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I used to get 7 miles almost all the time, 25-30 miles on a good day with a tuned up cobra 29 ltd classic. I never ran a 102" whip so I dont know. Once I got my kl-203 and 980 skip came easy on the right days, probably 2000 miles so for me I say a good antenna, ssb radio and 100 watts but thats just me
 
You might want to look at the TNT line. I think the MS amps are class c bais and the TNTs are class b. You may have a dirtier signal on ssb with the MS. On am the amp would be great.

What exactly is the difference between a class b and a class c bias amp?
I have read that it sounds good on ssb, it has ssb delay. I'd like a tnt amp, but i just can't afford one right now.

Also, do you know anything about the Mosfet midnight specials? X-Force seems to have a Midnight Special line, and then Mosfet Midnight Specials. is there a difference? the MF300 is 174.99. Preamp and auto sideband, cooling fan. That seems like a good deal.

I used to get 7 miles almost all the time, 25-30 miles on a good day with a tuned up cobra 29 ltd classic. I never ran a 102" whip so I dont know. Once I got my kl-203 and 980 skip came easy on the right days, probably 2000 miles so for me I say a good antenna, ssb radio and 100 watts but thats just me

I've also been looking at the RM Italy amps. They keep popping up in my searches. Nice and cheap, are you happy with it?

Also, I know some amps require a lower dead key, of like 1-2 watts. Is it ok to lower the deadkey just by turning the RF Power knob? Or does this have to be done internally as to not sacrifice audio quality?
 
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Doing it with the power knob is OK, just use a power meter to check before hooking up to the amp. Half a watt or a watt either side is OK.
 
I get exactly what your saying with a tight CB budget. If a Midnight Special is what you can afford get it, better than no amp. I think the Xforce will be better made and last longer than RM amps.
 
A lot of it has to do with the gate too. The 101 has a narrow receive, a 30 year old paper cone speaker and it's hard to say what is was recorded on.

Yea it's hit or miss some of the gates. Radioman 445 newer gates are pretty are good. Audio man 28 and 77 wideband 148 is kickn.
OK high jacking is over.
 
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Got my first response on SSB today. I went and parked on this hill that overlooks a pond in town while i was eating lunch, big wide open area that put me above most of the trees.
I called out CQ with my numbers 20-30 times on LSB 38, the band kind of opened up for a minute and it got quiet, chatter started to drop off so I called out again... Suddenly a guy repeated my numbers, he said "918, I hear you but you are very off frequency". I lost him in a cacophony of callsigns after that. I couldn't get his numbers or location, So i can't officially call it a contact, but someone heard me!!!

Since my 959 is a stock radio that's never been worked on, I am assuming that I am off frequency due to my locked clarifier. I've gotta get this thing tuned up. I bet i'd get a lot more contacts if i was transmitting on frequency.
 
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Also a power mic gives you above an beyond the modulation you need , if it has not been turned up internally . Did you by your 959 new ? The problem is now that we have the internet with all these vids it opens up a whole new world for golden screw driver turners .lol

Sent from my NB09 using Tapatalk
 
Made another contact tonight, 5931 New Jersey. Even got an audio recording of the QSO with my cellphone. Unless it was with anotehr station in Oklahoma, pretty sure they heard me.
Today has been a great day for skip, I've had two barefoot contacts.


I bought my galaxy used on ebay, someone who didn't have a decent antenna and couldn't say that the transmit was working. They said it was under a year old. I took the chance and bought it and the transmit is workin just fine, let me tell you. Talking on a mag mount wilson 1000.

And yeah, this power mic has made all the difference. I'm making long distance contacts where as before with the stock mic i wasnt being heard. This Road Devil is incredible. My entire system did a 180 when I plugged the mic in.
 
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Made my first out of state contact tonight. Can't call it skip, but my stock radio and wilson 1000 was talking over 20 miles! No going back now, I'm hooked....

Good for you man! Congrats! I talked to a trucker today. I saw him drive by about 200 yards away and hailed him down. At least I know the radio is transmitting! Still :drool: ing.
 

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