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Message |
    
Bassbug
Junior Member
Username: Bassbug
Post Number: 38
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 8:39 am: | 
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I’m looking to buy a newer ham radio to Modify for 11 meters. The only radio’s that I know anything about is the old Yaesu 101’s. I like to find some thing newer and up to date. May be one the yaesu 900’s or one of the newer Icom’s or Kenwood’s? How about it what it the best to Modify for 11 meters? For the use on A.M and side band . Thank you |
Cm3885
Intermediate Member
Username: Cm3885
Post Number: 299
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 9:47 am: |
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If you want a good ham radio to talk on AM and SSB youd be better of to get a RCI radio or a Galaxy. Those high dollar strictly ham HF rigs have very poor audio on AM... Sound like doggie poo poo on AM but ROCK on SSB. Its your choice!!!
Get the RCI 2995 it will fit your needs perfectly!!!! |
Highlander
Intermediate Member
Username: Highlander
Post Number: 472
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 12:12 pm: |
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The Icom 706mkII sounds great on AM and all other modes. Conversion is fairly simple. DC to Daylight coverage, HF, 6m, 2m, and 70cm, all mode. |
Ca346
Advanced Member
Username: Ca346
Post Number: 662
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 8:06 pm: |
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I'm with HighLander. ICOM 706MKIIG. One ceramic diode to be removed that opens it up. |
Bassbug
Junior Member
Username: Bassbug
Post Number: 39
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 5:29 am: |
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Thanks,highlander and Ca346 and Cm3885 for your thoughts. I check out the Icom 706MK11G on the web. It seams to be a good radio and broad banded. |
Buck
Advanced Member
Username: Buck
Post Number: 845
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 8:17 am: |
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Not true 3885.....I have heard alot of ham rigs that sound fine on AM.....I have a friend with a TS-50, another with a Icom 706MKIIG, and I have an Alinco DX-70 on my desk that sounds just as good as any CB....The only exception is that the Ham rigs wont have that non understandable audio that alot of AMers have....I would rather have clean clear audio than Loud non unterstandable audio!!
Buck |
Buck
Advanced Member
Username: Buck
Post Number: 846
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 8:59 am: |
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You will like the 706....Its top of the line. Also check out the Yaesu FT-100D....Also a nice radio
Buck |
Pig040
Intermediate Member
Username: Pig040
Post Number: 356
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 10:56 am: |
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Hey now wait a minute with the ham radios sound like trash! I talk on a Kenwood 850 buckled up to a heil mic, and I talk am, and sideband all of the time, and it sounds fine! Some of the older Icoms were weak on am, but I have friends that use the Yaesu, and the newer Icoms, and they sound good. Maybe you are just used to hearing the overmodulated, clipped cb radios!!!!!! |
Bassbug
Junior Member
Username: Bassbug
Post Number: 40
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 6:14 pm: |
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I remember that the older ham radios had a triple conversion on the receive. And the older Cobras 2000’s had a double conversion. The older ham radios was suppose to be really good on cutting out the nose on the receive. The older cb radio dint even come close to the older ham radios. Even thaw there has been great improvement in the last twenty years. How are the newer ham radio on receive? The newer ham radios are so compact. I think that wounded be good on receive on eleven meters. How is the ham radios on adjacent channel are bleed over? |
Cm3885
Intermediate Member
Username: Cm3885
Post Number: 302
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 6:59 pm: |
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I was just giving my opinion that all.... Ive had all kinds of ham radios and none of them were worth a flip on AM so i got rid of them and got a regular AM/SSB radio like a Galaxy or a RCI.....
As a sidenote not all radios that are clipped sound overmodulated. I run a clipped out Cobra 142 GTL and a RCI 2980 and not once have i EVER had a negative report on it.. All i get are flowers and positive remarks... |
Bigbob
Senior Member
Username: Bigbob
Post Number: 1795
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 8:42 pm: |
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The older rigs had low level modulation, some of the newer rigs use high level modulation on am,which has more punch,the companies make what the costomer wants,period. |
Cm3885
Intermediate Member
Username: Cm3885
Post Number: 304
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 10:26 pm: |
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I had the Icom IC 735 that had the low level modulation and it was worthless on AM. Never could get it to sound right no matter were i had the AM set.... A freind of mine had a Icom IC 706 MKII and it worked great on AM.. Gues you are right they are making newer radios with higher level AM audio.. All the radios i had were pre 1990 (actually pre 1988) so they were old and didnt have high level audio.... |
Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 67
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 11:37 pm: |
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someone please tell what this AM is that you fellows are talking about, I don't think any of my 14 or so radios has any of this AM stuff, does anyone talk on this AM. Or maybe this AM is something good to eat. Yankee |
Pig040
Intermediate Member
Username: Pig040
Post Number: 358
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:07 am: |
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CM, Funny you should mention that Icom 735, I had one of those, bad experience, but I love the Kenwood, and Still have the old cobra 2000. A clipped radio done by someone who knows what they are doing sounds good, especially if a scope is involved, but some are so overmodulated you can not understand what the heck they are saying! I heard one the other day that bled from two channels over on the KW, and that NEVER happens on the KW he was on 26 AM and I was on 28AM. Overloaded my recieve from two channels over! |
Kc0gxz
Advanced Member
Username: Kc0gxz
Post Number: 688
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 2:24 pm: |
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Yankee
A-M means Amplitude Modulation. And yes, you are correct, it is something to eat.
------------------------------
To all concerned.
It still amazes me as to how many people still think that a true Ham radio used in the CB band will out perform a converted 10 meter radio on A-M.
I know of no Ham radio that does not use anything other than Low Level audio in the A-M mode. They were NEVER made or meant to be "screamers" on A-M.
Any RCI-Galaxy Turbo can (and will) outperform any Ham radio on both A-M and SSB in reguards to power and modulation. However, the 10 meter radios do sacrafice super clean audio for its 200+ watts power capabilities and 100%+ modulation.
Using a Ham radio on A-M in the CB band is not only illegal but silly since there are so many 10 meter radios out there that will run circles around them.
Jeff, kc0gxz. |
Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 68
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 3:59 pm: |
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Pig040: I have noticed that about Kenwoods, after speaking with the Kenwood technician I was told they were not ment to be an AM radio, all the efforts went into sideband on the Kenwoods for which they were intended because very few Amateur operators use AM these days. I have an ICOM 735 that works very good on AM, Of course my 735 was never in the hands of a screwdriver expert, only the ICOM tech. Now I think I have explained why amateur equipment does not work well on AM. When you said Cobra 2000GTL you were on the right track for an am radio. also must not forget the 2 little brothers of the 2000, the Cobra 148GTL and the Uniden Grant XL, these 3 radios are one in the same and the receive section is double conversion making them a much better radio for AM than amateur equipment. BTW: have the clipper circuit put back in the 2000 these 3 radio have no reason to have it removed, just use agood power microphone the likes of Turner Plus three or Super Sidekick, after the clipper is working set the microphone gain on the radio at 11 o'clock and the microphone at 12 o'clock and you might like what the 2000 can do. I must know something after 41 years on the air. When and if I run AM, I'm on my Uniden Grant XL with a Turner Plus Three, but this is not often that I'm on AM.
Yankee
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Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 69
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 4:39 pm: |
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Guys, My ICOM-735 is setting in the closet waiting for the day the FCC cuts all the technician class hams loose and also waiting for the the good worldwide DX on 11 meters to come back. I wouldn't begin to ask a ham radio transceiver to operate on 11 meters AM, even though my 735 can and does work very good on AM, I'm just not an AMer never did like it even when thats all there was on 11 meters. Yankee |
Bassbug
Junior Member
Username: Bassbug
Post Number: 41
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 5:39 pm: |
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The old Yaesu 101's had strong A.M. modulation. When one was set up right, they were clean and strong, and talked and sounded good on side band and A.M... We had the Yaesu 101 E. You couldn't ask for a better transceiver. And a Tempo 2020 made by Henry Radio, that was strong on side band. And wasn’t as strong on A.M. But was a sweet transceiver. And the Tempo had great filtering on the receive. I think even better then the Yaesu 101 E. But I'm lost on the newer ham radios. |
Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 71
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 7:48 pm: |
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Jeff, I was just messing around in my post of what is AM, I'm one of these 11 meter sidebanders that could care less about AM which has become a dying art, only the truckers care about AM, and you can always tell when you hear someone from AM trying to work sideband, RE: quick keying, off frequency and using that nasty 10 code. Yankee |
Pig040
Intermediate Member
Username: Pig040
Post Number: 360
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 9:59 am: |
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Well, it just gets to the point where it is a pain to have a radio for each mode that you talk. My radio room setup has a 13 ft long counter in it, and I am sitting here looking at two power supplies astron 35's three d 104's, two large radios, one small quad band radio, two antenna switch boxes, boom for a heil mic, heil mic, two speakers, two linears, one large, one small, and two sets of meters. My antenna rotator controller wont even fit on the bench, and I am not even mentioning the stuff under the bench! Of course then I have four coax and one rotor control wire stung trhough my window ( going round and round with the xyl about taking a brick out of the house to bring them in!), and wire, ha, three separate power strips, wires everywhere! It gets to the point where you just dont have the room for one other piece of equipment! |
Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 73
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 4:19 pm: |
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Hi Pig040, you forgot the computer, as I set here in a U shape around me is my shack. to my left is a 20 inch flat screen TV, below that on the same stand is my 35 amp. supply with my PDC-700 meter on top, coming to the next stand is my Uniden Grant XL, frequency counter on top, on a small shelf below is my Palomar TX-250, also on that stand is a Turner Plus 3, then the closet where my ICOM 735 rests with other odds and ends, then you come around to the desk, with a silver Eagle, then my two golden goodies, like those old sidebanders, a Navaho TRC-457, on top of that an 858 President Washington, a Turner Super Sidekick in front of the 2 base radios, in back of the radios a speaker for the 2 base radios and one of the speakers to my PC, in the middle my PC keyboard next to that the other PC speaker and mouse, then you come around to my right to the monitor and CPU on another stand behind is my LexMark X-83 print trio, behind that on a stacked shelf is some of my most prized VCR tapes, then you come around to a 5 drawer chest of drawers, behind me is my Queen size bed, all of this in a 12X16 bedroom and you say your shack is tight, oh yes on top of the TV is a DVD, VCR and Direct TV converter, and like yourself wires everywhere. At present my ham VHF is just a 2 meter handie, in the air is an I-MAX 2000, Diamond CP22E 5/8 over 5/8 2 meter ground plane and a 2 meter J-pole, also a good sized TV antenna below the I-MAX 2000 on the same mast. At present just the 3 antenna installations up. In the future there is a 45 foot tower under the porch for the coming up HF beam. Where does it end? Yankee |
Kc0gxz
Advanced Member
Username: Kc0gxz
Post Number: 692
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 10:59 pm: |
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Pig040 and Yankee
Come on you two. LOL. Quit your complaining. If you're anything like me, you're quite at home in a place that looks scary to most outsiders.
About the only thing you would change is perhaps to build an addition on to the radio room. You guys aint kiddin me one little bit.
And as far as SSB goes, most CBers don't understand it enough to enjoy it. Besides, a clarifier is a very difficult knob to operate.
73s for now my fellow Sidebanders.
Jeff, kc0gxz. |
Pig040
Intermediate Member
Username: Pig040
Post Number: 362
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 10:23 am: |
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You are right Jeff, I was thinking about going to a few rack systems, could triple my capacity, of course then I really could not let the xyl into the room. Hey Yankee I didnt mention the computer because it is on a separate 3' by 5'desk! Of course there is so much "needed" stuff on the desk that I have a separate table for the fax, and the cpu, and the sub woofer for the speaker system on the computer. Oh, and a separate table for the printer! And the desk drawers, oh my! I open them an inch at a time so nothing jumps out and escapes! |
Buck
Advanced Member
Username: Buck
Post Number: 851
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 5:00 pm: |
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Thats all the farther my drawers will open....I have them so full of stuff that they wont open any more!
Buck |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 1998
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 5:17 pm: |
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hehehe, YOU BE SNEAKY BUCK,  |
Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 75
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 6:25 pm: |
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Hey guys, good idea lets all tell what the shack looks like, I may have a lot in a small area but it's neat and orderly, Putting 4 shelfs over the desk next week, in all I'm thinking I have somewhere around 12-14 working radios, hard to keep count, yes I can open my desk drawers without something sneaking away. Yankee |
Yankee
Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 76
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 6:47 pm: |
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Bass bug: commenting on the original question of all this. If you have no thought of useing it for Amateur Radio, like a lot of us have stated the best and the cream of the crop is a Cobra 2000GTL, 148GTL, Uniden Grant XL. and not the new models of the 148 or Grant. Or look into any of the better grade of high quality all mode Exports, also choose the exports with care look them over good a high price doesn't always mean a good radio. Converting an Amateur radio for 11 meter in some cases, some radios have thier set backs, plus the waste of those hard earned bucks. If it's not going to be used on the ham bands.
Yankee |
Weakeststation
Intermediate Member
Username: Weakeststation
Post Number: 268
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 03, 2004 - 11:15 pm: |
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I'll second the Icom 706...
The alinco 70th is a nice one to.... |
Mikefromms
Advanced Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 538
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 01, 2005 - 11:14 am: |
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Forget the Kenwood TS850s unless you are prepared for major surgery. Ears lack on am cb and the transmit backs up. Blah!
Clagon, take this away!
mikefromms |
N4ari
Junior Member
Username: N4ari
Post Number: 32
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 1:08 pm: |
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I too will say a ham rig for AM will work but is silly as others said here.
I have the new awesome TenTec Orion which has GREAT AM. I also have the Icom IC746PRO which is excellent for all modes, all frequencies. The AM can be set up to sound VERY good. My personal recommendation for a do-it-all radio is the 746. I also have a vintage (tube) Drake C-line (T4XC and R4C).
When I want to run great AM what do I use... I went a bought the RCI-2980wx! For SSB I'll use a ham rig. On AM I'll use the Ranger. That's my real world situation.
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2642
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 1:57 pm: |
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I hade a drake but didn't like it so i went with Yaesu but to each his own ....
 |
Yellow_zonker
New member
Username: Yellow_zonker
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2005 - 11:21 am: |
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I like the old Tempo 2020. Nice and well built.
Wayne. |
Kj7gs
Junior Member
Username: Kj7gs
Post Number: 26
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 1:04 am: |
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You got me curious as to the reason you want to fork over money for a radio with an enormous amount of capability, just for use as a CB. I take it you're also an SWL'er?
I'm sure some of the functions are worthwhile -- typical 100w SSB output, notch filters, dual VFOs, split operation maybe, varying power levels, VOX, speech compression, even DSP capabilities, but buying a ham radio doesn't seem to be a cost-effective solution for the 27 MHz world, at least to me. Other opinions on this? |
Pig040
Advanced Member
Username: Pig040
Post Number: 798
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 12:11 pm: |
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Mike,
Surprised you are not happy with the 850 on AM, I use mine most of the time for the Sunday nets since my 2990 is ill, and I have lots of contacts, and the recieve beats all the other radios I have, of course I have all the filters in mine, but it works great, get a lot of good comments. I have had this radio for 5 years, and have never been unhappy with it at all!
Rich |
Couchpotatoe
Junior Member
Username: Couchpotatoe
Post Number: 26
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 6:07 pm: |
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yaesu ft-757gx is a good radio for conversion to 11m. open the covers and on the panel on the backside of the read-out ther's a switch,flick it, or it might have a 10ohm res. will cover 500khz-30mhz. and it has a 2 pill board in it!
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Stickshift
Intermediate Member
Username: Stickshift
Post Number: 227
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - 9:39 pm: |
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The 757 has a lousy receiver. The little brother the 747 or the ft 840 that replaced the 747 are much better choices. Just an opinion from someone who's owned all 3. The 840 is easily modified with a single jumper with alligator clips and a trip to the radios menu system. Some of the newer rigs only require a simple software mod to open the tx up without actually opening the rigs case. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2862
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 7:26 am: |
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Not much beats a FT-840 for a easy to use SSB radio. I had a 747 not a bad set but remember old radios parts get hard to get. |
Bookworm
New member
Username: Bookworm
Post Number: 6
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 11:11 am: |
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If you are planning to work SSB only, then the Yaesu FT-840 is a great choice. If you are going to talk AM and SSB then the ICOM 706 MKIIG is the way to go. I own both of these radios, and the 840 performs poorly on AM but great on SSB. The 706 is superb on both AM and SSB. Also, you must have a steady hand to perfom the mod on the 706, as it uses surface mount parts that are VERY small, and are held in place with the smallest amount of solder I've ever seen. BE CAREFUL or you could easily ruin the radio. |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 735
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 9:45 pm: |
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Man, this one got dragged up from the depths of the deep blue sea. I'm glad to see someone else looks at these old post. |
