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Which radio would you buy if...

Rob KI6USW said:
Which radio would you buy if...
You wanted a 10 and 11 meter radio that has AM/FM/SSB.
A built in freq counter, and a good sized meter movement.
Legal for a HAM with a Tech ticket.
Power isn't an issue, as I am picking a legal but decently modulating radio?
Can it be done for $250?
(y)
Click to expand...

If you're going to go illegal and you are a ham, why wouldn't you just modify an HF rig and use that? They are a world better quality all around, even the worst of them.

Get a used FT-757GXII a TS-140, a TS-430 etc etc. should be able to find one of them in clean condition for $250.
 
Does this RCI6900F25 convert easily to 11-meter?
Click to expand...

Conversion isn't a big deal, but I once had a 6900 and I hated it. I sold it quickly.

When I first got my General ticket, I only had the money to have one radio for cb/HF, so I used a 257. I used it quite a bit on 10m while mobile. I used it with an Astatic Road Devil mic and got a lot of compliments.

There's a big size difference between the 257 and the 2950, so take that into consideration if you're using it mobile.

The suggestion to find a used 757gxii or the like is a really good one. You'll like something like that MUCH better and will instantly have a rig you can use on the other HF bands once you upgrade.

BTW, ham bands don't require "type acceptance" or "fcc certification" or anything like that. You can use whatever you want there as long as you abide by the emissions standards.
 
Still Trying...

Many good points made so far. Thanks all.
After reading MANY reviews (and I mean a LOT of reviews) on the Mag 257 and others, it looks like the Mag 257 isn't the best candidate. I'll say this, it can be a fair talker, though - and can be changed over to 11 meter use without a radio tech (a big plus). Going thru the 11 meter band however, it skips over the odd freq numbers that occur in CB channels (such as '27.085Mhz'), making it a bit difficult to access easily. Additionally you aren't allowed enough memory points to store for that band. Not CB user friendly in that sense - you will need a road map if you don't remember what they are. It is a bit noisey on the RX too; as it doesn't filter well. The price makes it an exceptional bargain if you aren't concerned for my take on it - I will say...

The Magnum Omega Force has pretty much been panned. Not many radio techs like them apparently - inconsistencies and built in troubles. While on the phone today with the Copper Electronics Tech, he avoided that radio like it was fresh cow manure. He tried to get me interested in another radio. I guess the Omega Force rates along with the Cobra 200 GTL; you take your chances if you own it. It is pretty popular in Europe from what I can gather. Too bad too, I almost bought it. It looked pretty good to me! Oh, well...

The Icom 706 MkII(?) is hard to find (even on qrz.com) and still sells for at least $600. I'm not ready for that band usage yet; I could use only a part of it and have to pay a lot. A General license is still aways off. I'll buy a 10-160 meter radio when I can qualify. But it was a good suggestion for this dilemma I posed.

There are only three real choices left - IMHO.
The RCI-2950DX has a lot of things - strong talker, multi functions, decent power, big LCD freq display, and a very decent price. SSB is supposed to be second to none - big point! However - it is built like a HAM radio with soft buttons. I have the touted Yaesu FT-8800R Dual-Band that has little manual control and practically all soft button functions. To tell the truth; it is why I cannot stand the Yaesu - even though others think it the best thing since sliced bread. If I could get used to this style of operation in the 2950DX, it probably is the best radio out there for that $250 price range with little doubt. I guess I miss the real meters, manual controls, and the channel display. I like the radio to be used like a radio manually operated and not like a microwave oven. Doesn't these soft buttons designs get anybody annoyed besides me?

So, I am now between the the RCI-2950DX and two new contenders. The Magnum S9 is $300 and the Voyage VR-9000 is $200. The Voyage lacks a mic gain (can you believe it?) but the rest of this radio's pedigree and features are all there - variable power. modulation switch, and 10Kc shift. Very strong talker right out of the box - without a power mic. I wonder how it will do with a D104/T-UP9 that I have sitting on my shack counter top here? I'd have to play a dicey game of adjusting my modulation from the bottom of the mic. It has all of the features that some will appreciate and others can do without, like echo and roger beep to name a few. The meter is the size of many Cobra/Connex type radios; that is something I don't really like but won't stop me from choosing it either. That is what adding my meter bridge will be used for - anyway. It is built on the same chassis as the Galaxy 88; I'm not so sure that is a good thing.

Now the Mag S9. This radio is all the same as the Mag Omega Force with no gripes against that I can find. Except that I would have to dig a bit deeper and spend the extra $50 - ouch! SSB is excellent, A HUGE modulator ("top Gun" they call it - oh boy...), a HUGE meter movement, TWO mic plugs (interesting?!?), 40 watts OR more, freq counter, blue lights, and a clarifier that works on TX. Can they do that; but both of the Mag's do apparently. Copper wants $304 +$30/expand/align/tune and GI Joe wants $5 less for exactly the same thing.

I want a radio that I can talk on 10 meter/SSB between 28.3 to 28.5Mhz, that can be turned down to legitimate power useage on 11 meter so that no feathers are ruffled - so to speak. And if an emergency would occur, I could use whatever freq is available to get the message out CLEARLY, as the FCC regs STATES can be done by their own definition of the law. Isn't it OUR law?

Ranger RCI-2950DX? http://www.copper.com/cart/product_info.php?cPath=22_23_26&products_id=538
Mag/Voyage VR-9000? http://www.copper.com/cart/product_info.php?cPath=22_23_26&products_id=359
Magnum S9? http://www.copper.com/cart/product_info.php?cPath=22_23_26&products_id=546

Questions, corrections or thoughts?
It's MY money; but how would YOU spend it wisely?
:confused:
 
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with out a doubt hands down the 2950DX is the way to go between your final pics. totaly versital on AM and an excellent SSB radio stabill with no drift or warm up turn it on and talk. the S9 drifts and has warm up issues the voyage the same but not quite as bad. i know of many guys that use the 2950Dx radios and 2510 lincoln's as starter radios for 10 meters before stepping up to the more high tech HF gear Icom,Kenwood ect. you surely won't go wrong with the 2950DX.
 
I don't know who (Copper "tech"?) told you that the 257 skips odd numbered channels and would need a channel chart, but that is 100 percent WRONG.

Seriously, the copper tech is a 7 dollar an hour chump with a screwdriver and a Dosy. Don't take any technical advice from ANYONE associated with Copper.
 
I want a radio that I can talk on 10 meter/SSB between 28.3 to 28.5Mhz, that can be turned down to legitimate power useage on 11 meter so that no feathers are ruffled - so to speak. And if an emergency would occur, I could use whatever freq is available to get the message out CLEARLY, a the FCC regs STATES can be done by their own definition of the law. Isn't it OUR law?
Click to expand...

Ohh nooo, no no no. Don't use that 11m junk on 10m. They put out a dirty signal. All that 'wasted' money on a used HF rig goes to the components and filtering in the rig. It's not a matter of power level at all, it's a matter of signal quality. Those 11m rigs will splatter all over if you buy them modified by a CB shop...which is 99% of the ones that are for sale.

You will be eaten alive by your locals if you get on 10m with a modified CB like that.

Do what you want, but ignore this advice at your own peril.

I thought you just wanted to stick to CB use initially. For that they are fine.
 
It just all DEPENDS on the individual rig and what has or has not been done to it. I've many dozens of QSOs on 10 meters with several 2950s that have had nothing more done to them but a peaking. Excellent clean audio on sideband and great reports back.

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I agree with Wireweasel. As long as these 11 meter sets have not been hacked, swing-kitted, AMC-disabled, etc, they are fine radios for 10 meter use. Nothing inherently dirty about them.
 
And if you got 650-700 smackdowns, you can get a used Icom 746 that will get you 1.6~60mhz strait thru, and again 108~174mhz. Plus an internal antenna tuner and all the others bells that go with.

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I think this has all been good advice. It looks like the RCI-2950DX is winning.

But here is my problem with it: all those soft buttons - I really have a hard time using them. Manual control knobs appeal to me, and I also like the old-fashion meters and freq counter. Call it being old fashioned or what. I like to have a knob that I can move and know its position while I'm in a QSO - even if it is just AM 11 meter. A throwback to the days of CB. That is the appeal of the Magnum Voyage VR-9000 or S9 to me. I used to build a couple of 1/4 wave and 1/2 wave 11m/CB antennas for my friends and they worked great. Old fashioned - I guess...
 
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