MAGNUM 257 HP Review

[binrat]

If anybodys interested got my new 257hp Wednesday, new box, radio can do echo and talk back with the 257 extreme mic for an additional cost. The radio worked exactly 10 minutes then kind of went nuts, powered it down, unhooked the power turned it on to remove the memory, waited another half hour hooked it back up, got the same thing, when keyed on SSB after talking it won't switch to recieve, and has a 2 to 3 watt carrier, I tried different mics, tried a mic adapter wiht a stock 4 pin mic, same thing. Called Sam Lewis, it's being picked up either today or Monday for a trip to Ontario California. Guess my luck with new radios just stinks.

Really?? now that sucks.
Please let us know how it goes.
You might want to try a boat anchor type radio as it sounds like your luck lately just plain sucks.

 

[jon666]

yup

had the same issue the first time. got that fixed.
worked for a couple of weeks and crapped out again its in Cali right now being fixed.

 

[Whiplash-265]

well i figured i would get it fixed while
its still under warranty. this is the second trip to the shop.

i read this for the first time yesterday (of your problem with the radio)....and dammit if mine didn't do the exact same thing today
was sitting there on t5U and was gonna answer a dx call. keyed it up and wtf, bam...meter all the way to the right with no modulation
messed with the mike gain a bit, switched channels a couple of times, flipped thru the band selection and it seemed to go away
wish there was some local traffic on ssb to see if it was affecting the tx or not

 

[dd18]

257HP

did you add a fan to the heatsink?
was it getting hot?
80W is a lot of power to dissipate in that little chassis without some help.

 

[Whiplash-265]

didn't have the heat running so truck was a lot cooler in the interior than normal...was driving home listening to the truckers on am just prior, no TX going on from me. it was the first time i'd keyed up the whole drive home. i definitely see what your point is tho.

I hear they don't like rfi so maybe it's time to pull it out again and install the choke i made. There has been a lot of qrm/n the last few days

 

[jon666]

re

mine i use as a base. and it gets a little warm. not hot.
i think the cpu controlled radios are junk. i have used it about a week the rest of the 3 months its been in the shop.before this one i had a s45 and never had a issue with it.

 

[dd18]

processor

Doesn't the S-45 have a similar processor to the 257?
They seem to work the same...

 

[jon666]

re

don't know. all i know is i have had so many problems
with a brand new radio.

 

[Turbo T]

One question I have on this radio (I didn't read all the posts)...in the CON2 position on the freq. conversion board, say you turn on the radio and it defaults to 10 M, but you hold down the FUNC and CALL buttons for 3 seconds and it goes to expanded freq. mode....and you tune to say 27.185 MHz, but then you turn off the radio and turn it back on and it goes back to 10 M and you have to hold FUNC and CALL again for 3 seconds to go back to expanded freq. mode....does it go back to 27.185? Or does it go to 25.185?

 

[VA3ES]

One question I have on this radio (I didn't read all the posts)...in the CON2 position on the freq. conversion board, say you turn on the radio and it defaults to 10 M, but you hold down the FUNC and CALL buttons for 3 seconds and it goes to expanded freq. mode....and you tune to say 27.185 MHz, but then you turn off the radio and turn it back on and it goes back to 10 M and you have to hold FUNC and CALL again for 3 seconds to go back to expanded freq. mode....does it go back to 27.185? Or does it go to 25.185?

CON2 is also called "Stealth Mode" to allow amateur users the excuse that the rig is a 10M rig only. If an FCC inspector should show up, simply turning the radio on will only bring up 10M. (Unless you know the "Function+CALL trick" the rig stays on 10M.)

The rig will memorize the last frequency it was on, whether "export" or 10M. So If you turn on the rig, it will automatically go to the last 10M frequency you were on. Hitting the "Function+CALL" button will bring up the last "export" frequency you were on. Oy! Such a schmart radio!

Oh... and you only need to hold the "Function+CALL" buttons for a second, it's almost instantaneous.

 

[Turbo T]

CON2 is also called "Stealth Mode" to allow amateur users the excuse that the rig is a 10M rig only. If an FCC inspector should show up, simply turning the radio on will only bring up 10M. (Unless you know the "Function+CALL trick" the rig stays on 10M.)

The rig will memorize the last frequency it was on, whether "export" or 10M. So If you turn on the rig, it will automatically go to the last 10M frequency you were on. Hitting the "Function+CALL" button will bring up the last "export" frequency you were on. Oy! Such a schmart radio!

Oh... and you only need to hold the "Function+CALL" buttons for a second, it's almost instantaneous.

Thanks...and hopefully on CON2 in 10 M mode it can still activate repeaters and have freq. shift too?

 

[dd18]

It most certainly can. The best option for this radio is con 2

 

[Whiplash-265]

anyone have this happen?

i've never noticed it before but...
27.225/ 27.255/ 27.235/ 27.245/ 27.265
or something like that
i've seen it up higher in the band but have never noticed it before in the regular cb40

thanx

 

[Tucker442]

sometimes that will happen depending on the way the PLL is programmed from the factory in the old days CB channel 23 was 27.255 and 22 was 27.225 so when they went to 40 channels 24 was 27.235, 25 was 27.245, there are what the old guys called " A" channels in the early 23 channels radio 3A 7A 11A 18 or 19A, there is a frequency space between those channels and some old radios could get those channels it was pretty cool in the day, old remote control airplanes used those channels

 

[Whiplash-265]

thanx 442, appreciate the reply...
if i ever take it out of the truck again (damn i hope that never has to happen...dash install...pain in the ass) i'll try a reset on it for kicks and giggles

ya the one further up involves a .x7x i believe but i've always known about that one...been on other radios as well

again, thanx