My advice is have your Uniden PC66 modified for some extra power, and invest the bulk of your budget in a good antenna system. With the right work, that 66 will put out more than alot of the so-called "big" radios. For what you said you would use the radio for, you definitely have a good radio already. It has great receive as long as its properly tuned, and with the right antenna system, you'll see some major distance.
-
You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
Wanting a good radio
- Thread starter smokestack
- Start date
Yeah that 66 can blow smoke by all means! With a 1969 final it will blow smoke and if tuned right sound good doing it! As stated before antenna system is key! I recomend Fire stick antennas with the tunable tip. There realy simple to use which help alot! They work good also when you get thme tuned. Another thing that is key is your coax. Switching from RG58 to good mini 8 will also help your system!
M
-MAGIC MAN-
Guest
THOSE 50 WATT MODS THAT COMMUNICTIONS EXPERTS DOES
ARE A WASTE OF MONEY AND SHIPPING $$$
THE MODS ON THE DTB SITE WILL GET YOU THE SAME POWER
AND YOU CAN DO THEM YOURSELF AND POSSIBLY LEARN SOMETHING.
AMPOWER DOESNT OFFER TO HELP ANYONE, ALL HE DOES IS
TRY TO SELL SOMETHING.
BUY MY AMPS
BUY MY PARTNERS SERVICES
BUY PRODUCTS FROM MY PARTNERS
ARE A WASTE OF MONEY AND SHIPPING $$$
THE MODS ON THE DTB SITE WILL GET YOU THE SAME POWER
AND YOU CAN DO THEM YOURSELF AND POSSIBLY LEARN SOMETHING.
AMPOWER DOESNT OFFER TO HELP ANYONE, ALL HE DOES IS
TRY TO SELL SOMETHING.
BUY MY AMPS
BUY MY PARTNERS SERVICES
BUY PRODUCTS FROM MY PARTNERS
I am no moderator but I dont like to see things go the wrong direction. If you dont got something nice to say dont say it!Hiamperage said:
Well 
thanks for the advice. Who is justin? I had switchkit sayin that he would tune it up for me also. But the 50watt mod sounds like just what i want, I was thinking of trading mine in on a cobra 29. Thats what i heard was the one you could do the mod on? I was thinking also that the 29 has more controls on it? I only have the rf gain,squelch,mic gain. Wouldnt it be better to have more? I dont know much as you can tell But the doing it myself is right on the money. Switch kit had me open it up and turn up the power. That got me into it alot. I would like to learn as much as possible. Im real into electronics already. I build all my own puters and do a little programming. So i think i can pick it up quick.
But all your advice is helping me out. Thanks alot for all the input
thanks for the advice. Who is justin? I had switchkit sayin that he would tune it up for me also. But the 50watt mod sounds like just what i want, I was thinking of trading mine in on a cobra 29. Thats what i heard was the one you could do the mod on? I was thinking also that the 29 has more controls on it? I only have the rf gain,squelch,mic gain. Wouldnt it be better to have more? I dont know much as you can tell But the doing it myself is right on the money. Switch kit had me open it up and turn up the power. That got me into it alot. I would like to learn as much as possible. Im real into electronics already. I build all my own puters and do a little programming. So i think i can pick it up quick. But all your advice is helping me out. Thanks alot for all the input
Having more controlls is nice but some thins you dont need. RF gain is one thing that I never use, its always wide open but maybe it comes in handy when close to other drivers? Mic gain is nice becouse if you wanted to add a power mic to your radio you would have a way to adjust it. Ow yes and switch kit knows his way around radios so he could make your radio blow smoke as well!!
StoneCrusher:
My shop is in the same building as America's Chrome Shop. They are at their new location a bit North of the Flying J truckstop, about 4 or 5 buildings past the Super 8 Motel. Its a two-story building that looks like a giant house, or a barn painted up. Its light brown with dark trim. From I-81 South, get off at Exit 52, and go left at the light. After you go under I-81, go through the first two lights, and we are two buildings before the third on the right.
Smokestack:
If you want to get into electronics, I recommend HIGHLY that you invest in a decent used oscilloscope. It is practically impossible to completely and correctly tune a radio without one. they can be had on Ebay for well under $200 if you pay attention. For example, I picked up a 270mhz HP unit for less than $150, in fantastic operating ocndition. For your needs, a 100mhz unit, or even a 60mhz unit would work fine. You could probably find a good one for less than $100.00 if you're careful.
I just took a couple photos of the output from a Uniden PC68 to demonstrate what to look for (and what NOT to look for).
The first photo is of what a scope display will look like if the radio is overmodulatng. You'll notice a sharp, spikey look to the peaks. That indicates clipping (squaring) of the mic audio in the audio chip. The reason the peaks look spiked instead of flattened (squared) is because the amplified audio signal passes through a capacitor and transformer before being coupled to (modulating) the carrier signal. The capacitor and transformer make up what's called an integrator (or differentiator, I can never remember which is which), which causes the squared peaks to show up as a ramp-type signal. You can see the effect if you run a square wave from a generator through a cap and resistor in series, and put a 'scope on the output. The transformer acts like a big resistor in the CB. In a radio such as a Galaxy 33 or any other radio that uses the direct output from a transistor or IC, the clipped audio WILL look flat on top.
You'll also notice in that signal that the valleys are flat-lined, indicating that there is 0 output from the CB during that time
The second photo is what you'll see from a properly-modulated radio. No sharp peaks, indicating that there is no clipping in the audio circuit, and no flat-line in the valleys, incicating that the radio is putting out some signal virtually the entire time it is transmitting.
You'll also notice that the radios are developing the same amount of RF voltage, if you take your referrence point at the midpoint of the sloped peaks in photo 1 and look at the same division point in photo 2. You use the midpoint of the sloped peaks because thats about where the actual clipped audio (before going through the cap-transformer) would max out at if imposed on the RF trace.
My shop is in the same building as America's Chrome Shop. They are at their new location a bit North of the Flying J truckstop, about 4 or 5 buildings past the Super 8 Motel. Its a two-story building that looks like a giant house, or a barn painted up. Its light brown with dark trim. From I-81 South, get off at Exit 52, and go left at the light. After you go under I-81, go through the first two lights, and we are two buildings before the third on the right.
Smokestack:
If you want to get into electronics, I recommend HIGHLY that you invest in a decent used oscilloscope. It is practically impossible to completely and correctly tune a radio without one. they can be had on Ebay for well under $200 if you pay attention. For example, I picked up a 270mhz HP unit for less than $150, in fantastic operating ocndition. For your needs, a 100mhz unit, or even a 60mhz unit would work fine. You could probably find a good one for less than $100.00 if you're careful.
I just took a couple photos of the output from a Uniden PC68 to demonstrate what to look for (and what NOT to look for).
The first photo is of what a scope display will look like if the radio is overmodulatng. You'll notice a sharp, spikey look to the peaks. That indicates clipping (squaring) of the mic audio in the audio chip. The reason the peaks look spiked instead of flattened (squared) is because the amplified audio signal passes through a capacitor and transformer before being coupled to (modulating) the carrier signal. The capacitor and transformer make up what's called an integrator (or differentiator, I can never remember which is which), which causes the squared peaks to show up as a ramp-type signal. You can see the effect if you run a square wave from a generator through a cap and resistor in series, and put a 'scope on the output. The transformer acts like a big resistor in the CB. In a radio such as a Galaxy 33 or any other radio that uses the direct output from a transistor or IC, the clipped audio WILL look flat on top.
You'll also notice in that signal that the valleys are flat-lined, indicating that there is 0 output from the CB during that time
The second photo is what you'll see from a properly-modulated radio. No sharp peaks, indicating that there is no clipping in the audio circuit, and no flat-line in the valleys, incicating that the radio is putting out some signal virtually the entire time it is transmitting.
You'll also notice that the radios are developing the same amount of RF voltage, if you take your referrence point at the midpoint of the sloped peaks in photo 1 and look at the same division point in photo 2. You use the midpoint of the sloped peaks because thats about where the actual clipped audio (before going through the cap-transformer) would max out at if imposed on the RF trace.
Try one of those new Cobra 200 GTL's, its an "EXPORT" model and send it to DTB and let him do his mod to speed up the AMC circuit.smokestack said:
General radios are good, just a cheap version of the RCI radios with the stuff truckers like.( echo & shiney knobs)
And yes I would definitely watch out who I buy it from and let inside it!!!!
Lets see you're in SC, so when you get up my way, stop in at ext 42 on 77 and see Jaguar, he has a few of these in stock, but they as quick as he gets them. Tell him Triple Nickle with OL' President Jackson sent you.
Good luck on whatever you choose.
73