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Message |
    
Blackjack
Junior Member
Username: Blackjack
Post Number: 43
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Friday, July 17, 2009 - 11:40 am: | 
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I am looking at buying another radio and im eyeing the magnum s-3 or the magnum s-6 from copper. i know the radio's have received good reviews.. MY QUESTION IS TO ANYONE USING 1 OF THESE MAGNUMS,,,, DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE RF/WATTAGE DROPPING AFTER 15-20 MINUTES OF USAGE ? I WAS TOLD BY OWNERS OF MAGNUM RADIO'S THAT SOLD THEM WITHIN A MONTH & 1 GENTLEMAN THAT REPAIRS RADIO'S THAT ALTHOUGH THE MAGNUM RADIO'S LOOK NICE & THEY DO HAVE GOOD LOUAD AUDIO,,,STAY AWAY FROM THEM DUE TO THE PROBLEMS WITH THE MOSFET FINALS HEATING UP AFTER A LITTLE WHILE OF USE & YOUR RF OUTPUT WILL DROP ONCE THEY ARE HEATED UP,, IM BEING TOLD STAY AWAY FROM ANY RADIO WITH MOSFETS IN THEM,SINCE THE MOSFET FINALS HAVE NOT BEEN PERFECTED AND I CERTAINLY WILL WATCH MY WATTAGE DROP AFTER A LITTLE WHILE OF USE RIGHT FROM MY WATT METER,IS THERE ANY VALIDITY TO THIS??? THIS IS MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE ONLY THING HOLDING ME BACK FROM PICKING THE PHONE UP & ORDERING 1 RIGHT NOW,,,,SOOOOOO ANY MAGNUM OWNERS PLEASE GIVE YOUR HONEST OPINION IN REGARDS, I REALLY LIKE HOW THE RADIO LOOKS,ESPECIALLY THE S-6 & THE PRICE IS DECENT... PAT ZERO ZERO OR ANY COPPER TECHS HAVE ANY ADVICE ON IF THE INFO I RECIEVED IS TOTALLY INVALID OR SOMEWHAT CORRECT??? THANX AGAIN IN ADVANCE |
Stepchild
Intermediate Member
Username: Stepchild
Post Number: 201
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 17, 2009 - 8:14 pm: |
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Backjack, I have a S-980 that I bought in Feb and have not had any problems with the power dropping off. Two problems I have had is the power wire is not big enough and had to buy a 12g for like 6 bucks and if the RF pwr is all the way up and mic gain too it will squeel and not through the talkback. I think its the audio amp circuit. That is an 80 watt model though.
My S-980 is a screamer on AM or SSB and I've got nothing but flowers from everyone I've talked to.
I run it with a Road King 56 mic and the mic gain at 2 o'clock in my chevy dually with a 102 whip and 6in extention. Hope this helps.
Stepchild
CEF-187
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Bert
Intermediate Member
Username: Bert
Post Number: 108
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, July 18, 2009 - 10:33 am: |
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I've owned an S9 now for 3 years. It's turned on at 9:00am every day and isn't shut off until about 10:00pm.
I use it on a daily basis to talk local ragchews on ssb everyday. When the skip is rolling, I talk to my American friends.
This is the best export style radio I have ever owned and it is the one that gets used instead of others like a brand new President Lincoln, etc.
I love it! Great receive, great tx audio.... perfect for me.
It's always been run base and never knocked around in a mobile situation. Maybe someone else can give their opinion in that regard!
I don't think you'll regret buying a magnum radio. A friend of mine uses the 257 and loves it as well.
We're ssb folks here so don't really use AM. |
Train_man
Member
Username: Train_man
Post Number: 54
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, July 18, 2009 - 10:53 pm: |
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It also depends how/who tuned it.
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505
Junior Member
Username: 505
Post Number: 20
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 12:15 am: |
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I agree with train man 100% the way a radio is worked on will determine it's sound, performance ect... the magnum sound and perform perfect when turned perfectly .go to another tech a tech with knowledge working on mosfet |
Stepchild
Intermediate Member
Username: Stepchild
Post Number: 202
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 10:12 pm: |
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I paid the 30 bucks for the align and tune when I bought it from copper and was NOT impressed and had I known the clarifier was unlocked would not have bought it. I also had trouble with the echo just going haywire but haven't had no trouble in a few months.
Stepchild
CEF-187
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Blackjack
Junior Member
Username: Blackjack
Post Number: 44
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 11:35 am: |
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Thnak You to all the copper members who responded,,,, again my MAIN CONCERN with the MAGNUM radio's is the fact that they have MOSFET finals in them & a few people had said to stay away from them until the mosfet manufacturer's can figure out how to perfect them finals in regards to dissipating heat, which again i was told after 20-30 mins of keying up,they get to hot & cant hold they're power & u see the wattage dropping right beofre your eyes on the watt meter, Similiar case i personally experienced with 1 of them palomar 350 amplifiers,,,,when cold & firdt turned on,amp worked fine,,,,within 10 minutues or so of keying up,,,,once the amp got to a certain heating point,,,,the wattage would go down to nothing until it cooled off again,,,,i couldnt figure it out, low swr,,,used 6 gauge power cable,,,,,belden jumper cable,etc,i chekced everything out & concluded it was something with the amp itself,,,& sold it shortly thereafter,,,,,ANYHOW I DID NOT WANT TO EXPERIENCE A SIMILIAR PROBLEM WITH A BEAUTIFUL LOOKING RADIO..... So far i see no one mention that problem with the mosfet finals on this forum,,, so ill wait a few more days & see if there are any other replys to back up the claims i was told,,,,,, otherwise i'll take it the few people that had told me of it possibly got lemons or had someone tune it that did not know what they were doing etc,,,, thanx again to all who replyed,i appreciate it.... |
Teham
Intermediate Member
Username: Teham
Post Number: 118
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2011 - 9:25 pm: |
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I am very glad that the clarifier is unlocked. If youfind someone unfamiliar with sideband you'll see what I mean. There is a guy on 10 meters that I can't talk to on my 2970 because the clarifier isn't unlocked and my magnum is no problem because it is unlocked. tony/n5jva/cef 259 |
Dale
Senior Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 1702
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Monday, April 25, 2011 - 7:34 pm: |
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i gotta magnum omegaforce w/ dual miosfets
never seen any wattage drop off. as far as
the mosfet are concerned most if not all
radios haver mosfets in them now.you,ll
have a hard time finding a NEW radio without mosfets.as far as them heating up yes as will
any otyher if thier tuned too high
dale/a.k.a.hotrod
cef426
cvc#64
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