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Clarifier to leave locked or unlock that is the question

whiteastro

Sr. Member
Feb 22, 2019
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I've heard it both ways so I'd like to know the advantages and disadvantages. No hard feelings either way. Most of mine are locked except for my Galaxy 2547 and possibly my Cobra 2000. I'm wondering if unlocking would help my 2 Galaxy DX 979s. Have at it ! LOL
 

When the FCC mandated making the clarifier a receive-only control, it was with the assumption you'll only be talking to one other station on the channel. And when that's what you're doing, no problem. You tune them in, they tune you in. All is good.

Until a third station comes in and asks why the two of you are on separate frequencies. The accuracy of a consumer-grade CB radio's frequency adjustment won't allow you to sell a CB that's dead-on frequency out of the box every time. Not cost effective.

Decades ago, sideband operators considered themselves separate from the AM crowd. They formed clubs, and would operate on a "club" channel. Frequently these were above channel 23, and later on above channel 40. They would avoid using the CB "10" codes and adopted ham-radio "Q" signals. But sharing a channel with a roundtable of operators required having your transmit frequency the same as everyone else.

Or else.

Turned out they didn't care to have to turn that clarifier knob when you keyed up. 40 years ago it was incredibly common for a customer to request this mod, because a particular group wouldn't come back to him until he got his radio "fixed". He could talk to the sidebanders all he wanted. But if he wanted any of them to answer, he had to transmit on THEIR frequency.

And a quick trip to the ham bands will reveal that they are just as finicky about this as the old-time "freeband" operators.

Oh, wait a minute. That's who populates the ham bands now. Folks who hope you don't know that's how they got into radio.

73
 
Unlocked is where are it is at for me. It always has been, aside from certain situations few and far between. But, I have never, ever been so full of myself that I wont slide to someone I wish to talk to. You just may hear me someday speaking of the human frequency counters. Which day were they calibrated, Monday or Friday!?
 
When the FCC mandated making the clarifier a receive-only control, it was with the assumption you'll only be talking to one other station on the channel. And when that's what you're doing, no problem. You tune them in, they tune you in. All is good.

Until a third station comes in and asks why the two of you are on separate frequencies. The accuracy of a consumer-grade CB radio's frequency adjustment won't allow you to sell a CB that's dead-on frequency out of the box every time. Not cost effective.

Decades ago, sideband operators considered themselves separate from the AM crowd. They formed clubs, and would operate on a "club" channel. Frequently these were above channel 23, and later on above channel 40. They would avoid using the CB "10" codes and adopted ham-radio "Q" signals. But sharing a channel with a roundtable of operators required having your transmit frequency the same as everyone else.

Or else.

Turned out they didn't care to have to turn that clarifier knob when you keyed up. 40 years ago it was incredibly common for a customer to request this mod, because a particular group wouldn't come back to him until he got his radio "fixed". He could talk to the sidebanders all he wanted. But if he wanted any of them to answer, he had to transmit on THEIR frequency.

And a quick trip to the ham bands will reveal that they are just as finicky about this as the old-time "freeband" operators.

Oh, wait a minute. That's who populates the ham bands now. Folks who hope you don't know that's how they got into radio.

73
by gawd you got that rite.makes me think of mrs bertha better than you bertha in church,looks down on young people for being people like she was before the snob act hit her to carry the old bertha that passed away, as said on saturday nite live oh church lady
 
OK here is the next question. When I'm in my mobile and I have my DX 979 zeroed in to 27.3850 on my 347 frequency counter on side band I notice when I key the mic the counter jumps to 27.3854 will unlocking the clarifier keep both receive and transmit both at 27.3850 ?
 
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No. You need to align you radio.
Thanks I was afraid of that. That's probably why I don't get answered when I call out. That 27.3854 makes a difference in the receive so it should in the transmit I think anyway.
 
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I love the ability to slide mine separately. Sometimes we talk with 3 or 4 people and it's much easier to sync up when we all pick one person to lock on to. MOST of the time, nobody needs to touch anything. But, sometimes we just sync up and all is good. With my 955, I have never had anyone tell me I was off.
 
Ilove my Galaxy radios, [I have 3] but galaxies are useless on SSB unless you realign them and unlock the clarifier.
I have a Galaxy DX 2547 I bought brand new that was suppose to be unlocked but I never really made any contacts with it but it got moved off my bench because I bought a Cobra 2000 shortly afterward and played with that and then a GE Super Base after that. I have to get the 2547 back on the bench and check the transmit alignment. I have to find someone close that is good with alignment so all my radios are set up proper. I have too many Irons in the Fire to try it myself and make them worse.
 
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