Whats The Best Base to have.....

[De_Wildfire]

Rick, glad I could help. I just got my backup Yaesu Ft 840 working again and it cost me $70 for repairs through a local technician which isn't bad. Now if would have told me the radio couldn't be repaired at a good price or repaired at all, that Icom 718 would have been on my list to buy. Since I am in one of the emergency communication services, a back up is necessary.

Now what drdx was saying, I never run my radio on am because I don't want the neighbors to understand what I am saying but I did test my radio on A.M. one time and one of these am vintage stations/operators said I sounded very good. I have a built in EQ and I think the modulation is set at 90%. My primary rig is an Elecraft. I hear people on am talking about modulators, EQ's, high end broadcast mics, ect. ect. so they are putting money into the equipment to sound like a broadcast station. But all money laid aside and getting back to the basics, you can talk on am stock and carry out conversation. That what it's all about anyway. In my book, I don't care what you sound like as long as I can understand what you are saying and hold a conversation.

[lonewolf]

Personally i love my base radio Gen stonewall jackson even though i rarely use it at least till i get a new imaxx.

[RatsoW9]

AM isn't a very widely used mode for hams these days and AM on modern rigs like the FT-450 and IC-718 doesn't usually sound very good. I would think a good 40 ch am/ssb CB radio with 5 khz+ of band width on AM would be a prime candidate for some outboard audio equipment and a studio mic.

Also remember that amateur radio equipment has to be modified and it can be difficult unless you're used to working with micro components. Long gone are the days of clipping a big fat diode to open up a radio. I was a Navy MARS member in 2005 and had to remove a surface mount resistor in a Kenwood TS-570(SG). One touch of the soldering iron and the resistor dissapeared...lol The mod worked though.

If I were looking for a reasonably prices CB rig I would pick up an older Cobra 2000 or a new Galaxy DX 2547. The Cobra is basically the 148 GTL in a pretty case.

[EAGLE3836]

AM isn't a very widely used mode for hams these days and AM on modern rigs like the FT-450 and IC-718 doesn't usually sound very good. I would think a good 40 ch am/ssb CB radio with 5 khz+ of band width on AM would be a prime candidate for some outboard audio equipment and a studio mic.

Also remember that amateur radio equipment has to be modified and it can be difficult unless you're used to working with micro components. Long gone are the days of clipping a big fat diode to open up a radio. I was a Navy MARS member in 2005 and had to remove a surface mount resistor in a Kenwood TS-570(SG). One touch of the soldering iron and the resistor dissapeared...lol The mod worked though.

If I were looking for a reasonably prices CB rig I would pick up an older Cobra 2000 or a new Galaxy DX 2547. The Cobra is basically the 148 GTL in a pretty case.

I had to do some soul searching on waht was best for me at my present location, of witch i use my Radio from my tool box at work to BS with our company drivers and my contact with some locals on ch34, I went out yesterday and found all the ham Icom Radios at an Icom shop in Fort Laurdale......

I played around with the Icom-718 and the some others and the am channles sound like and old am radio from the 50's when there was no fm was around at the time.......

I went to another cb store that had the ranger 2995dx , 200 watt and it was $589.50 + $40.00 for tunning.....or they had the 30 watt Galaxy 2517 or RCI-2980 for $450.00+ 40.00 for tunning, i did like the 2995DX becuase the built in Kicker and had all the bands i can currently use form my work area, even though I recently bought a Italy amp of 125 for am 250 for ssb use, ill just resell it and have an all in one base radio........

The HAM radio shop had suggested to buy a regular CB for am use, due to the talk back on the Icom-718 and other newer Icom Ham hf Radios........

I think the Icom-units are currently to much for me to try to talk to anyone over seas with all the Noise in the shop, and I can always sell the 2995dx when i want to by the Icoms when I retire and tired of Listing to the WIFE

I bought a Tech book for the License of being a ham Operator, so i can get it later in life before I retire and get a HAM Icom Radio, I can sit at home in the quite an have a conversion from across the Globe........




Hopefully ive made the right Choice.....................Rick
EAGL3836