RCI 69 base

[AudioShockwav]

New....well maybe not so new....
Wait have I seen this radio before?

https://simonthewizard.com/2019/09/20/ranger-rci-69-base-499-50/

73
Jeff

 

[Handy Andy]

Matches quite a few "models"

​

Maybe it's a PC-122 in a new wrapper...and MOSFET finals...(RT1? Huh?)

Need all the room for the power supply and heat sink to boot, er - keep up with it...

(That Simon sites' pretty wild...)

Here's something I'm thinking is related to the above boards, for it (Board) seems to be a flagship for that chassis

Another Radio making a similar claim to the RT1 Finals...

​

Smokin' Joe, while he was still here, divulged a lot of details on this radio chassis - to him I (if not all of us) are grateful for his insight into these radios...

Maybe someone has already posted the Link to this Video Already then my apologies, but it does tie in with the above...

But there's more - when someone were to "search" for these RFT1's

I found this...

They are SANDED off...
But it's still a bloody mess...

Although this is from Smokin' Joes' (bless his heart for doing this VID)
He does show it has some faults that Out Of The Box,
you will have to STILL do some work to it to clean up signal.
Look for the "sticker"...


Something tells me Ranger isn't done yet...
​

So for them to make that claim, they needed to have working models - this appears to be their main PCB they base their design for the newer chassis on - Discrete thankfully - but they are dealing with the limitations of the MOSFET final having to be an exacting science to deliver the goods.

If I hijacked the thread - move this message (I guess - to where? I dunno - Trash Bin?)
But I wanted to show that research is limited, but I keep coming up with the same "12D" design. All from Ranger...so even though it uses a 2314 /1957 as a Bipolar Linear Pre-driver - the limitations appear in the MODFET multi-stage amplification - simply a multiplier for the spurries.

 

[CB590]

The review by LesC said the last digit danced a lot, Ranger issued a patch kit for that supposedly and all new models would have an upgrade to fix that. Notice the mobile has the extra freq digit, and the base doesn't.

They should just stick with the 2995/2980/2950/2970 board as they seem more stable than the "6900" boards.

 

[Handy Andy]

I was surprised at the 60+ Watt figure - then I saw the Spurries - now I know why...

He was only setting for 25 watts - and even then after his adjustments / tune-up as claimed in the Video - he couldn't clean up the signal - wow. It's typical Wide skirt -3dB / 1MHz - with the typical 'bump-up on the 4th order...

So even if it's the older 2950 their 6950-15A board...

Note this may be have been "retuned"
(CBTricks)
But the 69VHP was pretty clean...

​

I don't want to beat them up, for I am thankful they are still building radios - it could be worse...

So they are a work in progress...

 

[w9cll]

$500? There is so much better you can buy than this crap

 

[Eldorado828]

I remember hearing some chatter about this rig last year. There was only supposed to be a small production run of these and only available from dealers that source them at lesco distributing. At first I thought it was something new but turned out to only be new-ish and my interest went elsewhere. I'd forgotten all about it until stumbling on this thread. I thought about ordering some of those rt1's just to experiment.... I bet a seasoned tech with more experience than myself could probably find out what relabeled part they really are.

 

[Handy Andy]

Interesting point!

... for when I went out to search for these, I showed some eBay responses - all related back to the IRF520 - so since the 69-mobile used "two" - I can pretty much presume the same effort into the 69 - Base is similar parts.

Now I'm not claiming that - just can only presume that the drop in replacements are for like anyone else's MOSFET miracle - they use the IRF 520. (Hint: Repair)

I wish I had a spectrum Analyzer like shown above, for the "spurries" in the 69VHP - note the word "Conservatively" in the effort of putting 60 watts and Rated together in the same sentence.

Something tells me, for the "Base" to claim 100 watts - someone's taking the gloves off and looking to pick a fight - but with whom? OR Why?

So, would I buy one? Not yet... I need a little help in the spurries department...

Wonder if they ever found out the Value of X...

If they use anything like the 2314 or even the 2166 - NFB is a must...

The Scope doesn't lie...​

SIGH...I just wish "Power" was not such an issue - for these things perform well - like any other - good radio - just don't understand their Sales Department and Advertising...

 

[Eldorado828]

I know in the mobile they make the mirage MX-36HP3 with the irf-520's, then the Superstar ss-36hp3 with the rt1's. Same main pcb, actually identical with the difference only being the mosfets used. The mirage claiming 50 watts and the superstar claiming 60 watts.... I'm willing to bet there's only some bias and capacitance changes. For a supposed +10 pep I don't know that it's worth the difference especially if once it's cleaned up you end up with the same 50 pep. For a short while I owned the ranger 39vhp with those rt1's and I'll say that thing would really talk but the final section was 1 520 driving 3 rt1's for about 80 watts pep. Not that it really matters much but curiosity kills me so I can't help but wonder what those transistors really are because we all know ranger doesn't design or produce semiconductors so they have to be a relabeled part.

 

[undertaker]

I Just snagged a 2980wx mint condition!!!

 

[Handy Andy]

Well, I did a Sneak n Peek...

No not really - the Vid is
Right here, just posted this week ​

So, like a banshee - it's arrived...

Thanks to
cbrepairguy​

 

[Eldorado828]

Well, I did a Sneak n Peek...

View attachment 35418

No not really - the Vid is
Right here, just posted this week ​

So, like a banshee - it's arrived...

Man look at those coils!! The golden screwdriver type fella will have some slinky's going on in there ha!

 

[Eldorado828]

So there's been a guessing game going on with the Max-Mod transitors for some time, what's the mystery behind the rt-1....... Will we ever really know? We still don't know 100 percent guaranteed about the blacked out 2290's or red colored 2879's found in the connex or rangers either do we. Hg huagao, dei, some other unknown???

 

[hotrod]

i wish thety bring back the 2985 base ..

 

[MarkIV]

The review by LesC said the last digit danced a lot, Ranger issued a patch kit for that supposedly and all new models would have an upgrade to fix that. Notice the mobile has the extra freq digit, and the base doesn't.

They should just stick with the 2995/2980/2950/2970 board as they seem more stable than the "6900" boards.

This is why the base unit has a 5 digit frequency counter. To cover up the the instability. This radio never should have been designed with a 8 band selector. Look at the mobile version. It has a 6 digit frequency counter!
But it’s not a 8 bander. It’s obvious as to why they did this. If you add all the bells and whistles it would compete with the 2995 DX CF.

 

[MarkIV]

i wish thety bring back the 2985 base ..

Buy the 2995 DX and disable the amp board.