best moblie radio for ssb?

[316]

2970 are bad azz radios.

[outlawmobile]

Yeah the 2970 would be an outstanding choice.Shawn

[DX47]

I am looking for a SSB rig for long drives, and I would like one that can be tuned in 1khz steps when needed, preferably with a actual knob instead of buttons.

The only thing I think I have seen is the Magnum 257, what do you guys think of it? Anything else I should be looking at?

[316]

You can do that on a Ranger just move the SHIFT KEY to the desired location and then you can turn the knob for operation.

[SkinnyPuppy]

Agreed on the 2970. I have one (I have a second one ordered) and it is very easy to tune this radio to whatever frequency that you want.

[DX47]

Thanks guys, You know I have been looking at those, and up till you mentioned it, I did not even notice the VFO/channel changer on the LEFT side, I was just so used to seeing it on the right that my mind just glossed over it I guess.

[316]

do you have one I can post a manual up to help you, well I'll do it any way hold on one moment.

[316]

Well so much for that it's a PDF file and will not allow me to put it on here.

I know of a copy on CBTRICKS.com

[drgrant]

Modified Ham rigs (eg, Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu) are often best for SSB, but most of them drag **Censored** on AM... Icoms are often
passable. I've also heard the little Alinco DX70T has quite a bit of punch on AM as well.

One main gripe about HF rigs is aside from the mediocre AM, the noise blanker circuits often leave something to be desired, even
on SSB. There aren't that many HF rigs out there with a noise blanker that is any good... A lot of CB's have better noise
blankers! (eg, ones that cut out the noise without distorting the signal badly).

I would say it depends on how much you're going to use AM vs SSB... if you are on SSB 90% of the time, find an HF rig that
has at least passable AM for those times you need it. When I ran my Icom 706MKII I had no trouble getting around locally on
AM if I needed to, still plenty of audio. (esp with the compressor on).

I realize they are expensive, but some deals can be had here and there. It is hard to beat them for stability once they're warmed
up. Most of them also do 100W out the back which eliminates the need for an amp for most basic SSB operations. (Although I certainly
liked having 650 watts on tap when I needed it.... made working DX a lot easier.

On the other hand if you are 50/50 AM SSB I would choose something like a 2950DX, 2970DX, or a decent HR2510 or HR2600 (w/chipswitch) if
you can find one that hasn't been mucked around with too badly.

Modified Grant XL/148GTLs also make decent SSB rigs, if the mod is done right and you have some sort of frequency
counter. Problem is most of the MB8719 mods out there are scatterbrained affairs and not as elegant of a set up as something
like a 10M conversion. (eg, 2950, etc).

Whatever you do, if you like SSB, stay away from the old galaxy rigs (eg, saturn, 88HL, 99V) etc. I know the newer rigs are a
lot better, but the older rigs were drift-o-matic and unuseable for anything more than very short, random SSB ops. The frequency would
drift too much. I had once test my Saturn base, I had it on all day then tuned it up on SSB, got everyone on freq, then I went out and
got a cup of coffee across town and by the time I got back home the radio had drifted 800 hz! (and in SSB terms, anything more than 10-30 hz
here and there is noticeable... so 800 is like off the charts!) (the other guys were running HF rigs and I know they hadn't moved on
me...)

-Mike

[nighttrain]

For a CB radio, you really can't beat the 148/grant radio's. They will drift a touch in cold weather, but what do you expect from a reference crystal? The 959/949 radios do OK as well. They drift more, but once warmed up do fine. The key for them is in the tune. It's really easy to get too carried away with the alc and then they are hard to listen to.

I guess I need to take my 949 to the shop, and have it tuned properly.

[triple7wva]

ive never had a bit of drift problmes with any of my galaxys,or at least it seems that way to me. maybe ive been running galaxys for so long that i dont notice it...just my opinion....jas.

[MOONSHINER]

hr2510

[bookie]

i used an Icom 750pro for a mobile untill someone else thought it would look better in there mobile or in a pawn shop. the punk probably didnt even know how to turn the radio on. it worked great on AM and even better on SSB. it was the best radio i have ever had and nothing comes close. once the software was fixed. thats my .02. but knowing that most people do not wish to spend that kind of money on a mobile the RCI is a good radio, the magnum is another cheaper option if you still want a good AM radio also.

nate

[bookie]

edit: radio was 756pro not 750pro

[RUDEBOY292]

I still have my Cobra 138XLR that I got new in 1978 and I had used it as a base radio .I talked on a Starduster base antenna and talked all over the country on that radio. A D-104 was wired up to it and she sounded sweet all around town. Now I have a RCI-2995 BASE that I am going to run as soon as I get back stateside and put up the antenna.

[N.T.M. mak]

well i'm using a superstar 360fm which is basically a cobra 148gtldx. excellent on ssb it kicks out about 30watts standard. added features are kc shift and splits. cant knock it. at home i have a 30 year old president madison which is a great rig. the old ones are the best you nor 73's 51's from the uk

[samskip]

I love my Galaxy 959 .... Made a contact over 950 miles with a Galaxy 959 with a K30 running barefoot......



Galaxy is a quality company...

[perrym1962]

Cobra 148gtl hands down..

[KI4MSJ]

The only radios I have run on SSB are the President line. I have run the 2510, two HR2600's and two Lincolns. In my own opinion they are the best for SSB and seem to be very stable with no drift. I wouldn't run anything else.

[outlawmobile]

Cobra 148gtl hands down..

If you want a straight cb then yes the 148 is hard to beat,as far as strictly cb the Uniden grant is very nice too,basically the same radio.Shawn

[Mentor3006]

One thing I did notice, was that all of the rigs mentioned were BIG... Especially in newer vehicles, mounting a large radio is a pain in the tail.

For a smaller footprint radio, the Radio Shack TRC-465 / Uniden PC-122 when equipped with a power mic, have GREAT audio, and shoot skip with the best of them.

I have these radios, and have had 148 GTLs and their clones for decades. I stuck with the TRC-465 due to its size, and the reports from my QSLs that say I sound cleaner on the TRC than on my old 148...

I know it's an odd radio, and Radio Shack stuff will never get any respect, but the things simply work. And I don't care for brand names, just what works well for me!

[Sniper X]

RCI 2950, believe it or not, my GTL200DX is GREAT! And my DX77HML is also a great SSB radio. But I use a kicker on the 2950 and DX77.....

[North Texas Mudduck]

i have done some of my own testing here for awhile
been listening to the 35 thru 40 usb and lsb
anytime i heard a radio that had a scratchy sound or buzzing or choppy sound i would say hey thats a great sounding radio what kind is it
and 9 Times out of 10 it was some kind of export
i heard a few talking on the Galaxy979 and the magnum45 heard a few 99v and thats just tipping the iceberg
those things sounded like dew dew

i heard a uniden 122 with a studio mic and that thing was sweet sounding
good tone smooth sounding easy to listen to

did hear some really nice stations using the 2510 the 2950s the 2970 and the 2970N2

did hear a bunch of the hf rigs talking and quite frankly i like the way the 2970 and 2510 sounded

so IMO if you are going to talk SSB more than AM then get a radio that was actualy built for SSB
so if it was a echo board already built into the radio then i wont use it for SSB

so down to the nut cutting
if i could find a 2510 not all gutted for every last watt
next would be the 2970n2
i just may go get a 2970n2 in the next week and try it on my end

[231]

what moblie radio do you think is the best one for side band?

Cobra 148GTL either Philly or Taiwan made
Uniden Grant either Philly or Taiwan made
Cobra 2000 same as above.
SBE's (most of them)
There are a few others I've enjoyed, but the receiver and transmit on the above are very good.

For exports (and there are darned few)
RCI 2950
Uniden 2510
257 Magnum properly tuned

I've got a new Uniden 980SSB coming....I'll let you know how I like it. I'm excited to try it even though I'm stuck with just the regular frequencies.

231

[108dt206]

NATO 200 or Lafayette 1800 . Can't beat old skool.