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Message |
    
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 2:47 pm: | 
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I'm still thinking about taking a mobile board and making it into a base radio, and now I'm thinking about possible modifications. What modifications have you tried, heard, or thought are cool? |
Rover
Member
Username: Rover
Post Number: 75
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 6:30 pm: |
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Wouldn't it be less trouble to just run the mobile radio with a power supply? Just curious.
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Supertech1
Junior Member
Username: Supertech1
Post Number: 13
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:10 pm: |
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---and mount it all in a box---with gold trim and 'dingle-berrys'....and some fuzzy dice for class??!! |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:29 pm: |
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That's what I'm doing now - at least most of the time. I'm using a Uniden Grant along with a desk microphone, speech processor, DSP/audio filter, and speaker. That's a lot of clutter for me, and I don't like the small meter and close control knob spacing.
I've got more than a few base radios to use, but I wind up using the same accessories with them to get the better performance that they add, so I have the same problem.
What I'd like to do is take a good mobile like some version of a Uniden Grant and incorporate all of the accessories (excluding the microphone) into one cabinet, space out the controls, add a larger meter and/or separate the meter functions to individual meters, and have it look fairly nice too.
That got me thinking about further customizations I could incorporate. For example, my HF rig is a Kenwood TS450S and I have lots of microphones that are wired for that rig, so I'd like to add an 8 pin microphone jack in addition to the standard 4 pin and 5 pin jacks - switched. And with all of the types of microphones I have it occurred to me that I should incorporate some way of adapting the input to accept both high-Z and low-Z microphones and their different output levels.
With all that to do I though that while I'm at it I may as well incorporate a few CB modifications I've wanted to try but never got around to doing. And I thought I'd ask about cool modifications so if something strikes me as cool I can throw that into the mix as well.
Besides, it's something I've always wanted to do. I guess in the end it'll wind up being a unique, highly functional, customized, and personalized base CB radio. |
Starface
Junior Member
Username: Starface
Post Number: 12
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 2:44 am: |
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Some don't see or care for all the "EXTRA Home made" stuff... But I can see where your going with this,,, To me it's like a freak car show...
like seeing a two front end car...etc etc.
Your just playing around to see what you can come up with.... after all... thats how Ben Franklin and Al Bell got started.
The way I see it,it's your boat and if it floats who cares what it looks like .....right? |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:31 pm: |
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Well, this is the way I look at it. I have a .45 auto and it's not stock. I don't know anyone with a non-collectable .45 that isn't modified in some way. Mine isn't wild, but it's got some customizations that make it easier for me to shoot well. Same thing with my Ruger MKII. It's got a couple of customizations that make it easier to shoot well. When I was shooting every week I could knock over 8 of 10 bowling pins at 50 yards - not too bad.
My brother has a Wide Glide. It's not stock either, and I don't think any Harley that's more than a couple of years old ever stays stock. He's got an S&S carb for better performance, lots of additional chrome, and like EVERY Harley I've ever had pass by me - the pipes don't have their baffles anymore (Loud pipes save lives?!?).
I know guys who have spent hundreds of dollars on a good radio and then spend more to customize it to their liking, and that's all I'm doing. I just want to take a good radio and customize it to make it more functional for me to use. Taking the board out of the box and putting in a base radio configuration is just my way of doing it. Eventually I'd like to have a case that is somewhat of a cross between a Cobra 2000 and a Dak X. I like the shape of the 2000's case, and I like the clean aluminum look and huge meters of the Dak X. |
Rob5mike
Intermediate Member
Username: Rob5mike
Post Number: 141
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:57 pm: |
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The same thought has rattled through my head before,but I never acted on it.I like your idea and if you do it I would like to hear about what you have done.
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Coyote
Member
Username: Coyote
Post Number: 90
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 6:13 pm: |
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 @Supertech1... he said dingle-berrys.. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2138
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 7:26 am: |
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Don't forget to change the receiver RF stage from a 2sc1674 to a 2sc2999 in that grant .... makes a mark improvement in weak signals S/N. |
Yankee
Intermediate Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 379
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 1:52 pm: |
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You will find that on the Grants that after the top and bottom cases are removed the rest of the radio needs to stay intact because the side rails and the rail across the back of the unit are heat sinks for several ICs and transistors.
Yes, you can change out the front panel for better knob spaceing and larger meters. Personally If I wanted to do something along this line I would search for a Cobra 2000 GTL new in the box or one in like new condition that hasn't had any mods done, so it can be set up the way you would like it. The Cobra 2000, 148, 148F GTL and the Uniden Grant XL are all one in the same radio as far as the mother board and most of the componates. The only differance being is the Cobra 2000 has a power supply, clock/frequency counter, duel meters and duel clarifier. I have at one time or another owned all four of these radios and the radio I'm using most of the time on the CEF nets is a Grant XL. |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 2:27 pm: |
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Bruce - That's definitely on my list. Can you suggest a good source? |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2141
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 5:08 am: |
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e-mail me and ill give you a address |
