Had a kenwood 430 and the AT 250 tuner and that tuned some metal shelving years ago. Also a Yaesu FT890 that tuned a chain link fence. Was amazed.
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New radios just released.
- Thread starter WSAC829
- Start date
Yeah, when DX is rolling you could probably talk across the pond on a coat hanger. Years ago i used an old Royce 23 channel AM only rig with a K40 mag mount stuck on top of the oven in an apartment. Ended up talking to Wales, England on that setup. Crazy stuff.
11 meters was open to the UK and Caribbean this morning. Made contact with a station in Grenada and two in England. Got busy on several frequencies, then .385 turned into the Zoo. I suppose I'll be hearing Robert and Calvin singing to each other on .425 again soon.
slowmover
Active Member
Went to do errands today and had both Carson City, NV and upstate NY coming in loud & proud at the same time at local noon (D/FW).
No matter where I was in the outbound trip (usual blank stretches of road weren’t.)
No matter where I was in the outbound trip (usual blank stretches of road weren’t.)
This is true. I was in high school when I first got in the air in the late 80's. The folks wouldn't allow an outdoor antenna, so I was stuck with a Firestick "indoor base" antenna in the attic. During Solar Cycle 22, which was one of the best on record, I was able to work several DX stations in the southern states and a station in California. All with a stock Uniden PC-122.
The Firestick also worked well for VHF Low band - heard a lot of DX stations with it.
Another one is about to be released. Looks like Midland is back in the game again, and it’s an actual legal CB (not a 10 meter radio).
4 watts AM/FM and 12 watts SSB. 40 (or 80) channels selectable by region. The usual features like noise reduction, echo, roger beep, scan, ctcss/dcs, etc. I like the clean look of it. Being Midland branded i’m guessing that it won’t be reasonably priced. Time will tell.
Here’s the user manual
4 watts AM/FM and 12 watts SSB. 40 (or 80) channels selectable by region. The usual features like noise reduction, echo, roger beep, scan, ctcss/dcs, etc. I like the clean look of it. Being Midland branded i’m guessing that it won’t be reasonably priced. Time will tell.
Here’s the user manual
slowmover
Active Member
Midland isn’t what it used to be. They need to get this one right. It’s a European brand for all practical purposes (price).
The now ancient ALAN gets my vote for all-time best looking CB.
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KD8DVR
Member
I'd say this one has to be the "King daddy" of all legal 40 channel CBs. It even passes the President George FCC insofar as features and functionality. You know it's gonna be expensive.
slowmover
Active Member
Shows at 300 Euro ($350)
Midland / Alan Opens Pre-Orders Midland Alan 8001 PRO
After what appeared to the naked eye as a game of catch-up Helmut Frequenzwaschl sent me news that the Midland 8001 Pro is now open for pre order with a mid December timeline for deliveries. So may…
simonthewizard.com
GEORGE @ $280
New President George FCC All Mode CB Radio | Scott's Radios
Pairs great with K-PO NM532P6 microphone.We also have the K-PO NM452P6 Echo microphone for this radio. Both K-PO microphones are plug and play. This will be one of the best CB radios (10 Meter radios are not CB Radios.) made to date.No issues with any frequency drift on any mode. 40 CB Radio...
www.scottsradios.com
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I think he got a prerelease sample unit or a returned unit. On the 6699 facebook group some have said theirs didn’t come wrapped in plastic bags like new radios usually do. Most everybody else's did so far. So that would be a red flag right there. I would have returned it, gotten a “new” unit, then reviewed it.
A big issue is the horrible user manual. It tells you “about” the radio, but not how to use it. Like the “menu” button on the mic should have been labeled “Confirm” or "VFO/CH". It only works after you enter the “unlock” code to switch from channel mode to vfo mode and back. The menu button on the radio is labeled M/CH, which works, but you have to hold it in for 2-3 seconds to access the menu as it serves 2 functions (quick press / long press). His low audio speaker and mounting holes haven’t been an issue for anyone else either (yet). Everything else is mostly just missing “features”, which don’t exist in the manual, so i wouldn’t call those “issues". They simply just don't exist in this radios firmware and the manual doesn't mention those “features”.
Scan feature. The manual does say that it’s not (yet) implemented.
As for the microphone, it’s light like most CCR mics. I took mine apart, and it doesn’t have room for the common “metal plate” screwed inside to give it more weight like a lot of cheap mics do. To me it feels fine otherwise, functions fine, and has exceptionally clear and loud audio.
The empty USB and SIM slots mean nothing. Not mentioned in the manual at all. Maybe they initially had thoughts of implementing some other features but scrapped those ideas after the case was already designed.
I'm enjoying mine. What it does do, it does well. Would i recommend it? No. Not to somebody on a budget, or someone looking for their first radio. However if you’re seasoned with menu driven radios, have cash to spare, and want something different to mess with, sure. It has good RX and loud TX and is dead simple to use once you figure it out. Again, a completely revised manual would go a LONG way in helping people understand how this radio/mic works.
I do hope they release a v2 at some point with the added missing functions and features as it really could be an amazing little radio.
Ahhh, the joys of manuals translated from Chinamese to English-ish from an alternate universe.
My Radtel RT-860, I just started mashing all the buttons in all the menus just to see what happened. That was a lot faster than trying to translate something that probably had poor grammar and faulty syntax in the original language.
I hope they do some more iterations of this radio, and make it what it could be. The technology is there to have an all-mode transceiver in a small package, and the demand is already here. I'll definitely be interested in one once it's a viable product.
It's also possible they're doing upgrades as they ship them. I've had that happen with some Radtel products on the first run. Units ship out, something is wrong or missing, and Voila! Your unit shows up with new firmware or whatnot; in the case of my RT-880, the ones shipped after the architecture change didn't have the HF and MF donut loops in the box (and it wasn't made to fit them either) but the box was opened and the loops squeezed in just prior to shipping. Some guys that got radios just 5 SNs lower than mine didn't get the donuts.
I'm not surprised that Del Boy got one scratched up; it seems like the CCR companies have been shipping out betas and prototypes on a lot of radios since Spring of this year. If Hamgeek would be as "responsive"/reactive on development with the 6699 as Radtel has been with all-in-one HF/VHF/UHF handhelds, we'd have a dandy rig by Christmas.
The CCR manufacturers are trying to give us everything we want in one package. They just have a hard time understanding what we need, because they're not allowed to use the product! What would the SDS scanners be like if UPman had never been allowed to operate one? Not nearly as usable, I'm sure. I'm just glad one of the makers tried to put all-modes in a compact FM VHF sized package. I need a good CB for my ATV; there's a Stryker AM/FM CB that's in the same chassis as the Retevis RT95 that I'd like to have just to match each other. Don't really need SSB in the ATV, either.
I can't say that a compact, all-mode CB is coming soon, but there sure seems to be a lot of heavy breathing.
My Radtel RT-860, I just started mashing all the buttons in all the menus just to see what happened. That was a lot faster than trying to translate something that probably had poor grammar and faulty syntax in the original language.
I hope they do some more iterations of this radio, and make it what it could be. The technology is there to have an all-mode transceiver in a small package, and the demand is already here. I'll definitely be interested in one once it's a viable product.
It's also possible they're doing upgrades as they ship them. I've had that happen with some Radtel products on the first run. Units ship out, something is wrong or missing, and Voila! Your unit shows up with new firmware or whatnot; in the case of my RT-880, the ones shipped after the architecture change didn't have the HF and MF donut loops in the box (and it wasn't made to fit them either) but the box was opened and the loops squeezed in just prior to shipping. Some guys that got radios just 5 SNs lower than mine didn't get the donuts.
I'm not surprised that Del Boy got one scratched up; it seems like the CCR companies have been shipping out betas and prototypes on a lot of radios since Spring of this year. If Hamgeek would be as "responsive"/reactive on development with the 6699 as Radtel has been with all-in-one HF/VHF/UHF handhelds, we'd have a dandy rig by Christmas.
The CCR manufacturers are trying to give us everything we want in one package. They just have a hard time understanding what we need, because they're not allowed to use the product! What would the SDS scanners be like if UPman had never been allowed to operate one? Not nearly as usable, I'm sure. I'm just glad one of the makers tried to put all-modes in a compact FM VHF sized package. I need a good CB for my ATV; there's a Stryker AM/FM CB that's in the same chassis as the Retevis RT95 that I'd like to have just to match each other. Don't really need SSB in the ATV, either.
I can't say that a compact, all-mode CB is coming soon, but there sure seems to be a lot of heavy breathing.
Seems they are, or are at least aware of some issues with the first batch. Someone posted this on the fbook group.
That's definitely a good sign. Radtel just decided to come out with newer models to compete with the RT-880, so who knows what we shall see from hamgeek.
I'm still convinced that an all-mode, 26-28 transmit locked, full HF recieve with the proper controls needed to operate on 11 meters, less than $200, would sell as well as the UV-5R.
I'm still convinced that an all-mode, 26-28 transmit locked, full HF recieve with the proper controls needed to operate on 11 meters, less than $200, would sell as well as the UV-5R.
Not all mode, but a super compact AM/FM/SSB rig might see the light of day yet. Was supposed to be available this spring, but nothing but prototypes available yet. If and when it becomes available, i want one.
The Titan has been out for a while now. Not a fan of the look. The double screen bezels look oddly lopsided and not centered on the display. However, the new midland looks similar and probably shares 90% of the same chassis and features.
slowmover
Active Member
Variation of same was point.
So for the curious, here is a recording of me on the 6699 on 38 LSB talking to a local 20ish miles away. He’s running a stock Uniden 980, hence the static in the recording. Recording was also done via a cell phone, so take it for what it is. Either way, you can still hear the loud punchy audio the 6699 has with its stock mic.
