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What is your favorite Ham or CB Radio of all time?

CB ad Ham from 10yo and now 66, worked in radiocom industry,
an I have no doubt, my preferred Radio is :
DRAKE TR-7
would like to write a book to explain why,
but essentially, from vacuum to dsp,
this device is a watershed from past to bring
radio technology to the modern era.
A very high step up from tubes :
no RF preamp, diode mixer, PLL syntethizer, 150W PA transistor...!
and great gap from tubes in energy saving.

'vy73 de ik0iBi

drake tr7  1200x900.jpg
 
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I bought a new FT-710 on Black Friday last year and have been using it since then. The Yaesu FT-710 is my favorite radio of all time. Great audio, built-in ATU, sound card to let me do digital modes, etc. I also took the radio out recently for a POTA op. Worked well, although conditions weren't great. 73.
 

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Like the title says, what is your favorite ham or CB radio of all time (so far) and why? Please don't just give us a make/model - tell us why you like it!


P.S. If you're replying to this thread, you could win a new radio! Check this link to find out how!
So far I'm liking the tidradio h8. Feels good in the hand and sounds great. Really surpassed my expectations on how good the sound quality is. Im excited to use this for POTA in the near future given the higher wattage rating. Hope it works well where I'm headed.
 
My favorite radio of all time would be the 857D because I made all of my DX contacts using that little radio.
 
My Yaesu FT-807 that took over the role of my Icom 706 MKII for base, mobile and international use, after having gone to many Icom base stations. Started with a Drake TR-4, followed by a Swan SS-100. Confirmed 222 of 229 DX worked before life happened. The 807 is still on my desk and I still have the intention of getting back in!
 
Fav ham? Yet to decide. Fav CB? Hands down an old Royce so beat up it looked as though it was dragged behind the semi, and yet range and clarity was unbeatable .
 
I remember my Dad calling "CQ DX" on his Teaberry Model T with the bright, shiny D-104. My Dad was a hard-working factory worker, but something in his eyes told you his radio transported him to faraway places. He had the walls of his radio shack papered with postcards from around the world.
1748871619851.png
 
Ham, FT dx 10 current radio excelent noise fighting, good
Very good radio with that hybrid SDR super het receiver. If you have an earlier version where the pop up screen for band selection stays on for only a short time, do the firmware update to resolve this.

I helped a friend do this on his and a made a real improvement. The window stays on for a good 7 or 8 seconds compared to before where you barely had 3 seconds.

There are some other bug fixes in the firmware update but that one's the most noticeable.
 
The old Yaesu FT-101E. No surface mount technology so it can be worked on by the average Joe. There is nothing like the warm glow of vacuum tube finals in a dimly lit shack. IC-7300 with the new tech and capabilities is my favorite now however. As for CB?, Loved the look of my old Lafayette 25B with the final tube swap out for an earth shattering 15 watts output! lol. More modern favorite was the Ranger RCI-2950, really enjoyed that one running mobile.
 
Favorite CB was a Cobra 132. 23 Channels, SSB and the best rejection to survive the 70s CB era where there was a base station on every street. Talked skip barefoot when it was a no no, as far as Australia. Favorite ham rig is my Icom 208H. Been through a few mobile dual banders but this one sticks with me for features and form factor.

73
 
COBRA 139XLR (or any Uniden 858SSB chassis.) Great audio with built-in mike amp and speech clipper. Super receive with adjacent channel rejection mod. Easily modifiable for extra freqs and zero channels. Easy FM conversion available. Built like a tank.

J.J. 399
 
Very good radio with that hybrid SDR super het receiver. If you have an earlier version where the pop up screen for band selection stays on for only a short time, do the firmware update to resolve this.

I helped a friend do this on his and a made a real improvement. The window stays on for a good 7 or 8 seconds compared to before where you barely had 3 seconds.

There are some other bug fixes in the firmware update but that one's the most noticeable.
Updated both the FT dx 10 and IC 9700 to latest software when it came out ;)
First HF radio Sommerkamp 2020 lol old times...
 


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