Help me decide what to buy!?

[BOBSF350]

The boyfriend and I are searching for a CB for our truck. We are going back and forth about which one to get. I being the girl that I am, am going for the pretty lights and lots of gadgets on it. He doesn't want anything that is too "Red Necky" (cause were not from the bible belt area).
Our choices so far are...
Connex 4600 Turbo Export
RF Limited Magnum 257 Export Radio NEW Blue Version
Galaxy DX95T2 Export Radio
Magnum S-680 Export Radio

Now before everyone jumps in with the do you realize it is illegal....yada, yada, yada... I get it already!
I'm not getting this to talk to the idiots 500 miles away, I'm getting it just to listen to the chatter going on (200 miles away).

Another thing what is dead key???? (blonde moment)
And also, what is PEP?? ( not so blonde, just dumb)

Will these radios peaked and tuned work on the AM SSB CB band without any other mods?

Also thinking about a standard CB unit with a tune up. If that doesn't get it adding the DX 350 Texas Star Amp....

Any info you may have to help the decision making would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Suzie

[Crankshaft]

Oh boy, your opening up a can of worms here. Number one, Im not gonna BS you and let you believe you will be listening to chatter 200miles away. On ssb, and once in a while on the cb band, at nite youll get skip and hear 100-500 miles away. Not that often. During the day, forget it. Even with a 4600turbo, your not going to get much further then 30 miles or so realistically. Thats truth not bs. If your just making a statement, then ok, understandable,lol. As for the "10m" radios, they come locked out of the 11m or aka cb band. CB shops normally go in and unlock them to he cb band, hence that is what makes them illegal. As for linears, you see your biggest gain the first 100 watts. After that, as you exceed 200w, it takes more and more power to get a very small gain. Deadkey is the power output when you press the talk button and dont say anything. When they open up the modulation or cut the limiter, it will swing more power out as you talk. If done wrong as it usually is by truckstop cbshops, it causes more problems then solves. PEP has to do with peak power. Really is a useless number, as thats just what the very max the radio might do when the sun is at a certain position and the wind blows the right way,lol. RMS power is not often mentioned, but its more what the radio puts out when doing "business". As for the RF Limited radios, Ive heard alot of mixed comments. They have a very high profit margin for cb shops, they look cool, but so so quality. That includes all the magnum radios. The galaxy 95t2 I hear is a fire breather, and the 4600 turbo has a very solid rep. Either one has a bunch of channels that wont do you a lot of good, but they both can be unlocked for cb use. if you go this way, please do me a favor, and not turn the dang echo up, so we cant understand a word,lol. And no, talkback doesnt help for setting echo, another radio is.

[2xR]

I use, and like, an old Galaxy 88 that's been tuned. Not much to look at, but when I speak I get heard.

If I were in the market for new "radideo", I'd go straight to Wolfman's place and make my best deal on a Connex 4600 Turbo. It would have to have the chrome case, blue jeweled knobs, and a chrome RK56 microphone. That is the neatest looking dash decoration out there. Talk ain't as cheap as some people think.

[kd5drx]

Yes the radios you mentioned are Illegal as you allready know. Now if you want a good radio the will do AM/SSB then i would look at a Cobra 148 and that way your fully legal. Now as said before dead key is just that the power out at a dead key(unmodulated signal).PEP stands for Peak envelope Power, that is the way you measure power out on SSB because on AM you take an avearege of the out put power and on SSB it measures the peak of the modulated signals. Any way if you want to listen get a good 148 and hav esome one put it on a Station monitor scope and tune it do not let one of the radio butchers work on it. if they can't spend 15 or 20000 for the right test equipment there not tech's there butchers. A scope will tune the recieve and the transmit and make sure it is all lined up correctly. You would be supprised how many new cb radios are off freq and there for don't sound as good as they could and don't hear near as well as they should.

[GalaxyTech]

I think you would be happy with the Magnum 257.We are one of the few shops that know the correct mod for these radiso to achieve full swing and modulation without removing any limiters.And it also comes down to price.All the radios you posted if they are Aligned right and tuned right will give you great performance.Hope this helps

[BOBSF350]

well thanks but ive had my magnum s6 for about a month or so and am happy as h*ll

[Steve & Lo]

I run a Galaxy 48T and love it. I plan on getting the Magnum 257 for my Jeep because it is small but still very capable.....combine that with the KLV-300 I've got and the Astatic Road Devil mic I'll be getting and that thing will be blowin' smoke!!

[MACK E-6]

I like the "old standby", the Cobra 29. Mine serves me well.

[Kato]

I personally like the looks of the DX95T2, if i were to choose from the list you made. it can comfortably do 180watts.

But aside from my first radio the Galaxy 959, I will step up to a Galaxy93T or an RCI 2950 next. I hear the RCI 2950 (or 2970 if you want high power) is the bomb for SSB. I like the more classical looks of the 93t more than the more modern push button and LCD panel of the 2950, but the jury is still out on what I will get. I plan to keep it below 100 watts. i just want a little more "oompf." I don't need to lock down a channel, but i do want to get above the mud ducks.

[Carolina Thunder]

You wasted your money on a magnum, i bet your either looking for or have a amp hooked to it already right? For the same money you paid for that you should have gone with the 4600, saw around 150 watts from it with out standing receive as well as a strong clear sound and with a good antenna and coax talked pretty much to whom every you want when ever you wanted. I have had one my self and talked to friends that were over a 100 miles away pretty much every day, even further when the skip was strong.

One thing you should remember in the future is that the latest and greatest thing to hit the market is not always the best way to go, any one that bought a Stryker will agree with that as well. Those Magnums are way over rated and over priced!

As long as your happy then that's all that matters but there really is way more to a quality radio then just that big over modulated sound.