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What is considered to be the BEST AM/SSB 40 Channel CB Radio?

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K4EET

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Folks, we might be getting a little too concerned about what comes after the CB Radio itself. Yes you have microphones, yes you have a coax run, yes you have an antenna and yes you might have an external speaker and PA. All I intended for this thread to focus on was what AM/SSB CB Radio current or past everyone thought was the "best of the best" of them all. That is subjective for the most part while a techie-type could try to analyze the rigs despite very limited technical information being available. Opening the rigs and analyzing construction (Stryker uses RF shielding around the PA finals while others do not AFAIK), parts choice (Stryker tuning components are larger than other manufacturers AFAIK), etc. can shed light on which rig might be better for maintenance than another. By "best" I consider all aspects of the rig from appearance to features (that make sense) to operational characteristics to reliability to serviceability to whatever else you deem important (e.g. does it make coffee? :ROFLMAO: ). All the while keeping in mind that it is the System that makes a Great Installation that Works Well. Don't focus on any one part of the equation! You might come up with the wrong answer.

Sooooooo... Let's try to focus on the rig in this thread and justify your selection if you have any details to share. If it is "just a great rig" then by all means, Let Me Know that too! Thanks! Dave
 

redbeard

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The Ranger 2950/2970 is one of the greats that's been around awhile in many forms. I still have an original 2950.

I also prefer the Uniden versions of the popular Cobras, such as the grey face Grant mobile instead of a 148 or the Washington base instead of a 142. The Madsion would have been every bit as good as a 2000 had it's later digital version included a freq counter. Grant XL and PC 76XL continued to be great equivalents to the 148/29 after the Cobra switch to China manufacture.
 

K4EET

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My opinion is the Uniden Grant XL was the best 11 meter/SSB radio ever made. But only the ones made in the Philippines.
Is there a way to identify those radios made in the Philippines other than by looking on the model plate and seeing "Made in the Philippines"? Perhaps by the "XL" nomenclature?
 

slowmover

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Folks, we might be getting a little too concerned about what comes after the CB Radio itself. Yes you have microphones, yes you have a coax run, yes you have an antenna and yes you might have an external speaker and PA. All I intended for this thread to focus on was what AM/SSB CB Radio current or past everyone thought was the "best of the best" of them all. That is subjective for the most part while a techie-type could try to analyze the rigs despite very limited technical information being available. Opening the rigs and analyzing construction (Stryker uses RF shielding around the PA finals while others do not AFAIK), parts choice (Stryker tuning components are larger than other manufacturers AFAIK), etc. can shed light on which rig might be better for maintenance than another. By "best" I consider all aspects of the rig from appearance to features (that make sense) to operational characteristics to reliability to serviceability to whatever else you deem important (e.g. does it make coffee? :ROFLMAO: ). All the while keeping in mind that it is the System that makes a Great Installation that Works Well. Don't focus on any one part of the equation! You might come up with the wrong answer.

Sooooooo... Let's try to focus on the rig in this thread and justify your selection if you have any details to share. If it is "just a great rig" then by all means, Let Me Know that too! Thanks! Dave


Tail-chasing.
An ICOM 718 makes a better CB.
Or plenty of older Amateur gear.
 

K4EET

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Tail-chasing.
An ICOM 718 makes a better CB.
Or plenty of older Amateur gear.
Well I am sure it does. The Yaesu FT-101EE would also be a candidate. But those like some others in this thread are not legal in the United States per Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 95 Subpart D - CB Radio Service. One section of nonconformance is §95.967 CBRS transmitter power limits which states:

Each CBRS transmitter type must be designed such that the transmitter power can not exceed the following limits:​
(a) When transmitting amplitude modulated (AM) voice signals, the mean carrier power must not exceed 4 Watts.​
(b) When transmitting single sideband (SSB) voice signals, the peak envelope power must not exceed 12 Watts.​

In a future post within this thread, I plan to identify which of the CB Radios that have been nominated are not legal in the United States for one reason or another.
 

prcguy

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The Yaesu FT-101 series receivers are not very good by todays standards. They were ok in the early 70s but the competition was not that great either.

Well I am sure it does. The Yaesu FT-101EE would also be a candidate. But those like some others in this thread are not legal in the United States per Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 95 Subpart D - CB Radio Service. One section of nonconformance is §95.967 CBRS transmitter power limits which states:

Each CBRS transmitter type must be designed such that the transmitter power can not exceed the following limits:​
(a) When transmitting amplitude modulated (AM) voice signals, the mean carrier power must not exceed 4 Watts.​
(b) When transmitting single sideband (SSB) voice signals, the peak envelope power must not exceed 12 Watts.​

In a future post within this thread, I plan to identify which of the CB Radios that have been nominated are not legal in the United States for one reason or another.
 

jhooten

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Well I am sure it does. The Yaesu FT-101EE would also be a candidate. But those like some others in this thread are not legal in the United States per Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 95 Subpart D - CB Radio Service. One section of nonconformance is §95.967 CBRS transmitter power limits which states:

Each CBRS transmitter type must be designed such that the transmitter power can not exceed the following limits:​
(a) When transmitting amplitude modulated (AM) voice signals, the mean carrier power must not exceed 4 Watts.​
(b) When transmitting single sideband (SSB) voice signals, the peak envelope power must not exceed 12 Watts.​

In a future post within this thread, I plan to identify which of the CB Radios that have been nominated are not legal in the United States for one reason or another.


You may as well be talking to a fence post. All he does is tell others to use illegal radios and power amps.
 

Retroradio

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Well I am sure it does. The Yaesu FT-101EE would also be a candidate. But those like some others in this thread are not legal in the United States per Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 95 Subpart D - CB Radio Service. One section of nonconformance is §95.967 CBRS transmitter power limits which states:

Each CBRS transmitter type must be designed such that the transmitter power can not exceed the following limits:​
(a) When transmitting amplitude modulated (AM) voice signals, the mean carrier power must not exceed 4 Watts.​
(b) When transmitting single sideband (SSB) voice signals, the peak envelope power must not exceed 12 Watts.​

In a future post within this thread, I plan to identify which of the CB Radios that have been nominated are not legal in the United States for one reason or another.

Will be an interesting post. The Op asked for the best 40 channel SSB CB radio and some mentioned are not.

On a different note the Sears Roadtalker 40SSB was mentioned and IIRC its the same inside as the TRC451 which in my favorite mobile of all time.
 

n7lrg

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I picked the President McKinley over Uniden 980 after reading that a guy had bought one but did not hold up in his Jeep so he went with President. I like the McKinley as I have it mounted in a stationary organizer along with other radios/scanner etc and the forward facing speaker is great. Lastly yet paramount is the McKinley has KNOBS! I like turning a knob for volume, squelch, channels and clarifier.
 

cralt

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I picked the President McKinley over Uniden 980 after reading that a guy had bought one but did not hold up in his Jeep so he went with President. I like the McKinley as I have it mounted in a stationary organizer along with other radios/scanner etc and the forward facing speaker is great. Lastly yet paramount is the McKinley has KNOBS! I like turning a knob for volume, squelch, channels and clarifier.
If you need an antenna also and get a president one on the same recite they bump the warranty up 3 years on top of the normal 2 year. So 5 year warranty. The antenna's have a 10 year warranty.
 

krokus

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Uniden PC122XL , Probably the best mobile SSB radio ever made in my opinion. I have had a couple over the years and regret getting rid of them.
I have one, but it is the only SSB model I have used, so I have no basis to call it best. It has performed well for me, even though most use has been AM.
 

ind224

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I'm going with the CPI as well. I have a 2000 w console and it works but needs recapped. Scored the head for a 2500 now I need the black box that has that has the "rest of the story". For a while I was looking for a CPI400 and the base power supply /speaker but surprisingly they don't have a compressor so I'm out.

Then I'd go with a Grant XL (love the black face Australian units but never had or touched one) mine is stock USA silver face w a K40 compressor mic.
President Washington w 858 chip and JC Penny 6247 are also viable targets to me.
 

prcguy

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The CPI400 and other models without the built in compressor work really well with the old Shure 526T base mic. The original black and white Turner amplified hand mic sold for the rig also sounds fantastic.

I'm going with the CPI as well. I have a 2000 w console and it works but needs recapped. Scored the head for a 2500 now I need the black box that has that has the "rest of the story". For a while I was looking for a CPI400 and the base power supply /speaker but surprisingly they don't have a compressor so I'm out.

Then I'd go with a Grant XL (love the black face Australian units but never had or touched one) mine is stock USA silver face w a K40 compressor mic.
President Washington w 858 chip and JC Penny 6247 are also viable targets to me.
 
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