Ranger AR-3500 - Whatizzit?

[Drenalin]

UPDATE: Well since my last post here, I 've installed a SP1a speech processor. everything they say about this device is on target. I had a Turner M+3B mike wired to the radio but wanted to wire up a Astatic 575M-6 mike. so to have the best of both worlds, the 575M-6 operates through the SP1a speech processor so now I have the #1 rated mobile mic with the speech processor working together. audio reports have been 10 out of 10 in quality audio.

73's

 

[SmackDown]

The person or business that I would send that radio to is Bobs CB shop in stratenwille PA. you wonder why to a CB shop, well Bobs CB shop use to be the warranty shop for the AR 3500 100W radio.

They still do peak & tunes and still sell and install the sp1-a Speech processors. they are to this day the recommend shop for the AR 3500 and the web also has numerious sites in which you can dowload the tune up info although the shop has all that info. And as for the NOW 10 meter radios of today, well just check out ebay NOW and you find many of those radios up for bid or outright "for sale" since they don't seem to last very long. If it came to a new or updated radio then I would go with an HF radio which can be purchased at a reasonable price weather used or 20 years used, a good HF radio can fill the void.

+ 10 on Bob's CB Service ! He stocks all the known parts on earth for the AR-3500 as well as the AR-3300.

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

Ranger 3500 was a fine radio and better than any CB made today!

The one thing I remember about the 3500 is the receiver was the best I have heard in a mobile 10/11 meter radio.
It had such a quiet noise floor and was great on transmit.
You can tell a good noise floor by disconnecting the antenna and with this receiver with the antenna disconnected (With the volume turned up all the way) you will hear absolutely NOTHING (No noise) , now THAT was a a good receiver!
I had the pleasure of visiting the Clear Channel Corporation in Issaquah, Washington for a repair (A blown final) and was given the royal tour of their plant.
I saw where they received the units from Japan and modified the receivers by adding a monolithic filter in the IF and also added another stage of IF amplification to bring the receive gain back up to compensate for the added loss of the filter, they also had a section where they retrofitted the 30 versions received from Japan with the high power (150 watt) stage to make it the high power version. The radios did not come from Japan that way, they only made the 30 watt version in Japan.
The other add-ons were also incorporated as options custom ordered by the customer or bought as a kit to be added by the customer.
The specs were 30 watts SSB and 10 watts AM/FM on transmit and the receiver had a .1 microvolt sensitivity! Man WHAT a receiver!! It was so quiet!!
The transmitter was a typical transmitter with a VERY sound engineering design, they didn't put out a piece of garbage like many similar style radios made today.
Listen to the receiver and you will SEE and hear the difference!
It was fun seeing these radios being produced.
It is too bad that the Clear Channel Corporation doesn't exist any more in Issaquah, Washington, they made a first class product.
I only wish I had taken pictures of their operation.

If you can find one that hasn't been messed with and screwed up you will have a fine piece of equipment outdone only a Stoner Pro 40!
Now THAT's another story!

Keith Santo
Ham Radio WB7RTT (Since 1970)
A proud Boeing employee!

 

[Se7en]

def a nice rig. own a 3500 100w, cant go wrong on tx and rx

 

[Whiplash-265]

owned one about 25 years ago and would LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! to own another

 

[jon666]

re

i have the silver face ar3300 great radio.
i might sell it though got to many radios.
its pretty much mint.inside is virgin except a tune and channel mod

 

[Se7en]

do some black face 100w ar3500 have either 6 pin or 4 pin?

 

[Robb]

do some black face 100w ar3500 have either 6 pin or 4 pin?

Depends if they have the optional up/down channel change switches on the mic or not.

 

[jon666]

re

mine is a 4 pin. i rewired it for a cobra mic.