Magnum S-980 & 680

[petey_racer]

I am looking at replacing my DX959 base with an S-9 or S-980. This is instead of modding my 959 like crazy just for a bit of extra power. I am NOT interested in driving an amp. Just going barefoot.

Anyone have any experience with the new 980?

Searching this forum I see both good and bad feedback about Magnums. Around here they have a very good reputation and didn't even question buying one.
Any other suggestions as to a similarly featured radio?
I have seen the Cobra 200 has quite a bit of power out of the box and tweaked it does real well. Is this so?
At under $250 it is a steal compared to the S-9.

As you can probably tell I am a bit of a newbie and can use all the help I can get.

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

Well to start..

Welcome to the forum..
Many good people here..

Matters not if you perfer CB,freeBanding and or Ham..

not sure about those magnam radios...
never used them myself or heard another using it..

Cobra 200 for a CB/Export Radio is not bad..
Sold a couple to friends of mine..

One of my friends who uses it no longer needs to use a amp
and regularly talks from nyc/nj metro area to friends of his in california and only thing he uses with the Cobra 200 is Jay's Interceptor I-10K..

The mod for channels was easy as was the tuning and piking of it...

Still...
I am one that instead of trying to constantly find the best radio in where one is always trying new rigs..
to instead spend a bit more up front and in so doing,knowing what i use will be better then what 95% of others use..

CB's are nice.....Export/10 meter radios are ok....HF ham rigs are much nicer (just depends on what you are able and or willing to spend)....

I find the AB-1 biased radios generally greatly out perform in all areas of the Hobby..

Perhaps you would consider a rig by icom,yaesu or even kenwood.....even getting one second hand is usally far better then any other CB or 10 meter/export radio (both in clarity as well as range of transmit and clarity of recieve)

also once someone does get a true HF radio....they generally then get the bug to get their ham ticket (and always good to see new people get a ham ticket....we need to keep the hobby strong)

 

[longhorn]

what would be a good 2nd hand hf rig to start with, looking to replace a 2985dx.

 

[petey_racer]

Looking closer I see the Cobra 200 only does 10m freq's, 28-29Mhz.
Does the 200 do 26 & 27Mhz CB channels as well?

 

[Butcher318]

All Export radio's start out as 10M radio's, even the S380 & 980. When they are sold most people have them tuned & Converted to function on the 11M frequencys as well.

 

[petey_racer]

Well, since no one knows when the S-980 will be coming out I bit the bullet and bought the Galaxy DX95T. NICE radio.
I think I will be happy with it. I am so far. 8)
The ONLY problem was writing the check.

 

[DTB Radio]

Good choice. Those radios have solid performance when tuned correctly, and will beat the snot out of any magnum (that I know of) on the market.