Best 11 meter radio

It's supposed to be a custom made antenna that is made by that CB shop. There's a Member here that swears by them.

 

Alignment is about 20% of it, the other 80% is design.

 

Yes that’s true. A good example is the little cheap plastic filter in the IF section.

 

What cheap 'plastic' filter?

I think you equate plastic with cheap, it is packaging.

Murata and other filters are not the issue, it is the design around them.

I used the Johnson 323a as an example of a good radio, it has two filters in the IF stage but the filtering alone doesn't cut it, they designed the IF strip (which is where a lot of the rejection takes place) around the goal of rejection, not around the marketing or the MSRP. They actually took a loss on those radios just like CPI and Stoner took losses on theirs.

One other thing is the front end and mixer design, most CBs are using the same design, a very broad front end with a marginally acceptable mixer. A lot of good mods out there change the mixer design, some off board the mixer with huge improvements but those seem not to be used often. I get a kick out of you guys with these 10 meter rigs, they have such broad front ends by design that they are truly an early 1960's not 21st century.

 

We’re still waiting for yours.

 

I was just using that one part (Ceramic filter) as an example. I’m sure you would agree that the filter PCB that Uniden used 40 years ago(in the President Madison), was a much better filter by design.
Of course as time goes on, and they needed to make radios smaller, the IF filter is the one change in design that wasn’t for the better performance wise. Also since cb radio is designed for short range communication, I don’t think the manufactures care about quality like they use too. But that’s just my opinion. You are correct in saying it’s a design issue.

 

Both of those radios dont have the ears of a 955..Most of your needs will be satified by properly soldered coax with amphonol ends..A good ant for your set up(those 2 7ft on your kw are to close together)and if ya wants more power you can do a cpl things..Buy an amp for home use,get an amp built onto the 955..In order to make a huge difference in range your gonna have to have "ATLEAST" 400 watts over the 955 ya have now..If your ant set up is on par and dang near 50ohm at its ant with no resistance through out and both ant are 102 or is it 108" apart its possible to double your range now......Now ask yourself,is an extra 30 or so mile worth the hundreds you will spend to reach out to someone who you may not hear back from..With that 955 ya got now and assumeing you ant set up is all good,30 mi on am is not outta the question,skip is unlimited(based on conditions)..With power comes responceability young skywalker..

 

Swr doesnt mean antenna efficiency..

 

No it means the radios as it heats up goes off freq..When you hear other radios on a diff freq than you,means they have drifted or have whats called a dirty tune..wasted power on wrong freq,more heat and shorter life..