Galaxy DX 99V or DX 95T any good?

[BBB]

Picked up a Galaxy DX99V and been eye-balling a DX95T radio and was wondering if anyone else has been using them.

The 99V I got has had the echo board changed out so the Robo/Voice Changer function is disabled, but the echo works. Would the changing of the echo board have any bearing on the actual audio quality when the echo is turned off?

I would have liked it to be totally original but got the extra clean 99V radio in the box at a good price.

[2600]

It's not just the years, it's the miles, too.

The DX99V has a long production history. One that was made in 1997 will have different production issues than a 2007 radio.

If it's NIB, I suggest you first tighten the nut holding the antenna jack and mike jack. The ground screws that hold the main pc board to the chassis rail are usually loose, as well.

And the late 1990s radios up to 2006 or so will bear a look at the modulator transistor, finals and driver on the radio pc board. If you don't see a tiny bead of the white heat-conducting compound on BOTH sides of the insulating washer, you need to unbolt the transistor and add it to both sides of the insulator, and slide it back in place to reassemble. We have found this screw is loose on some radios when we performed the "suicide intervention" on these when they were new. A radio that's used mobile may vibrate that screw loose enough to cause damage if that component pulls away from the heat sink. Even if it's used as a base, the cycles uf temperature rise and fall can back off a screw that's not tight. Since 2007 or so, they discovered they can't get away with this in a radio with MOSFET driver/final transistors. The added heat from the less-efficient MOSFETs is probably why they cleaned up their act. As a rule those radios have plenty of the stuff applied to them out of the box.

Either radio is a good performer when nothing is broken. Just make sure the fan in the 95T doesn't clog with accumulated dust. If it can't spin, the linear can overheat and fail.

73

[gator7]

I had a 99v and I couldn't keep the mos fets from over heating and blowing up. So I'm not a fan of that radio. I sold mine at a huge loss to just get rid of it. Can't say anything about the 95. I have not tried that one.

73

[BBB]

Okay, I had the 99V aligned at a local shop and they can't get a birdie out that it has right smack on the home channel 13 (27.115) This is the second similar type of radio I'm having the same issue with. My Voyager 99CW (Northstrar NS9000) has a birdie at the same place when they tried to tune that one up also. The tech mentioned that there was a time when a few of these came in with birdies in the same bandwidth.

He went on to say to I may be able to move it somewhere else............meaning I could change out a crystal and have the rig re-tuned and then the birdie would be on CH 11 or something. Does this mean there is a secondary oscillation in the crystal or maybe a stray RF harmonic generated somewhere inside the radio?

Dam shame, because they both have screamin' audio on the rest of the band. Thanks for the replies.

[Sandbagger]

Jun 17, 2013 21:03:58 GMT -5 BBB said:

Okay, I had the 99V aligned at a local shop and they can't get a birdie out that it has right smack on the home channel 13 (27.115) This is the second similar type of radio I'm having the same issue with. My Voyager 99CW (Northstrar NS9000) has a birdie at the same place when they tried to tune that one up also. The tech mentioned that there was a time when a few of these came in with birdies in the same bandwidth.

He went on to say to I may be able to move it somewhere else............meaning I could change out a crystal and have the rig re-tuned and then the birdie would be on CH 11 or something. Does this mean there is a secondary oscillation in the crystal or maybe a stray RF harmonic generated somewhere inside the radio?

Dam shame, because they both have screamin' audio on the rest of the band. Thanks for the replies.

Birdies are a royal pain in the rear. Before you can reduce/eliminate/move them, you have to first determine what the source is. I've rarely come across birdies on crystal or early PLL design radios. It's only after microprocessors and frequency counters become common that I started to see them in increased numbers. It's helpful to figure out what oscillator is generating them. Is it a harmonic of a single crystal oscillator, or a mix product of 2 separate oscillators? Once you figure out where the problem is coming from, you can see about getting rid of them. Sometimes you can knock them out with some shielding, or bypassing. If it's a microprocessor clock oscillator, you could shift the frequency slightly with a cap which will hopefully move the harmonic off of the channel you are listening too.

There are a few options, but first you have to find it. Good luck!

Another reason to run vintage radios. They don't have this problem.... ;D

[2600]

The only way to remove that birdie is to change the PLL crystal X2. Pretty sure that's what it's called on the schemo.

The 8-band "3600-board" radios went to a crystal at 13.56 MHz in the mid 1990s. All crystals produce some harmonic energy, and the second harmonic of 13.56 is 27.120, right between channels 13 and 14. There is no effective way to filter this out and keep it from leaking into the receiver circuits. Because that crystal frequency changes up and down when you change from AM to sideband, this causes the exact frequency of the birdie to change slightly with the mode selector. The clarifier can't quite tune it in, since the clarifier also changes the frequency of the birdie when you turn it.

Best solution is to change X2 from 13.560 MHz to a 14.010 MHz crystal, the one used in most of the older 6-band versions of this radio chassis. RF Parts had that one for sale last I checked.

X2 will still radiate some 2nd-harmonic energy into the receiver circuits, but it will show up at 28.02 MHz. Good chance that's not your home channel.

You will lose the bottom 25-MHz band "A". Band A will now begin at 26.055. You will now have a band on "H" that's 450 kHz higher than the original setup. Pretty sure this takes it up to 28.755. The 40-channel CB band will now be on band "C" instead of "D".

It's a pain in the neck, but this does fix the problem every time.

73

[Sandbagger]

Jun 17, 2013 23:29:56 GMT -5 2600 said:

The only way to remove that birdie is to change the PLL crystal X2. Pretty sure that's what it's called on the schemo.

The 8-band "3600-board" radios went to a crystal at 13.56 MHz in the mid 1990s. All crystals produce some harmonic energy, and the second harmonic of 13.56 is 27.120, right between channels 13 and 14. There is no effective way to filter this out and keep it from leaking into the receiver circuits. Because that crystal frequency changes up and down when you change from AM to sideband, this causes the exact frequency of the birdie to change slightly with the mode selector. The clarifier can't quite tune it in, since the clarifier also changes the frequency of the birdie when you turn it.

Best solution is to change X2 from 13.560 MHz to a 14.010 MHz crystal, the one used in most of the older 6-band versions of this radio chassis. RF Parts had that one for sale last I checked.

X2 will still radiate some 2nd-harmonic energy into the receiver circuits, but it will show up at 28.02 MHz. Good chance that's not your home channel.

You will lose the bottom 25-MHz band "A". Band A will now begin at 26.055. You will now have a band on "H" that's 450 kHz higher than the original setup. Pretty sure this takes it up to 28.755. The 40-channel CB band will now be on band "C" instead of "D".

It's a pain in the neck, but this does fix the problem every time.

73

Shifting the radio's bands up one is actually a bonus. It's far more useful on 10 meters than on 25.something MHz........

[BBB]

Thanks! RF Parts does indeed have the crystals at $4 a piece. Part number "GALXCR14010 Galaxy Crystal"

Is it as simple as just swapping it out or are there other tuning adjustments that need to be done after?

I don't mind having my radio tuned up at the local CB shop while I wait, but I'd rather not leave it with them as they have a 4 month turnaround on repairs

[Sandbagger]

Jun 18, 2013 16:31:23 GMT -5 BBB said:

Thanks! RF Parts does indeed have the crystals at $4 a piece. Part number "GALXCR14010 Galaxy Crystal"

Is it as simple as just swapping it out or are there other tuning adjustments that need to be done after?

I don't mind having my radio tuned up at the local CB shop while I wait, but I'd rather not leave it with them as they have a 4 month turnaround on repairs

You shouldn't need much in the way of RF alignment, unless you want to shift your optimum TX and RX up to optimally cover the band shift. You will have to net the crystal oscillator on frequency on AM USB and LSB.

[2600]

Three adjustments will almost certainly be thrown out of whack.

L19, L20 and L21 are clustered together right next to that crystal. Each one will set the radio's frequency at center clarifier position for one mode, AM, USB and LSB.

The radio's built-in counter will get you close. Just be sure NOT to push the Plus Ten button before you set them.

The correct tool for those three slugs is a plastic type 9440 from G-C. This brand was sold by nearly every "local parts" distributor back in the day. Back when such businesses existed.

A ceramic tool is also okay. Proper tip dimensions for a ceramic blade are 1.3mm by 0.4 mm. A metal blade will have magnetic properties that screw up the adjustment. These adjustment slugs are incredibly brittle. If the slug's turning friction increases, or the angle of the tool tip is off axis, it will crack. They tend to seize in place and refuse to turn when this happens.

The front one should be L19, the AM mode adjustment. The center one is L20, should set USB, and the one to the rear of L20 is L21, for LSB. The radio's built-in frequency display will get you close enough. A more-precise way of reading the radio's frequency will be needed to get it closer than that. Unless you are a sideband fanatic, there's not much to gain from that.

If the radio will be used mobile, GENTLY soldering one top corner of the crystal to the nearest tuning can will reduce stress on the solder connections under the pc board. The factory crystal is no doubt installed that way, and you will probably have to unsolder that corner as well as the two wire leads to get the old crystal out. And if you use it as a base radio, this is less necessary. If you're worried about overheating the new crystal and damaging it, feel free to skip that step if it's not going to be used mobile.

Here's a link to an Ebay dealer in China selling an assortment of four that includes one of this size tool. I didn't bother to look for a USA source.

www.ebay.com/itm/400294263542?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649


73

[BBB]

Thanks for the tune up and crystal information on the 99V.

I have a decent set of tuning tools but have found bamboo "chop sticks" whittled to the shape needed work pretty good. They're non-conductive and non-magnetic. You have to watch that they do not break off inside the slug though. I need to get that crystal changed Chop Chop.

My DX 95T came in this week and it is AWESOME Like new in the box with the anti-tamper sticker still on it. Finally a Galaxy eBay lottery home run. I think this is one of the best radio's Galaxy/RCI has ever produced. No birdies on this 6900 board.

The audio was a little low at first as the modulation pot in the rig was set too low to get 100%. Easy adjustment performed and it now is where it should be. Had to also set the internal echo controls to suit my taste, (just a pinch) The "starlight" face plate illumination is a nice feature... pretty Christmas lights.

This rig gets hot during base use, even with the included cooling fan, so an external fan is required. I always have a small auxiliary fan on the desk for this purpose. The back of the radio is a complete cast aluminum heat sink just like on a ham rig.

The DX95T radio now swings 70-80+ watts peak AM and SSB 100+ watts...(2) 2290's in the final, that's what I'm talking about ;D

[BBB]

They look very similar from the front but the 95T has got the double stinger and two cast aluminum heat sinks.



Interestingly the rear cast aluminum heat sink was also used in the Galaxy 93T that had a single 2290 on a small board that bolted directly to that heat sink. The 95T only has a single standard final on that heat sink now and the two 2290s are on the other separate cast heat sink on the bottom. Be nice to have the rear and bottom heat sinks thermally linked together some how, maybe a flexible copper braid or copper plate?

[BBB]

Side band TX audio on the 95T was reported loud and clear with the SSB+2 mic Sunday night ;D I found the rig was very stable and everyone sounded great using a pair of external Motorola business radio speakers.

I used the GNF feature or Galaxy Noise Filter, which works like a "high cut" switch. It took a while to get used to it, but after turning up the volume knob a few clicks to compensate, I really liked how it made the SSB receive sound quality appear to improve. It also knocked the noise level way down.

The GNF PC board looks like it has a small scale chip set on it like it might have some DSP going on there or is that the standard dealeo?

[radioreddz]

the galaxy 95T i think is Galaxy's absolute best radio. works great on AM & SSB in fact i get high praises for the audio even on 10 meters from the audiophiles. the only reason i i like my RCI 2970N2's better is for the VFO tuning other than that the Galaxy's transmit and recieve i think are much better. as far as the galaxy 99v i have the North Star version the NS 990V it's an ok radio you gotta chase the Clarifier for the first 20 minutes but it does have excellent recieve with better then average on the transmit too but no where near the radio as the 95T. you won't go wrong with either.

[Sandbagger]

Jun 23, 2013 22:20:14 GMT -5 BBB said:

Side band TX audio on the 95T was reported loud and clear with the SSB+2 mic Sunday night ;D I found the rig was very stable and everyone sounded great using a pair of external Motorola business radio speakers.

I used the GNF feature or Galaxy Noise Filter, which works like a "high cut" switch. It took a while to get used to it, but after turning up the volume knob a few clicks to compensate, I really liked how it made the SSB receive sound quality appear to improve. It also knocked the noise level way down.

The GNF PC board looks like it has a small scale chip set on it like it might have some DSP going on there or is that the standard dealeo?

The GNF is simply a sharp cutoff active audio lowpass filter. Nothing quite as sophisticated as a DSP.......