Picked up a Galaxy DX-2547 at a garage sale.

[63Sprint]

Was at the right place at the right time.

Found an ad on the neighborhood website of a garage. Radio’s, tools, power equipment…

I arrived early and a woman opened the garage and everything was set on tables. I could not believe the prices. The prices were so cheap on most of the stuff.

This is what I bought:


It was new, still in the original packaging, complete. And, never used. It was purchased by the wife’s husband in 2022. The husband just passed away earlier this year. The woman just sold the house and is moving. Honestly, I felt guilty giving her what she asked. So please don’t ask how much I paid.

It’s something, I was originally ready to pay for a power supply to run the President Walker ll, with hopes of future upgraded radios. The power supply alone would of costed many times more than what I just paid for the DX-2547.

I have the Base CB operating in the camper and I like it much better than the President Walker ll.

I really like SSB. It works great. Listened all evening and was surprised how well the unit pulled in radio conversations from all over the country. I was able to talk with another person roughly 20 miles away.

Now I have to get the proper antenna. The 36” whip works but, is very limited.

Still studying for the Ham tech. exam. Will stay focused and what has to be done.

The good thing is, 11 meter is covered. And the CB radio will stay within FCC guidelines. The 10/12 meter radio will also stay 10/12 meter only when I’m ready to purchase.

I just don’t need any unnecessary excitement in my life. Had enough excitement in my lifetime.

Life is good,

 

[DeeEx]

Interesting find!

It’s difficult for me to perceive the proportions of it— I thought it was a mobile unit until you specified a base.

I’d consider a base like that properly set up for 10m if I could find it. No idea what they are worth but I think their mobile brethren weren’t well-loved. I bought three “Galaxy 99” mobiles on the QRZ swap a few years ago, for $99. That was my only experience with these types of radios. They were quite literally so awful that I could not give them away! Looked and felt like toys and seemed unstable on sideband. I kept one for a few months and gave the others to people in my repeater club after none of my friends would take them. I’d sum it up by saying they were very strange interpretations of what a foreign designer would think US operators desire in a radio. They actually had the legendary echo and Roger beep built in from the factory, which I had never seen before.

 

[merlin]

That is a rare find indeed.

 

[merlin]

their mobile brethren weren’t well-loved.

Their truckstop radios were pure junk, their older base would get a 4 star review.

 

[63Sprint]

The DX-2547 has it’s place.

What is considered junk by some, is considered treasure by others. Ok, I’ll let the cat out of the bag. I paid “Thirty Five Dollars” ($35.00) for the Galaxy DX-2547.

$35.00 is a price of a good meal at a decent restaurant. So, sacrifices were made. I have to lose weight anyways.

The bottom line is, I’m having fun and enjoying the radio. Hopeing to possibly reach out on 11 meter and talk to some here on the forum when a proper antenna is installed.

Looking forward getting another radio once I’m licensed.

 

[slowmover]

1). Needs DSP.

Audio Ware - West Mountain Radio

CLRspkr ClearSpeech DSP Noise Reduction Speaker. CLRdsp ClearSpeech DSP Noise Reduction Processor. PWRspkr 15W. COMspkr Computer Speaker System.

www.westmountainradio.com

2). Ranger isn’t known for frequency stability. Hasn’t ability to scan.

DDS-VFO

3). A KL-203 added, and — with the above — it’s “competitive” with a RadioOddity Q60 + Megawatt power supply.


I don’t understand the fascination with these radios. They don’t offer anything beyond packaging.

It’s a nice price for circa 1989 performance. Sorta like running a ‘54 Ford on todays roads in “as is” condition.

It’ll need an alignment & tune to factory spec, just to start. Nice to which to listen (given best extension speaker), and nice at other end. That’s it.

Which was always true of my Galaxy 99v2 after Clay Thompson brought it to spec. And I added DSP + 203. Had to also add a #4005 RigRunner to handle 12V distribution for the three powered items.

Then one day I spent $325 on a Q60 + DRX-901 speaker expecting 90% parity. But removed that $700 of gear from the big truck after (9) years. As CB ain’t a hobby in my line of work. Proof is in performance.

I disliked removing my DX-959 (the innards of a 2547), but c’est la vie.



Someone out there will pay an outrageous amount for a NIB 2547. Which will then fund a 2024-spec radio + accessories and open up the world of real performance. (Or mod as suggested).

Use Sideband as the marker. Ability to hear and be heard at significant distance. Q5/60 and President George 2 are in a different league than what came previously.

I’ve more than once “lost” base stations with above-average performance while mobile from comparatively handicapped big truck antenna system due solely to better gear. (Others farther away still heard me).

An A-99/Imax 2000 style base station with a 2547 outclassed by a plastic fleet truck? Say it ain’t so.

A line was crossed in 2022. Before that it was as above, or, in example, a MARS-mod Yaesu ft450d (PITA level of op simplicity for 11M).

11M isn’t covered by 1989 tech.



.

 

[63Sprint]

The manufacturer date is 10/2022.



So, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles. All I care is it works and seems to be in tune pretty well. It came with the service manual. What a simple radio to work on with the proper test equipment. Very simple circuit board layout. Looks like a clean build. One thing for sure. I will be able to handle any component repairs on the board with the soldering station and equipment I have.

My thoughts are: “This hobby about enjoying with what you’re able to do with what you have.”

 

[slowmover]

1). DSP (NRC) isn’t a bell or a whistle. One gives up significant performance when trying to pull signals out of the noise.

— The older radios might have good receivers, but they couldn’t filter it to intelligibility.

2). SSB performance is a night & day difference. One can get a 959 to work admirably well (the receiver is quite good), but it falls far short.

— Playing on Skip on channels other than AM-9/19 make it clear, quickly. What was difficult to non-existent on my 959 with more power than the Q5 that replaced it, became — at times — easy.

Radios without NRC continue to be released. I’d drop them into the trash can, brand-new, so low is their value.

Lack of experience with what 27-MHz can do means “inexperienced operator” despite years of activity and licensure status.

Effective communication means TX of information found important, and successful RX of same. The ordinary man is on CB without formalities of use.

The gear — the radio rig — only gets you to the halfway point. Figuring out how to decipher what’s what is the game in further RX/TX.

.

 

[63Sprint]

Ok, I understand what you’re saying. What still stands is, I can repair the DX 2547 if something goes wrong. The newer radios such as the President Walker and others would be very difficult. Lots of the Multi layered surface mounted boards are very difficult to work on, or at times are throw always. Been there with these types of boards. They can be a royal pain. Plus working under a microscope at my age is not fun.

Last night, SSB worked very well for my needs. I’m satisfied with what I have.

Thanks for responding.

 

[slowmover]

Get the W-M speaker. See my thread on it. That’ll wake up what that radio needs the most. (With a headset plugged into speaker you’ll be putting on seven league boots).

You could also use the W-M circuit board. Those folks will help you figure where to integrate it via schematic. But you’d need an upgrade in audio quality with any built-in speaker.

The outboard control with a DRX-901 speaker would be the high fidelity option. Build a matching enclosure?

NRC on Receive (only) makes a genuine difference. There’s no going back afterwards.

 

[63Sprint]

Saturday my daughter and I went to Yadkin Valley Electronics in Elkin, NC to get the ProComm, Proton, PT99 Antenna and Cable. We also brought the radio with us and had it aligned. What a difference. The frequencies are right on. Ray did a beautiful job.

I’m in the middle of designing an antenna mount. When it’s finished, I’ll post some pictures.

 

[slowmover]

North & South Carolina are good for CB activity. On AM-19 I’ve been able to divert around road problems with the help of local & regional drivers, with ease.

Coming down Fancy Gap on 77 in Virginia into NC can be a challenge.

Central & Western Tennessee is its equivalent.

Ohio and Pennsylvania feature men on dedicated runs, who, while with good radio systems, aren’t as involved in how to sort trouble.

Your travels over to Chattanooga & Knoxville will be eye-opening. Ought to be able to capture some of that after dark from home.

.