When I use these one of my favorite combo's is and Radio Shack TRC-465 or like. I used to install SP1-a. I would turn AM down to about 1.5-2 watts dead key 100% modulation(going off memory) and SSB to about 8 watts. People always thought it was a base when used with 102" to 108" whip. When using a 102" whip I used a 6 inch aluminum bar to get them away from vehicle a bit and make them electrically 108" with out those terrible springs! If it was an AM mainly rig then Asmytric mod well documented for these radio's was great too. Not the HUGE AM audio of other designs but very compact and clean. A few cap changes to tune the audio to the voice and you could easily out talk most "peaked and tweaked" radio's with over driven amps.
When I used a RCI 2950 I I used a Palomar 150 like design I built myself with two MRF 455 or 454's again with the same antenna system people that I was a base. I was always buying amps or selling them since anything I used people always wanted to buy off me for more money that the amps were worth.
People did not understand that you have to start with a clean radio, a clean amp and then a fantastic antenna system well matched.
I know this is old but I got a NOS Palomar 75TX and 150 Bi Level from RF Parts last year for $212 each. I think they were listed as NOS 1979. One had MRF455's I think and the other has MRF455's. I can not buy the transistors alone from RF Parts for that price as a MP.
I am going to replace the electrolytic and test them out. Everything thinks they need a big amp to get out and get heard. What you really need is a clean well tuned radio and a decent amp not over driven and a well tuned antenna system!
Most of the best base stations I talked to on AM and SSB were old guys with old radio's and fantastic antenna systems with a lot of low power 100 to 200 watt rms amps. Some were tubes and some were transistor amps all of them ran them gently. Most had stacked Quads, Jo-Guns, Maco, or home built Yagi's.2 guys had Laser 500's. They guys on vertical ground planes normally had 250-500 watt amps.
I was the only mobile in the SSB group and my heavily modified Second Generation Mylasian made RCI2950. No CB'er trash mod's
Nice clean audio with a slightly modified amp on the back of the unit.
Modified by Fred Ballantine of Hinesville Georgia Electronic Repair, Florida and Pennsylvania. Sadly he stole my radio after I provided parts from RF parts around 1997 1998 paid in advance for all repairs and shipping. I considered him a friend and mentor. As I understand it he stole from a lot of people and skipped out of town!
Just would like to know what the dead key should be set at
