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Post by Night Ranger on Mar 1, 2016 13:55:21 GMT -5
I do get a kick out of watching the hams on Eham.net go through the roof when a new ham or CB'ers ask if he can use brand "<insert brand name here>" CB amplifier on the ham bands. It's like throwing a pack of firecrackers in to a hen house at four in the morning. Night Ranger The really, really hilarious part about this is that MOST of those hams that are jumping down the throat of the original poster's amp question were probably CB operators back in the day! LMAO! Another really funny thing is that the vast majority of the older CB amps were designed and marketed by -- you guessed it! -- HAMS! ROFL! Browning was originally a HAM manufacturer, BTW. Siltronix was a subsidiary of Swan Corp, and Palomar Engineering is a HAM outfit as well. lol!! Without reading the eham posts, I'm go to say that their main concern is probably the lack of a lowpass filter on the output of those cheap amps. That would be a legitimate concern, but it's also something that is easily fixed. 73, Randy AB5NI Ed Dulaney who designed the D&A amplifiers was supposedly a licensed ham. He died in 1979. Many of the CB amps (but not all) are class C, but that is easily fixed by changing the bias. My blue faced Palomar 350 transistor amp is class AB, and it has a five pole Chebyshev filter built in the final section. However my previous black faced Palomar 300 Elite was a class C "P.O.S." with terrible harmonics. The SWR went from 1.1 to 2.0 when I turned the amp on from all the out of band RF feeding back from the antenna. I eventually tossed that one in the trashcan. Night Ranger
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Post by ab5ni on Mar 1, 2016 14:17:03 GMT -5
Well, maybe I'm being a bit overly sensitive; however, I have been verbally insulted a few times on the board over the years, so maybe my hackles are a bit raised, NR. Just color me cautious. BTW, I'm well aware of the fact that a lot of you guys are HAMS but prefer to collect and restore the old CB rigs a lot of us grew up with as kids. I have absolutely no problems with this and commend u all for doing so! Personally, I grew up with a Dad that was a HAM (W5VXQ SK) who was licensed in 1952, and I have always been interested in radio since I was 3-years-old, sitting on my Dad's lap, sending his CQ's on CW for him by memorizing the audible pattern . (Didn't know what the hell I was sending, but he smiled and said it was accurate .) So, in other words, I have always been involved with radio. The way I got involved with CB was via the 70's CB boom. Most of my neighbors had rigs and antennas, so the ultra-nerdy HAM that lived down the street started to look ok in there books, especially when they found out that my Dad and I could teach them about SWR, dipoles, phased arrays, electronics, and fix their gear. Also, I really, really fell in love with CB and its use when I found out that I could meet a lot of really cute girls who talked on CB. Unfortunately, ham radio didn't have that appeal, so what does a young teenager do who is putting out tons of testosterone? CB wins hands down! After I found a really adorable and smart GF on CB, my CB heyday was pretty much over, so I decided to take my Dad up on his offer of an FT-101E for highschool graduation and became a licensed HAM in 1978 as KA5DFD. I later upgraded to general and picked up the call N5BZP, but that call was pretty horrible on phone, so when I upgraded to advanced I changed it again, and this time around I picked up KB5YL!! NAK! Man, the guys I talked with picked on me like a big dog when I had that call! LMAO! Needless to say, when I upgraded to extra, I applied for a new call and received AB5NI, which I received in the 90's, if I remember correctly. Anywho, NR, I'm not a typical HAM that doesn't like CB operators. As a matter of fact, I'm usually the first person to welcome them with open arms to the HAM community and totally realize that we are all kindred spirits at heart when it comes to playing with radios. I also accept the fact that there are a lot of CB ops that will never, ever get a HAM license, and I don't think they're dumb and don't know anything about the technical subjects we discuss on this board. Should they ever want to play around with HAM radio, though, I'll be glad to offer a hand and show them the ropes. OTOH, there are some folks on this board that like to take digs at me, and my Dad taught me oh so long ago that when another person tries to make himself look good at your expense publicly, you make damn sure that you defend yourself there at all costs, which is the main reason I posted my previous message. Like I said, maybe I'm being overly sensitive about this, but you can't really pick up body language and a sense of another's personality via text, which is the main reason I use emotes so much when typing on the net, and it's also the main reason why they were created in the first place. Go figure! 73, Randy AB5NI I fully understand were you coming from Randy. I have been a active Cb'er since 1983 when my Dad bought his first in dash Craig radio-CB radio. And I was hooked for life it was like Facebook is now so many people to talk to it was amazing to a 12 year old. My son still says to me why I like CB radio so much.And my response is that it's not radio that is fun it's the people you talk to on the radio that make it fun. Kinda like hearing Zero-five story of him running that Russian Linear and it giving him a headache. And him thinking it was giving him cancer. Pete told that story on the radio and had me rolling! Randy you seem like a nice guy and I don't like going into that stuff it's like talking religion and politics on the air. It just makes waves in the wrong direction . I really, really, really think that Sandbagger, Spitfire, and the others that knew him need to do a videogate on Zero-Five for prosperity and historical purposes!!! I know Sandbagger has a ton of things he can add to the conversation, bringing up a lot of "Zero Five type" things he's heard over the years, and I'm sure a lot of you guys can add a ton of that type of info, for sure! . Should they ever decide to do such a videogate, I'll make DAMN SURE I don't lay down in bed and fall asleep listening to the videogate's like I usually do!! I'll be at my desk, drinking coffee, and enjoying every damn minute! 73, Randy AB5NI
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Post by No Streak on Mar 1, 2016 14:34:41 GMT -5
They can call it the Zero-Five hour! lol
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 1, 2016 14:35:53 GMT -5
Actually that was not my intent at all, so please don't take offence. I'm just interested in the topic. Just so you know I have an advanced class ham license, and Sandbagger is an extra class ham. I got my ham license in 1986. Night Ranger Well, maybe I'm being a bit overly sensitive; however, I have been verbally insulted a few times on the board over the years, so maybe my hackles are a bit raised, NR. Just color me cautious. Randy, I do appreciate the activity that your posts generate. Lord knows we could use the activity. But after I read this, I had to look back on this thread, and to be honest with you, I don't see anywhere where someone has either intentionally or inadvertently insulted you. We are simply stating our opinions on the subject at hand here. And while I know that we don't always agree on the perfect solution to the problem at hand, most of the people here on this forum have the decorum to be civil about their differences in opinion. So I don't understand what has your hackles raised. As for solving a problem, I tend to take the K.I.S.S. approach - the simplest answer that effectively solves the problem. I truly believe, as experience has taught me, that the more complicated you make something, the more likely it will be to malfunction or create other issues (not to mention saving money!). I still have problems understanding why there is still so much animosity between hams and CB'ers, especially among those who straddle both sides of that fence. Yes, there are those "All knobs to the right" types who know just enough to be dangerous, and who don't take to kindly to more knowledgeable people raining on their parades. To me it's all radio. CB is just another HF band, with a different collection of people. Yes, in my current stage of life (over the hill), I am in full-on nostalgia mode. What's old is new again, and I get a kick out of those young people who are "discovering" vinyl records, tube amps, and other stuff from my heyday. So yes, I get the most enjoyment turning the clock back 40 years and enjoying CB radio like it was back then. Restoring the old rigs gives me the most enjoyment. Ironically, I know a heck of a lot about many different radios from back then, but I know very little about the current breed of Pacific rim radios, and I absolutely detest SMD technology. I guess it's true what they say about old dogs.......
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 1, 2016 14:46:48 GMT -5
I fully understand were you coming from Randy. I have been a active Cb'er since 1983 when my Dad bought his first in dash Craig radio-CB radio. And I was hooked for life it was like Facebook is now so many people to talk to it was amazing to a 12 year old. My son still says to me why I like CB radio so much.And my response is that it's not radio that is fun it's the people you talk to on the radio that make it fun. Kinda like hearing Zero-five story of him running that Russian Linear and it giving him a headache. And him thinking it was giving him cancer. Pete told that story on the radio and had me rolling! Randy you seem like a nice guy and I don't like going into that stuff it's like talking religion and politics on the air. It just makes waves in the wrong direction . I really, really, really think that Sandbagger, Spitfire, and the others that knew him need to do a videogate on Zero-Five for prosperity and historical purposes!!! I know Sandbagger has a ton of things he can add to the conversation, bringing up a lot of "Zero Five type" things he's heard over the years, and I'm sure a lot of you guys can add a ton of that type of info, for sure! . Should they ever decide to do such a videogate, I'll make DAMN SURE I don't lay down in bed and fall asleep listening to the videogate's like I usually do!! I'll be at my desk, drinking coffee, and enjoying every damn minute! 73, Randy AB5NI Well, I have mixed feelings on that. On the one hand, were I to have the time, I could put together a montage of some of "Ol' Zero-Five's" most prolific moments (definitely not "PG" rated), simply from all the recordings that Pete and I (and maybe even Monkey Man) have. On the other hand, the word through the grapevine is that he's not doing all that well, and I don't like poking fun at someone who may be in psychological dire straits. But one thing's for sure, there was never a dull moment when he was around......
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Post by ab5ni on Mar 1, 2016 14:48:05 GMT -5
Well, maybe I'm being a bit overly sensitive; however, I have been verbally insulted a few times on the board over the years, so maybe my hackles are a bit raised, NR. Just color me cautious. BTW, I'm well aware of the fact that a lot of you guys are HAMS but prefer to collect and restore the old CB rigs a lot of us grew up with as kids. I have absolutely no problems with this and commend u all for doing so! Personally, I grew up with a Dad that was a HAM (W5VXQ SK) who was licensed in 1952, and I have always been interested in radio since I was 3-years-old, sitting on my Dad's lap, sending his CQ's on CW for him by memorizing the audible pattern . (Didn't know what the hell I was sending, but he smiled and said it was accurate .) So, in other words, I have always been involved with radio. The way I got involved with CB was via the 70's CB boom. Most of my neighbors had rigs and antennas, so the ultra-nerdy HAM that lived down the street started to look ok in there books, especially when they found out that my Dad and I could teach them about SWR, dipoles, phased arrays, electronics, and fix their gear. Also, I really, really fell in love with CB and its use when I found out that I could meet a lot of really cute girls who talked on CB. Unfortunately, ham radio didn't have that appeal, so what does a young teenager do who is putting out tons of testosterone? CB wins hands down! After I found a really adorable and smart GF on CB, my CB heyday was pretty much over, so I decided to take my Dad up on his offer of an FT-101E for highschool graduation and became a licensed HAM in 1978 as KA5DFD. I later upgraded to general and picked up the call N5BZP, but that call was pretty horrible on phone, so when I upgraded to advanced I changed it again, and this time around I picked up KB5YL!! NAK! Man, the guys I talked with picked on me like a big dog when I had that call! LMAO! Needless to say, when I upgraded to extra, I applied for a new call and received AB5NI, which I received in the 90's, if I remember correctly. Anywho, NR, I'm not a typical HAM that doesn't like CB operators. As a matter of fact, I'm usually the first person to welcome them with open arms to the HAM community and totally realize that we are all kindred spirits at heart when it comes to playing with radios. I also accept the fact that there are a lot of CB ops that will never, ever get a HAM license, and I don't think they're dumb and don't know anything about the technical subjects we discuss on this board. Should they ever want to play around with HAM radio, though, I'll be glad to offer a hand and show them the ropes. OTOH, there are some folks on this board that like to take digs at me, and my Dad taught me oh so long ago that when another person tries to make himself look good at your expense publicly, you make damn sure that you defend yourself there at all costs, which is the main reason I posted my previous message. Like I said, maybe I'm being overly sensitive about this, but you can't really pick up body language and a sense of another's personality via text, which is the main reason I use emotes so much when typing on the net, and it's also the main reason why they were created in the first place. Go figure! 73, Randy AB5NI I fully understand were you coming from Randy. I have been a active Cb'er since 1983 when my Dad bought his first in dash Craig radio-CB radio. And I was hooked for life it was like Facebook is now so many people to talk to it was amazing to a 12 year old. My son still says to me why I like CB radio so much.And my response is that it's not radio that is fun it's the people you talk to on the radio that make it fun. Kinda like hearing Zero-five story of him running that Russian Linear and it giving him a headache. And him thinking it was giving him cancer. Pete told that story on the radio and had me rolling! Randy you seem like a nice guy and I don't like going into that stuff it's like talking religion and politics on the air. It just makes waves in the wrong direction . No problem, NS! All is good, my friend! I am the child of educators, and it is my instinct to help others whenever possible. I'm also the guy that will stomp another dudes butt big time if I see them picking on others and trying to make themselves look good at the expense of another person that was just sitting there, minding their own business. Guess I'm getting a bit too old for that one, but I'll still step up to the plate anyway. A man has to live by his principles, and I'd rather be dead then give up mine. (Shrug.) 73, Randy AB5NI
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Post by ab5ni on Mar 1, 2016 15:25:35 GMT -5
The really, really hilarious part about this is that MOST of those hams that are jumping down the throat of the original poster's amp question were probably CB operators back in the day! LMAO! Another really funny thing is that the vast majority of the older CB amps were designed and marketed by -- you guessed it! -- HAMS! ROFL! Browning was originally a HAM manufacturer, BTW. Siltronix was a subsidiary of Swan Corp, and Palomar Engineering is a HAM outfit as well. lol!! Without reading the eham posts, I'm go to say that their main concern is probably the lack of a lowpass filter on the output of those cheap amps. That would be a legitimate concern, but it's also something that is easily fixed. 73, Randy AB5NI Ed Dulaney who designed the D&A amplifiers was supposedly a licensed ham. He died in 1979. Many of the CB amps (but not all) are class C, but that is easily fixed by changing the bias. My blue faced Palomar 350 transistor amp is class AB, and it has a five pole Chebyshev filter built in the final section. However my previous black faced Palomar 300 Elite was a class C "P.O.S." with terrible harmonics. The SWR went from 1.1 to 2.0 when I turned the amp on from all the out of band RF feeding back from the antenna. I eventually tossed that one in the trashcan. Night Ranger Not surprising at all, NR. Wonder if that amp that was popular in your area with the big square holes was designed by a ham? I also find it very interesting that a lot of the amp builders I see on YouTube are not using lowpass filters. As far as building such devices go, I'd imagine that the dudes manufacturing those amps decided to go class C because the vast majority of CB ops were only going to be using the things on AM anyway. The interesting thing is that most of them never added class AB, and as we both know, all that would require would be 2-3 parts so the finals have a bit of resting base current. Ordering those parts in big lots would probably have reduced costs significantly. I guess they did some guesstimate work and figured that they'd never sell enough of them to make things cost-effective. (Shrug.) Glad to know that at least Palomar did the right thing (eventually) with the 5-pole filter. Bet that 300 Elite had a tendency to go into self-oscillation and eat finals? Sounds like one of those piss-poor designs that they did on the cheap, and that issue could probably have been easily resolved with a decent low-pass filter. I usually don't toss any electronic device out and just strip the thing for parts (as I'm sure u did) or redesign the thing when necessary. I'd love to see the schematic on the 980 final. Wondering if it has any type of thermal and SWR protection circuitry. I remember reading somewhere on the board that finding a schematic for the newer rigs was either rare or non-existent. If I decide to purchase those rigs on ebay, I guess I'll have to reverse engineer the thing, but that won't be my first time riding down that path. If I had to guess, I'm thinking that the final they're using is crap, and it's probably going into self-oscillation and eventually cratering via thermal runaway. I'd imagine things would be improved significantly if one of the better RF-MOSFET transistors was used. I think they're still pretty cheap, too, although I haven't looked them up recently. 73, Randy AB5NI
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Post by ab5ni on Mar 1, 2016 16:33:39 GMT -5
Well, maybe I'm being a bit overly sensitive; however, I have been verbally insulted a few times on the board over the years, so maybe my hackles are a bit raised, NR. Just color me cautious. Randy, I do appreciate the activity that your posts generate. Lord knows we could use the activity. But after I read this, I had to look back on this thread, and to be honest with you, I don't see anywhere where someone has either intentionally or inadvertently insulted you. We are simply stating our opinions on the subject at hand here. And while I know that we don't always agree on the perfect solution to the problem at hand, most of the people here on this forum have the decorum to be civil about their differences in opinion. So I don't understand what has your hackles raised. As for solving a problem, I tend to take the K.I.S.S. approach - the simplest answer that effectively solves the problem. I truly believe, as experience has taught me, that the more complicated you make something, the more likely it will be to malfunction or create other issues (not to mention saving money!). I still have problems understanding why there is still so much animosity between hams and CB'ers, especially among those who straddle both sides of that fence. Yes, there are those "All knobs to the right" types who know just enough to be dangerous, and who don't take to kindly to more knowledgeable people raining on their parades. To me it's all radio. CB is just another HF band, with a different collection of people. Yes, in my current stage of life (over the hill), I am in full-on nostalgia mode. What's old is new again, and I get a kick out of those young people who are "discovering" vinyl records, tube amps, and other stuff from my heyday. So yes, I get the most enjoyment turning the clock back 40 years and enjoying CB radio like it was back then. Restoring the old rigs gives me the most enjoyment. Ironically, I know a heck of a lot about many different radios from back then, but I know very little about the current breed of Pacific rim radios, and I absolutely detest SMD technology. I guess it's true what they say about old dogs....... I guess what started it off is the comment I'll paraphrase here, SB: "I don't know why you'd want to do that when all u have to do is purchase the President Grant II." The "I don't know why you'd want to do that" comment is, quite frankly, condescending and insulting. No use of tack and implying that I don't know what I'm talking about. A better way to put this is: "Randy, you might want to take a look at the President Grant II. It does everything u want plus FM, and all u have to do is clip a lead and add a jumper." Yes, it's knit-picking, and good info was garnered in the process (which is why I come here to begin with), but with the following comments being added on to the original comment, it felt as if I was being ganged up on and called a fool, SB. Then I felt I had to defend myself publicly and tell everyone the actual reason I was interested in the 980, which is to buy the things, repair them, get a good rep, sell the hell out of them, and purchase rigs like the President Grant II . As far as nostalgia and radio goes, I'm with you there, brother, although I must admit that my nostalgia differs a bit from yours. I commend you completely and wholeheartedly for wanting to rebuild and restore gear from your radio "days gone by." With my previous comment about this, I was just letting everyone know that this particular reason (as far as CB is concerned) is not the reason I'm here. I'm here because this is the best tech forum I can find on CB rigs that I might be able to convert to 10 Mtrs. I'm well aware that I can purchase rigs that are much easier to convert to 10 Mtrs more easily and economically, and I will tell financially-strapped hams about them; however, I've been putting CB rigs on 10 for over 30 years, mainly using the old PLL-02A chip from back in the day, and since these boards are becoming rare, I have to look at other options. Working with tech types for 40 years, I know that a lot of them are only worried about getting good, accurate info out there, and that's the bottom line -- I get and understand this totally, because that's all that is actually relevant. All I'm asking for is a bit of tack and social intelligence be applied while doing so. You also have to remember that most of you guys on this forum are in eastern PA and know each other well. I've never met any of you in person, and I know we'd all get along very well if we ever do so, yet you guys definitely have me at a disadvantage in this regard. I don't know that you're smiling and just being sarcastic and just joking and such, so all I can do is take the things that you say on the board at face value. I detest SMT as well, SB, although I do embrace it when I have to, dude. Don't see it going away anytime soon, although I guess we can all stock up on the larger through-hole parts while they're still around and restore boat anchors till the cows come home . 73, Randy AB5NI
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Post by No Streak on Mar 1, 2016 19:38:19 GMT -5
The Uniden 980 and the President Grant II do not have the same boards in them. The President is a totally different beast. Even though they look the same. And I see that President is coming back to the USA again which is great news! I did not know that. I just figured the President Grant II was basically a Bearcat 980 with a few changes. I looked at the reviews on Amazon and there are several people reporting the finals blowing after a short time. They did not say whether they peaked them or left the radio stock. I have a few new original 2sc1969 and 2sc2166 transistors in my parts drawers. I wonder if the final can be easily swapped out for an original Toshiba 2sc1969? Night Ranger The problem is the voltage applied to the final is to high. Now I'm not a tech but I had two 980's blow finals running them SSB. First and second ones were replaced by Uniden free of charge, second I had didn't have any mods done it was factory stock and still burned up. The third one I got R&R Communcations turned down the voltage to the Mosfet final and it also increased sideband output. The clipper is still in there no heating up problem now. Like I said they are a great CB radio with a lot of options on them. And a stable SSB radio to boot.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 1, 2016 20:00:02 GMT -5
I did not know that. I just figured the President Grant II was basically a Bearcat 980 with a few changes. I looked at the reviews on Amazon and there are several people reporting the finals blowing after a short time. They did not say whether they peaked them or left the radio stock. I have a few new original 2sc1969 and 2sc2166 transistors in my parts drawers. I wonder if the final can be easily swapped out for an original Toshiba 2sc1969? Night Ranger The problem is the voltage applied to the final is to high. Now I'm not a tech but I had two 980's blow finals running them SSB. First and second ones were replaced by Uniden free of charge, second I had didn't have any mods done it was factory stock and still burned up. The third one I got R&R Communcations turned down the voltage to the Mosfet final and it also increased sideband output. The clipper is still in there no heating up problem now. Like I said they are a great CB radio with a lot of options on them. And a stable SSB radio to boot. Sounds like these radio manufacturers are still suffering from the aftereffects of RoHS and the discontinuation of quality bipolar transistor finals, and they're still trying to get cheap (and often unstable) switching MOSFETS to work in their place. Usually the problem with these MOSFETS is not too much B+, but too much bias. Since these parts are designed to be switchers and not RF amps, the window of linear operation is extremely narrow, and keeping the bias stable to hold the part in that range is tough to do. Allow the bias to get too high, and you'll smoke the part. I really wish they would just come out with RoHS compliant bipolar RF transistors (and not just cheap Chinease knock-offs), or an assortment of reasonably priced MOSFETS designed for RF amplification. IT would certainly help in the reliability department. I'm just glad my tube rigs don't have this problem....
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Post by ab5ni on Mar 1, 2016 21:52:33 GMT -5
The problem is the voltage applied to the final is to high. Now I'm not a tech but I had two 980's blow finals running them SSB. First and second ones were replaced by Uniden free of charge, second I had didn't have any mods done it was factory stock and still burned up. The third one I got R&R Communcations turned down the voltage to the Mosfet final and it also increased sideband output. The clipper is still in there no heating up problem now. Like I said they are a great CB radio with a lot of options on them. And a stable SSB radio to boot. Sounds like these radio manufacturers are still suffering from the aftereffects of RoHS and the discontinuation of quality bipolar transistor finals, and they're still trying to get cheap (and often unstable) switching MOSFETS to work in their place. Usually the problem with these MOSFETS is not too much B+, but too much bias. Since these parts are designed to be switchers and not RF amps, the window of linear operation is extremely narrow, and keeping the bias stable to hold the part in that range is tough to do. Allow the bias to get too high, and you'll smoke the part. I really wish they would just come out with RoHS compliant bipolar RF transistors (and not just cheap Chinease knock-offs), or an assortment of reasonably priced MOSFETS designed for RF amplification. IT would certainly help in the reliability department. I'm just glad my tube rigs don't have this problem.... I've read up on the use of power MOSFET amplification in HF and audio applications over the years, and one thing definitely still holds true with these switching devices: they are noisy as hell and can generate a tremendous amount of harmonics when used as an RF amplifier and not properly biased. You are also spot on when you talk about the small window of linearity. I don't know if you've ever looked at the plots some of the engineers have posted (I'll take it that you have), but that window is damn tiny. Any excursions from that window is just begging for instant trouble, with the trouble being harmonic generation, which increases amplitude, which increases current draw, which amplifies the harmonic issue -- thermal runaway at its finest . I have been looking at the RF LDMOS transistors, but my main problem with them is that they have the same issues. A good example of this is located here: www.eham.net/articles/34850 . A great little amp, if operated correctly, but take note of what that guy has to do to make sure that he doesn't fry the final! I don't see this type of transistor surviving for very long unless it uses both thermal and SWR protection, and I'm pretty sure the chinese manufacturers of CB rigs will never even bother with the inclusion of such circuitry. Another problem I have with LDMOS is that most of them require 50V's to power the things. That wouldn't be practical with a CB or HAM rig. Another issue I have is their price, which is too damn pricey for my pocketbook, especially when you consider the fact that they're way, way easy to BBQ. I also remember seeing a couple of listings on ebay from china offering an RF LDMOS transistor for 2-30Mhz for like $20.00. After reading up a bit about these things, I'm not really sure that I should believe such a listing, especially after reading about all the fakes posted on the site. 73, Randy AB5NI
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 1, 2016 22:36:37 GMT -5
Randy, I do appreciate the activity that your posts generate. Lord knows we could use the activity. But after I read this, I had to look back on this thread, and to be honest with you, I don't see anywhere where someone has either intentionally or inadvertently insulted you. We are simply stating our opinions on the subject at hand here. And while I know that we don't always agree on the perfect solution to the problem at hand, most of the people here on this forum have the decorum to be civil about their differences in opinion. So I don't understand what has your hackles raised. As for solving a problem, I tend to take the K.I.S.S. approach - the simplest answer that effectively solves the problem. I truly believe, as experience has taught me, that the more complicated you make something, the more likely it will be to malfunction or create other issues (not to mention saving money!). I still have problems understanding why there is still so much animosity between hams and CB'ers, especially among those who straddle both sides of that fence. Yes, there are those "All knobs to the right" types who know just enough to be dangerous, and who don't take to kindly to more knowledgeable people raining on their parades. To me it's all radio. CB is just another HF band, with a different collection of people. Yes, in my current stage of life (over the hill), I am in full-on nostalgia mode. What's old is new again, and I get a kick out of those young people who are "discovering" vinyl records, tube amps, and other stuff from my heyday. So yes, I get the most enjoyment turning the clock back 40 years and enjoying CB radio like it was back then. Restoring the old rigs gives me the most enjoyment. Ironically, I know a heck of a lot about many different radios from back then, but I know very little about the current breed of Pacific rim radios, and I absolutely detest SMD technology. I guess it's true what they say about old dogs....... I guess what started it off is the comment I'll paraphrase here, SB: "I don't know why you'd want to do that when all u have to do is purchase the President Grant II." The "I don't know why you'd want to do that" comment is, quite frankly, condescending and insulting. No use of tack and implying that I don't know what I'm talking about. A better way to put this is: "Randy, you might want to take a look at the President Grant II. It does everything u want plus FM, and all u have to do is clip a lead and add a jumper." Yes, it's knit-picking, and good info was garnered in the process (which is why I come here to begin with), but with the following comments being added on to the original comment, it felt as if I was being ganged up on and called a fool, SB. Then I felt I had to defend myself publicly and tell everyone the actual reason I was interested in the 980, which is to buy the things, repair them, get a good rep, sell the hell out of them, and purchase rigs like the President Grant II . Frankly, I think you read too much into this, and took things way too far the wrong way. Remember, this is a public thread, and everyone is expressing their experience/opinion about the situation. When everyone chimes in, those comments are not necessarily aimed at you, but the group discussion in general, so you should not feel "ganged up on" by successive comments. Again I re-read the comments made by myself and others on this subject, and I really didn't see anything that I could see as rude, condescending, or disrespectful. Yes, they were direct, and maybe a little blunt, but I tend to use the minimal amount of verbiage that gets the point across, and maybe it's not the most glowing in the vernacular. It's another substance over style thing for me. And I guess this also demonstrates the basic flaw in written social media, the lack of tonal inflections which give verbal communications a far less cold or "clinical" feel. Had we been having this conversation over the radio, you would not have reacted in the same way. But trust me, no one that I know of here, resents you for being a ham. Heck a good many of us are too. But also remember that first and foremost, this is a CB forum, and the slant will always be in the CB direction. Hams are ALWAYS welcome, but we're not primarily about promoting the virtues of ham radio. I belong to ham forums where ham radio is the primary focus, and unless I wanted to create a firestorm (or is that "Firestarter"?), I wouldn't bring up CB radio over there. The lesson here is that it's probably best to not frame discussions in such a way that pits hams against CB'ers. Whatever your ulterior motives may be with respect to the radio choices you make - hey, it's all good! Usually knowing those mitigating circumstances may change the type of advice given. So it's probably a good idea to be forthcoming with your rationale so we won't give you advice that you can't use.
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Post by cbrown on Mar 2, 2016 10:01:55 GMT -5
Having FM is a definite advantage for use with the 10 Mtr FM repeaters, for sure. Oh, one more thing that u guys have to understand about me: I am NOT on this board to relive my heyday's in CB radio or to restore old CB gear. I'm here to pickup knowledge on these rigs and find out which rigs are crap, which rigs are easily modified for 10 Mtrs, and about decent, inexpensive gear, such as the rigs we are currently conversing about. OTOH, we are kindred spirits when it comes to use of radios in the HF spectrum, and if I see a subject that I can comment on and help others, I'll be more than glad to do so. I am a HAM -- period! -- and I'm starting to notice that some of you guys are starting to (or have always been) resenting this fact. Should this trend continue, I'm just going to read and not even bother to even talk on the board. I will NOT be ganged up on by u guys so u can "massage ur ego" by trying to make the HAM look bad. What this boils down to is trying to make yourself look good at the expense of another, and people like this are to be avoided at all costs. Most of the 10M repeaters around here require a CTCSS tone to access, so unless you're installing those boards you will not be able to access the repeaters. As for your "HAM" comment, you obviously haven't been reading through the board or you'd already know most of us here have our amateur licenses. The only ego that seems to have a problem is yours.
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Post by ab5ni on Mar 2, 2016 10:57:05 GMT -5
Having FM is a definite advantage for use with the 10 Mtr FM repeaters, for sure. Oh, one more thing that u guys have to understand about me: I am NOT on this board to relive my heyday's in CB radio or to restore old CB gear. I'm here to pickup knowledge on these rigs and find out which rigs are crap, which rigs are easily modified for 10 Mtrs, and about decent, inexpensive gear, such as the rigs we are currently conversing about. OTOH, we are kindred spirits when it comes to use of radios in the HF spectrum, and if I see a subject that I can comment on and help others, I'll be more than glad to do so. I am a HAM -- period! -- and I'm starting to notice that some of you guys are starting to (or have always been) resenting this fact. Should this trend continue, I'm just going to read and not even bother to even talk on the board. I will NOT be ganged up on by u guys so u can "massage ur ego" by trying to make the HAM look bad. What this boils down to is trying to make yourself look good at the expense of another, and people like this are to be avoided at all costs. Most of the 10M repeaters around here require a CTCSS tone to access, so unless you're installing those boards you will not be able to access the repeaters. As for your "HAM" comment, you obviously haven't been reading through the board or you'd already know most of us here have our amateur licenses. The only ego that seems to have a problem is yours. We have all the CTCSS boards we'll ever need. Also, this is the third time you've ridiculed me here -- three strikes, buttwipe -- and that's more then enough times for me to tell you to F*CK OFF, you majorly stupid idiot!! I was fun while it lasted, guys. I'm gone for good, and should u doubt that this cbrown moron wasn't messing me, go back and read his posts.
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,247
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 2, 2016 13:10:43 GMT -5
Most of the 10M repeaters around here require a CTCSS tone to access, so unless you're installing those boards you will not be able to access the repeaters. As for your "HAM" comment, you obviously haven't been reading through the board or you'd already know most of us here have our amateur licenses. The only ego that seems to have a problem is yours. We have all the CTCSS boards we'll ever need. Also, this is the third time you've ridiculed me here -- three strikes, buttwipe -- and that's more then enough times for me to tell you to F*CK OFF, you majorly stupid idiot!! I was fun while it lasted, guys. I'm gone for good, and should u doubt that this cbrown moron wasn't messing me, go back and read his posts. Yea, I can see that the two of you aren't going to be on each other's Christmas card list any time soon. I've learned through years of being a parent, that it really doesn't solve anything by determining "who started it". Bad behavior follows bad behavior. This is a perfect example of extreme defensiveness prompting snarky responses, which only elevates defensive responses. Ironically, this is almost exactly what happened to "Ol' Zero-Five" when he started trying to impress the locals by bragging about his ham credentials, only it had the opposite effect. Randy, it would be a shame to see you go, especially over something so silly. CBrown is a good guy, but I suspect he's been around long enough that he bristles when someone seemingly brags about their "hamness". Typically when someone does this, they're basically saying "I'm a ham, therefore I'm smarter than you.....". Maybe that's not how you meant it, but experience with others tends to slant the response in that manner. As has been said previously, most of us are also hams, but that fact bears little relevance on a CB forum. Knowledge is knowledge, whether it was obtained in tech school, a degreed engineering program, or hard knocks technical experimentation. Adults should be able to exchange their experiences with others without having to resort to a Texas hold-'em style of one-upmanship discourse.
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Post by No Streak on Mar 2, 2016 13:27:51 GMT -5
That totally messes it up for someone that's trying to be a ham operator. Like what was said before we are all radio operators. But I can fully understand you can have bad experiences on both sides. And it can spoil the fun of being a radio operator either a ham operator or CB operator.
And as a sidenote my best wishes to Zero-Five even though I don't know him I wish him the best. But I'm sure with all his craziness it's still fun to look back and remember the funny times!
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Post by BBB on Mar 2, 2016 15:22:39 GMT -5
Thank you for your continued participation in GRUMPY'S OLDE TIME RADIO FORUM / The Best CB Radio Forum on the Net for Browning/Tram & Classic Tube Type Radio Information.
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Post by cbrown on Mar 3, 2016 10:23:38 GMT -5
I thought the discussion was about converting CB radios for use on 10M FM repeaters. I was pointing out the fact the the repeaters here require a CTCSS tone to access, which of course would add to the expense. I thought the discussion was fairly tame, right up to the point Randy lost it in this thread.
I thought my ham response was pretty tame, seeing how I first felt when I read his diatribe against the members of this board without knowing any of the facts about the people here.
I'm here for the conversation between fellow radio ops, I'm not here to brag what I know or what I can do or how much equipment I have or how long I'm been on the radio. People who know me know I'll do anything to help others. That's the way my Elmer taught me back in the 1970's, and I pass it along to this day.
However, swearing on a forum shows the level of maturity that Randy is at, and that is all I need to know about him. If he feels like apologizing, I'll accept it. I do ask him to refrain from ranting at us, though. I don't see anything anyone here has done to him personally. I'm sure he is still hurt that I called him on his 'unhackable' code a few months ago, but move on.
That's my 2ยข. Done.
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Post by No Streak on Mar 4, 2016 7:15:08 GMT -5
Pretty good turn out last night for CRR the SSB Edition
The list of check in's
One eye jack Lead foot Rick 73 in New Jersey
Now I know it's a small list but hope it grows alittle bigger!
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Post by No Streak on Mar 4, 2016 7:19:54 GMT -5
Radios run last night
Uniden 980 Palomar Skipper 73c Connex Saturn Uniden 2510 Cobra 2000
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,247
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 4, 2016 7:53:59 GMT -5
Radios run last night Uniden 980 Palomar Skipper 73c Connex Saturn Uniden 2510 Cobra 2000 Wow, that's a lot of radio rotation......
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Post by No Streak on Mar 4, 2016 7:55:56 GMT -5
Radios run last night Uniden 980 Palomar Skipper 73c Connex Saturn Uniden 2510 Cobra 2000 Wow, that's a lot of radio rotation...... No that's all the radios run by check in's! We had some guys missing last night.
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Post by BBB on Mar 5, 2016 10:45:54 GMT -5
I did listen later in the evening and heard a few SSB 16 operators. If I had a beam up, I bet I would get all of you guys so I could follow the conversation. TBD
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Post by No Streak on Mar 5, 2016 12:30:38 GMT -5
I did listen later in the evening and heard a few SSB 16 operators. If I had a beam up, I bet I would get all of you guys so I could follow the conversation. TBD I think when the weather gets better I'm going to put up my V quad back up! Then maybe I can join with you guys on Wednesday nights.
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Post by No Streak on Apr 15, 2016 6:01:09 GMT -5
Thanks Spitfire for video gating up last night! Sorry I wasn't able to copy you but as you can see we were quick on the key. I'm sure that I would have heard you running 200 watts of Regency Power! I was late getting in there myself, but we did have a good size group in there and it seems to be growing!
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Post by No Streak on Apr 15, 2016 6:20:50 GMT -5
Does the Pearce Simpson Beagle have the same guts as the Regency SSB that Spitfire has on the video gate?
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,247
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Post by Sandbagger on Apr 15, 2016 6:58:24 GMT -5
Does the Pearce Simpson Beagle have the same guts as the Regency SSB that Spitfire has on the video gate? Beagle? You mean Bengal? Yes, I do believe they share the same guts as the CR-123.
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Post by No Streak on Apr 15, 2016 7:40:52 GMT -5
Does the Pearce Simpson Beagle have the same guts as the Regency SSB that Spitfire has on the video gate? Beagle? You mean Bengal? Yes, I do believe they share the same guts as the CR-123. Sorry I forgot how it was spelled. I felt bad for Pete he was trying hard to get between us in key ups hopefully I can get my beam up this summer. And point it up your way to pickup any people wanting to CQ in on the SSB CRR. And maybe be part of your group as well on Wednesday night CRR!
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Post by No Streak on Apr 15, 2016 9:41:52 GMT -5
I really wish that I still has my Stoner Pro40. At the time not to many people were running SSB in my area. If I wanted to find another one I think Super Hawk on eBay screwed that dream up. I'll have to watch YouTube videos with someone else running one and drool.
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Post by No Streak on Apr 15, 2016 10:05:35 GMT -5
I think I'm going to have to get Spitfire's email address. So I can find out when he is going to be in there, or he runs the 16 pill and goes all out lol. Ratman came in there last week at a 5 S units and he is about as far as Pete is from me. I did have yours Sandbagger at one time because I did email like a year ago when I found out about you guys doing the CRR. That would help if I knew he was going to be there and hold up traffic for him.
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