Ordered an Optima

[Dawn]

This isn't the best time with the holidays approaching, but I've really been contemplating it over the past several months since getting back on 10FM with a commercial mobile programmed to a few simplex channels and two distant repeaters/remote bases. I've weighed the pros and cons of moving a CB up above 28.5. Figuring the cost and limitations and either having to spend a small fortune for crystals that from my inquiries are now horribly expensive unless ordered in batches, I'd best opt for an old '858 chassis and add bcd switches for the least expensive option or going binary with an 8719 is going to add quite a bit too in time and modifications. Not worth fixing up an old uniden chassis that's 35 years old with unobtainium parts or an old or revived cobra chassis or clone.

Other routes ultimately will end up costing at least $75 over the cost of a used unit that most likely will require repair,alignment, and crystals. Pursuing similar units to the optima like a magnum or other unit that doesn't operate with channels and programmable divider bank switching like the rangers that cover the same area doesn't make much sense when this unit is of much higher quality and the firmware is more amateur oriented. Maybe not a cb/Freebander's cup of tea, but would be worth it if it delivers. The price is either comparable or about 50 bucks more then the cheapest solution in a magnum 257.

I hope it turns out to be what it's touted as.

 

[JayMojave]

Hello Dawn: Ok good deal, please let us know how this all works out for you. Is this a base or mobile set up?

I didn't know what a Optima Radio was so I looked it up. See
Yeticom Optima 10/11/12 Meter Export Radio Review

I looked for 10 Meter Repeaters in my area and didn't see any but a few about 100 miles away. The internet coverage isn't too good for the 10 Meter Repeaters as its not too popular I guess.

I see the 9 output frequencies of 29.610, 29.620, to 26.690 Mc on the 10 meter web sites, quit a frequency distance from the CB Band so you will need to reduce the length of antenna somewhat to make the 29,6 Mc band work.

I am sure you can get a CB Linear to get a few more watts to help out. I will listen for the repeaters here in the Mojave Desert. Got to be able to hear some when the skip is in....

Good luck

Jay in the Mojave

 

[The_B_Chief]

So the former Radio Shack HTX 10 that was reborn as the Magnum 257 (and a few others I believe) has been reborn yet again...

 

[KNY2ADQ]

Actually the Magnum and a few other branded radios
aimed at the CB'er/freebander were on the market before the HTX-10

 

[The_B_Chief]

Yeah I think you're correct. It was something else before the Magnum but I can't remember what it was called. I have a 257 in my daily driver and I routinely make qso's far into Europe and even into former Soviet nations from the east coast. That's AM and SSB. I have no amps or anything added to the rig. They are good little radios.

 

[Dawn]

I guess some of you didn't read the earlier post. There's nothing inside this radio that even resembles the htx-10 or the magnum. Just the case and form factor. The NZ developers of the radio along with GW/Instek redesigned the radio from top to bottom and the firmware is more amateur oriented. Since the radio was initally designed for the NZ and indonesian market as well, that's the reason it's possible to open it up for continuous coverage. As shipped, it's 12 and 10 only, has a NZ channel mode, or can go freeband. Mine is staying as it is(10&12) when I get it. I don't have it yet, but intend to mount it in a combination power supply/base integrated base station kit made by Astron for high power maxtracs. Pictures I've seen look like a factory made, all-in-one combination. We have the same for our Kenwood GMRS control/base station and it looks very nice. I gave up on the Maco or any of the other high profile antennas. That's too much risk with building and zoning and the neighbors around here despite it being legal, they can harass the devil out of you over it. Not worth the headache I went through putting up a visible discone. Settled on what I didn't want in the first place using a Cushcrap ringo. Maybe MFJ's QC has improved by now from what I've read. I've used these commercially years ago and they did a pretty respectable job compared to the next very expensive options by Phelps-Dodge or AS during the 70's. Maybe a used autocoupler and turning the ringo into a plain vertical with out of site elevated radials might be the next step to use 12. I have a few old Hull marine units in storage that could get put to use.

@Jay: I've been on 10fm locally with a couple of guys running commerical units programed, one has a 35 y/o Azden 2800 and another a dedicated TS-60 with a hamstick. We have some local activity and most of those guys. There's two repeaters/remote bases a few counties over. This unit has no tone capability. I'm concerned though about the unit being 3kc deviation to euro/asian standards and may not be compatible with 5kc wide amateur. The filter in wide may or may not clip out on other's peaks and hopefully the tx will be able to have a deviation adjustment to make it a bit more wider.

 

[The_B_Chief]

I guess some of you didn't read the earlier post. There's nothing inside this radio that even resembles the htx-10 or the magnum. Just the case and form factor. The NZ developers of the radio along with GW/Instek redesigned the radio from top to bottom and the firmware is more amateur oriented. Since the radio was initally designed for the NZ and indonesian market as well, that's the reason it's possible to open it up for continuous coverage. As shipped, it's 12 and 10 only, has a NZ channel mode, or can go freeband. Mine is staying as it is(10&12) when I get it. I don't have it yet, but intend to mount it in a combination power supply/base integrated base station kit made by Astron for high power maxtracs. Pictures I've seen look like a factory made, all-in-one combination. We have the same for our Kenwood GMRS control/base station and it looks very nice. I gave up on the Maco or any of the other high profile antennas. That's too much risk with building and zoning and the neighbors around here despite it being legal, they can harass the devil out of you over it. Not worth the headache I went through putting up a visible discone. Settled on what I didn't want in the first place using a Cushcrap ringo. Maybe MFJ's QC has improved by now from what I've read. I've used these commercially years ago and they did a pretty respectable job compared to the next very expensive options by Phelps-Dodge or AS during the 70's. Maybe a used autocoupler and turning the ringo into a plain vertical with out of site elevated radials might be the next step to use 12. I have a few old Hull marine units in storage that could get put to use.

Yeah I don't see any of that in this thread. Am I missing a page or something?

 

[Dawn]

The thread was just a few posts below.


http://forums.radioreference.com/cb-radio-forum/277154-optima-yeticom-gwcomm.html

 

[KNY2ADQ]

As shipped, it's 12 and 10 only, has a NZ channel mode, or can go freeband. Mine is staying as it is(10&12) when I get it.

Unless thing have changed, it will transmit it's entire frequency range as shipped from Yeticom, mine did.Dave designed this radio and aimed it towards freebanders.

 

[Dawn]

Only reason I know that it's arriving 10 and 12 only, I'd rather do a credit card transaction over the phone and started to get a "you know, the radio ships from the factory on 10 and 12"...sort of hint, hint and probably would have got a hard sell for some kind of special tune up had I bit or a charge for the mod. Then they make it clear that they don't provide any warranty or repair service and it has to go back to the factory in Taiwan.

In my research on the radios, the V3 units are supposed to be relabled as amateur transcievers in the current incarnation, so I guess that makes sense from a legal point of view when it comes to the question if it's an export radio in disguise or amateur transceiver as the FCC letter regarding the export radios that's been published ad nauseum including the Magnum.

What I don't get is you can't have a rational discussion about these radios on an amateur board without someone throwing that letter in your face and bringing up the magnum 257 and how bad all these radios are with spurious emissions, frequency drift, and they're illegal. Yet on another page they praise the 20 year old HTX-10's, HTX-100's and the HR-2600 as great 10M radios that hold value in some cases for more then they sold for. It's also perfectly acceptable to modify a cb for 10. So what's the problem with exports that are already there? Only difference between those radios and their freeband equivalents was the firmware was not directly modifiable without swapping out the micro, yet those radios are ok? Sounds hypocritical. The most blatently illegal "export" is perfectly legal to own and operate by an amateur even if it does happen to cover or be modified to cover 11M. These clowns never read that letter which only prohibits the import,sale,or transfer of radios disguised as amateur with the actual intent of being used on 11 and seem to have a great deal of problems comprehending type acceptance and the lack of it on amateur bands besides part 15 which even applies to my toaster.

One thing I wish Dave had incorporated was an accessory connector on the rear. If there's room, I'm borrowing a DB9 punch as first order of business to add that. I'd love to find a schematic and find a pick off point for the band switching, key line, and squelch detect as well as adding a line level input and direct access for a point to accept FSK. I have a few tiny syllabic squelch modules that would also be a nice addition as well as a tone board. Only two repeaters/remote bases I can hit use 94.8, so fixed tone is no big deal.

 

[Dawn]

Looks like the tracking info shows it's going to be here today, probably while I'm not. Either way, no chance of getting it on the air for a while, at least with a full base antenna. I already dug out a stock Icom 8 pin mic that came with one of my earlier rigs and was never used. This one is a Japanese HM-12 that's nearly identical to the HM-36 every review sugests, but has more gain with a two stage amp then the '36 which will work to my favor. The HM-36 needs the mic gain cranked up a bit I gather. I've been using a computer headset with an adapter on the IC-706 for years that uses a modular plug. Wouldn't take much to make an 8 pin version. Totally sold on those headsets as they outperform everything for both sideband and FM. I'm more curious about drawing up some specs first and see how my idea for the base power supply all-in-ine unit works.

I re-read the above and think the one of you might be thinking about the Emperor/TS-5010 made by Maxon. Those made a stir about 15 years ago and quickly vanished. Only other crossover that I remember being marketed to amateurs was the Mongoose by a local company that couldn't keep them in stock and stayed backordered and that was during the 80's. Couple of sideband monobanders that were strictly amateur products imported by RF products over the years. NCI they made in 10 and 15M, another Japanese model about 10 years later sold under several names including Kantronics, Tentec Scout just another few off the top of my head. That TS-5010 had about a 50/50 acceptance rate. Owners loved it to death and the other half hated it even though they never seen it or used it. Disappeared in no time, no service support, and was fetching some big prices for a while used. Silver one popped up for a while as a freebander, but it was supposed to be made by someone else and not the quality of Maxon and different inside. Neat little radio though. I seen one on a boat that I did some work on. IIRC, it had a syllabic squelch just like a marine radio. Wondering if that's the radio you all were thinking about that hit the market before the htx-10 and after the HTX-100. Sort of a RCI/HR-2600/HTX-100 clone without the power and smaller display, but loads more features like memories and finer frequency control...kind of a rethough total re-design that really had amateur features built into it like this Optima. I all but forgot about that one.

 

[SCPD]

Lets us know how it preforms for you when we get it up and running.I am curious about the 10-12 meter use.

 

[JayMojave]

Hello Dawn: Ok whats the deal with the Optima radio. Work ok, does it work well doing the split frequency operation for the 10 meter repeaters?

Hows the audio, and rf output. Most importantly is the radio operation button ology user friendly or user hostile, or user annoying?

Are you able to use a ICOM HM-36 8 pin mic?

Thanks

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert