simonthewizard

Q1 Radio Update

So already we are in the fourth month of the year so we will have a look at what is happening around the wonderful world of CB radio. What has come, what will come and what we think will be happening. At the moment with the situation in China and currency issues it seems that there is a slowdown in manufacture, and mostly AM/FM radios being made…

  
Magnum: Delivered the Magnum1 and now small quantity appear in Europe. Already modifications are happening around the signal meter to make it less active. But at the core the radio is excellent on SSB with rock solid audio, great power and works exceptionally well. Price is high, but engineers working on the AR3300/3500 involved so there are reasons of course. And if you have a chance to try one have a go, it’s nothing like the MAXLOG that you expect it to be.

Optima III: Many write everywhere the radio has died, no longer made, R.I.P. This appears not the case as new radios are appearing in Radiozing in the UK and Truckerswereld Netherlands so the demise of the Optima seems to be a little early. Also the low audio is resolved via Radiozing with there 3khz FM sound upgrade.

President: All new noise free Premium Grant II has arrived to the market. In the USA the McKinley USA has been seen out in the open. This was a pre released, pre manufacture piece and although brave to showcase something this early and never ever done before was a really great idea. Anything else new?? Nothing that I know of!

MAXLOG: Delivered the Magnum1 based loosely around the M8800 and of course is selling in Brazil the M8900 as the Aquario RP-90. EU then you need the Magnum1 as seems at the moment there is no plan for the 8900 to return to Europe.

Qixiang: The production soon starts on the CRT2000 and Team Expert1 which are based around the Anytone Smart chassis. Expect to see more companies with different versions from the same base. Expected delivery is around June or July and Team are the first to price it with the 12/24v version showing its face at €139

CRE 8900 / Alinco DR135DX: Many emails ask about a newer version of this and it’s brother the Alinco. At the moment no plans or dreams to chase I’m told. They are due an upgrade and would suit to change a minor amount of things to make both more useable but nothing planned am told.

Stabo, Albrecht, Midland, PNI, Merx, Team: With some of these we expect to see the Apollo II in its new name guise but otherwise nothing with the “wow factor” around at the moment

Stryker: New version 955 is around as is the new version of the SAr-89MC and soon to be released HPC2 based on the same or similar chassis to the AT-6666 so again Qixiang flexing there increasing muscle in the radio manufacturing area. Although hard to find in the EU other than Radiozing it could be good to see more of Stryker in EU especially with there 24-30Mhz SSB radios.

CRT: Working hard but also secretively is CRT and the only new item I know of is the CRT 2000

Blog: 200,000 views in four months, almost 200,000 visitors in its lifetime. Still grows, still has more dreams to chase.

Radio Design: This was leaked actually not by myself but I’m playing around with some designs. So yes that is true.

Ranger RCI: After a long time of factory issues it seems they are now more available than before. Anything new? Not really more than the 2970N4 with some errors eradicated and some new upgrades around the power area of the radio.

Nanfone: We forecasted the CB-583 would come and indeed its here as the PNI Escort. Do we know anyone else with the same unit? Not at the moment.

  
   
   
The next report will come in August and we can see what has come and what should come at the end of the summer into the autumn time. But with radio nothing is certain, nothing is decided till it lands on the doorsteps of the dealers.

Other factories please use the contact form and let me know your news and information.

All Rights Reserved (c) http://www.simonthewizard.com 2013-2014-2015-2016 Unathorised Use / Or Duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to simonthewizard and http://www.simonthewizard.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.


2 comments

    • Surprisingly yes it seems to be so.. Maybe some others come too. I’d like to see a new William or Thomas upgrade from President, would be nice if Magnum released a version of the 8900 and others too. But the market dictates AM/FM more than SSB so less and less SSB radios.

      AM/FM are the coffee, sugar in the cup
      SSB is just the cream on the top

      So bread and butter, pays rent, mortgages and others will always be AM/FM and people need to understand that’s what makers want and ask for….

Comments are closed.