Anyone know about Radio Active Radios?

I'll bet some mods done right will make the radio sound better .....
Myself om ham radio i run a audio processer and a amp .....

 

Whle I am new to this forum and by no means trying to advertise our business, nor bash any others...I just have to comment on this one. Go to the shop/Technician that worked on your radio in the past with good results, or through word of mouth along the road. There are a LOT of GOOD shops out there! This stuff isn't rocket science. A good technician/shop won't try to sell you somehting you don't need, or an item he knows he has a larger profit margin on...he'll sell what YOU need for YOUR application. EVERYBODY has a different application. If you want a great talking AM radio without echo/killer power buy a Galaxy DX-919 and hook it up to power posts in the truck. Couple that with a Browning BR-78 Antenna and you have a very GOOD performing system. For the guys that want killer power (200+ watt) Radios bear in mind that there is a LOT more to running a hot rod radio..power must come DIRECT from the Battery...No exceptions....Antenna must be properly tuned with QUALITY coax going to the antenna. The antenna OR radio are no good if the signal from the radio isn't getting to the antenna without loads of loss.

IMHO more attention should be paid to the antenna setup on specific trucks. Just because a Predator or Wilson works well in your buddies truck DOES NOT mean it will tune/perform well on yours. Again, I can't stress ANTENNA and COAX enough.

Also...bear this in mind. I read a post here someplace where someone was comparing a 'Build' by one shop several years ago to a 'Build' by the same shop a few months ago...and the older 'Build' blew it away.......this isn't necessaraly a negative reflection on the 'Builder'...

The overall quality of Export radios, and for that matter most electronics imported from the Orient have DRAMATICALLY fallen over the last 2-3 years. Cheaper components, poor wave soldering, and a host of other issues. The 'Build' is only going to be as good as the platform (Radio) the builder has to work with!

Also..on the subject of 'Wanting to see what a radio looks like on a spectrum analyzer.....check this out sometime...take a NEW, STOCK Cobra 29 LTD classic out of the box and look at the output on an analyzer...you'll be amazed!!!! There is as much IMD present as MANY radios that come off our bench, and other technicians after they have been modded.

It's a fine line between putting out a perfectly CLEAN (in the strictest sense) radio, and a LOUD radio that the industry demands.

Just my 2 cents. Tell me to get lost if you wish.

Sparky
Owner/President
Sparkys CB Shack L.L.C
Westville, IL.

 

And I'll bet your radios DO look OK .....

But when it's 5 ch wide you don't even need a scope .....or a standard its still junk. I'm not knocking a modded radio just the ones that sound and look like C%%%. Sounds like you take the time to do it right .......

Since I work in a police shop we only have one standard Part 90 .... and a crappy sounding radio dosn't fit in .....

 

Great first post Sparky! Hope you will find the time for many more.
I have never personally done business with you, but you do have a good reputation. (And for all the "nay sayers", i am not a Sparkys salesman). I have dealt with RAR once(see post #60). Never again.
Back to the subject....... Please post on Sparky...

 

Thanks for your reply WA4GCH. You are absolutly correct, dirty is dirty. Period. Years back I used to do a lot of land mobile work, and from time to time we still take in some HF work. I know what you mean. It's a whole different world with CB. It seems everyone wants to be louder than the next guy, when we both know that loudness doesn't equal efficiency (never could spell that word right!). We do our best to toe the line. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks for the welcome Black Dog 106! The Professional Driver is the backbone of our economy (and our business)...thanks for the flowers. Keep safe.

Sparky
Owner/President
Sparkys CB Shack L.L.C
Westville, IL.

 

So....are your radios "clean" or "loud" ?

 

Yep dirt is dirt .... and we both know there are hack shops out there .....

A bit of care and some good test stations would help but there is NO FCC rule requireing a license to work on CB radios and hence no standards for a tech .... other than word of mouth.

I do not work on CB radios with 2,000 UHF FM radios maintain through our shop I just have no time ......

Bruce
WA4GCH

 

I've never met Sparky. But I do have one of his radios. As well as several friends. And I feel that he does a excellent job them. They all sound great. And if I'm in the market for another CB I'll buy from him again. Keep up the good work! And Welcome to the Trucker's Report.

 

I have two of his radios. A Cobra 29 stealth and a connex 4300 HP. Both are clean as a whip and loud enough to get anyones attention. I get nothing but cudos from both of these radios. So much so that one of our drivers went to Sparky for his radio purchase and others have been chomping at the bit for one of his radios. I know that the 979 he set up for one of our drivers sounds awsome.