit when the radio is cold?? Or even when warm. What I am asking is, the inner (course) clarifier moves the TX freq and the outer small knob (fine), controls RX only? As like the poster stated it shows off on TX and not RX. I know my Galaxy dx55x takes a few minutes to warm up fully and when I turn it on it shows 27.206 instead of 27.205. It does revert to the correct freq upon warm up, but I have not transmitted when cold and just am curious as to whether you would see a change on the freq display. 
At any rate, could just be due to it being cold or just a plain out issue or is this normal for a Galaxy radio? To display both RX and TX freqs??
At any rate, could just be due to it being cold or just a plain out issue or is this normal for a Galaxy radio? To display both RX and TX freqs??
Yes, mine does the same. And the frequency will creep a couple as it warms up. All you need to do is key the mic and adjust the coarse to line it up. I'm going to say this is normal for these Galaxys. If that's my only complaint, I'm good with that.
I was chatting to San Diego, CA last weekend. Talked for about 20-25 min on .750. He was on an HF rig and me on the 94HP. He was surprised at how rock steady mine sounded, for being a Galaxy and all.
Like I said, when it's cold ya have to chase the freq around a bit, but after 10-15 minutes, it's good to go.
595
I was chatting to San Diego, CA last weekend. Talked for about 20-25 min on .750. He was on an HF rig and me on the 94HP. He was surprised at how rock steady mine sounded, for being a Galaxy and all.
Like I said, when it's cold ya have to chase the freq around a bit, but after 10-15 minutes, it's good to go.
595