Can someone rationalize this purchase?

[psycho]

It seems $600 is insane for a 400 watt AM/FM export radio. If you need AM and FM only, why not get a General Lee or a Connex 3300HP for $210 plus a 5 pill for $350?
It seems to me $40 less money for close to double the output would be the smart choice and as far as audio goes it's tough to match either the 3300HP or the General Lee.
I just can't see any real benefit of a 4 pill radio like that other than to trim the checking account or fatten the Visa bill up!



http://www.cbradiotalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=24621&sid=571dd27a2210596d98ab41fe256f2c8e

 

[Robb]

It is, and you are right. After three weeks of sifting over countless specs, reviews, and literature, I bought two radios today. I plan on selling some of my other cool gear on W W R F and eBay to offset the outlay sometime soon...

The first was from Sparky's Shop - a Texas Ranger TR-696FD-1=$148/ship incl. Solid backup mobile radio and main base station radio. Which should work great if I should hook it up to a small heater. The next is an export, the Magnum S45 OmegaForce that I got on eBay for $240/ship incl. I was moments away from buying the Magnum S9at $100 more, as it didn't materialize.

Moving funds around to arrange your station the way you see fit will always get the out-of-pocket pains. But if one has to make a mobile base station with kick - could they have done it cheaper than an expensive export? Well, I suppose that depends on the amp you are using and how much pre-drive it requires. I paid $100 less for the new S45 than I would have paid for the new S9. Since it can do about 2-45 wickers and shwing w/o a heater, it is a modest but effective way of talking w/o bleeding over on someone's braces. As a 400 wicker would do. True, you get what you pay for, but I like to keep it conservative. Some don't have the needs that I do. Also, I am cheap-lol!

Sure a radio that doesn't have FM or SSB is going to be cheaper. But buying a good radio is always going to carry a price. It will always depend upon ones needs/wants. Do I need FM? Not as much as need sideband and a radio that can be removed from my car without having to re-arrange my wiring system. Needs dictate cost; wants generate loss.
Maybe?

 

[undertaker]

Rob I like the way you think sir!!!!

 

[SR385]

It seems $600 is insane for a 400 watt AM/FM export radio.

$600...man at that price level, just get an HF rig. The quality will be so much higher. If you've never used one, you don't know what your missing. Line one up next to a base CB and compare them, you'll never look back. Sure for CB style AM over modulation, they won't compete, but you can get a Uniden 520XL for that and be covered. On SSB there is no contest, the HF rig is a world away.

Even a TS-140 or FT-757GXII, the baseline old 80's rigs will crush the performance of an export rig and they should be around $200 in excellent condition.

 

[frmboybuck]

Some companies won't let drivers use amps so if the just install the radio, they'd never know it had one built in. As far as the HF rig goes, its hard(impossible?) to find an HF rig that's as loud as a properly tuned export on AM. BTW, I don't understand why it matters how people spend their money. There must be a market for them or they wouldn't be making them

 

[SR385]

properly tuned export on AM.

Well, it's been gone over many times, but 'properly tuned' is nowhere near where they are with those radios. They sound the way they do because they are way out of spec for a clean signal.

I don't care how anyone spends their money and I don't care if people run clipped/peaked/'tuned' radios on CB as long as they stay on that band. I do like to nudge people into investing their money more intelligently.

I actually feel bad that people are essentially fleeced by the whole CB market. They are paying way too much for what they are actually getting as far as the technology goes. Look at the photo galleries from some of the amp sites. Those people are spending their last dollars on essentially junk tech. It's mostly because they don't know any better.

I'm no hypocrite either. I did my time in CB and enjoyed it. I've just learned a whole lot since I started out. There was no internet back then and I didn't know any engineers back then either. It took a long time to get caught up. Hell I even asked my share of dumb questions here from back before I got my ticket and got my nose buried in the books again.

Between info I got here and my own digging, I've learned a lot and only intend on enlightening those who might not know any better yet.

 

[frmboybuck]

Well, it's been gone over many times, but 'properly tuned' is nowhere near where they are with those radios. They sound the way they do because they are way out of spec for a clean signal.

I don't care how anyone spends their money and I don't care if people run clipped/peaked/'tuned' radios on CB as long as they stay on that band. I do like to nudge people into investing their money more intelligently.

I actually feel bad that people are essentially fleeced by the whole CB market. They are paying way too much for what they are actually getting as far as the technology goes. Look at the photo galleries from some of the amp sites. Those people are spending their last dollars on essentially junk tech. It's mostly because they don't know any better.

I'm no hypocrite either. I did my time in CB and enjoyed it. I've just learned a whole lot since I started out. There was no internet back then and I didn't know any engineers back then either. It took a long time to get caught up. Hell I even asked my share of dumb questions here from back before I got my ticket and got my nose buried in the books again.

Between info I got here and my own digging, I've learned a lot and only intend on enlightening those who might not know any better yet.

While I respect your opinion, my properly aligned 95T will stomp all over my properly aligned DX-70 any day of the week. You simply can not get the loud AM modulation out of most ham rigs. Yea there are a lot of over modulated splaterboxes out there and I'm well aware of that but I said "properly tuned" for a reason

 

[jammeejoe]

Isn't it funny how the "ticket" suddenly enlightens a person. He can sit back and type how much longer his nose is now and he can look further down it now at the poor ole dumb CB'ers. Bring your HF "rig" on down here and I will dust you anyway you want. Won't bleed anymore channels watt for watt than you do. Some of us that have been onto CB's for years(39) have done our share of reading also and are just as up on theory and electronic application as many of the hams. It just gauls me to read how some are so much smarter than the rest of us because of their "tickets". I for one just don't want to be a ham. Not the involvement, just don't like that kind of conversation. So PLEASE don't tell me about your "ticket" and your electronic genius in one sentence. My pepto bismol supply is low.

 

[Peddler]

....

 

[74IN]

Bring your HF "rig" on down here and I will dust you anyway you want.

RTTY.

 

[Switch Kit]

Isn't it funny how the "ticket" suddenly enlightens a person. He can sit back and type how much longer his nose is now and he can look further down it now at the poor ole dumb CB'ers. Bring your HF "rig" on down here and I will dust you anyway you want. Won't bleed anymore channels watt for watt than you do. Some of us that have been onto CB's for years(39) have done our share of reading also and are just as up on theory and electronic application as many of the hams. It just gauls me to read how some are so much smarter than the rest of us because of their "tickets". I for one just don't want to be a ham. Not the involvement, just don't like that kind of conversation. So PLEASE don't tell me about your "ticket" and your electronic genius in one sentence. My pepto bismol supply is low.

Thanks Joe , I totally enjoyed reading that . THANK YOU !! Like what you had to say as well Farmboy , Looking like more and more like the upstairs is coming down stairs around here . IM fairly sure that's just what the doctor ordered but it seems to have taken some time .

I love it !! Pinocchio's Freaking genius !!

 

[74IN]

LMAO, that made no sense.

Just more haters.

I use my HF rigs on 11M alot. I do so because I like the guys on there.

Keep thinking a Cobra 29 is better than an HF rig, I will continue to LMAO.

 

[Switch Kit]

Just more haters. :angry: ? As I said before , you sir are truly a work of art. NOT . The only one hating around here is you 74 . You are constintly complaining about the state of the nation , gun control , politics , and it just kills you to lose dude.

but yet you have a way of calling others haters whom are only stating the truth ? What are you ? I often wonder if you even understand or what you write in some of your posts ? You spit venmon like there's no tomorrow buy yet you point your own hate at everybody else ?

I call it the way I read it 74 , I basically stay out of your crap for the most part but when you aim it at me , it can sometimes give me a reason to react. (my bad) Hate kills the hater 74 and with the way your always complaining about this and that , I truly feel sorry for you. We are haters as you see it ? You know who your worst enemy is 74 ? ......you see him everytime you see your reflection in anything. The best of luck to you.

and thanks again JammeJoe for speaking the truth that so many can not take for what it truly is.

Originally Posted by jammeejoe
Isn't it funny how the "ticket" suddenly enlightens a person. He can sit back and type how much longer his nose is now and he can look further down it now at the poor ole dumb CB'ers. Bring your HF "rig" on down here and I will dust you anyway you want. Won't bleed anymore channels watt for watt than you do. Some of us that have been onto CB's for years(39) have done our share of reading also and are just as up on theory and electronic application as many of the hams. It just gauls me to read how some are so much smarter than the rest of us because of their "tickets". I for one just don't want to be a ham. Not the involvement, just don't like that kind of conversation. So PLEASE don't tell me about your "ticket" and your electronic genius in one sentence. My pepto bismol supply is low.

 

[74IN]

WTF?

Why do you pretend to know me? You don't. Not even close.

Now you're a freakin' shrink? Not knowing crap sure doesn't stop you from posting, does it?

 

[Switch Kit]

Your hand writting is all over these Forum walls for all to see 74 , anyone with common sense can surely read where your coming from. I know you by what you write just like everybody else. Your nonsense and beliefs mean nothing to me and as I said before ,I will not be co-signing your B.S. any time soon.

One things for sure , if you are claiming to be somebody else by your words written ? You got a major problem , I know you all I need to know you and from what you have written since you have been around here .......I personally wouldn't want to know you any other way, for the simple fact , this is more then enough.