due to an increase in email asking "why are these shops listed", i have DUPLICATED this paragraph here just as it has been
seen previously at the bottom of this page since the beginning of the list.
all of the shops listed below as a matter of course routinely strip and gut the amc/alc limiting circuits in the radio equipment
that they service. the most recent entries are indicated by an asterisk*........the work produced by most of the shops listed is indicative of a serious absence of any educated or experienced technical talent whatsoever.
Name: Hi Desert C. B. Shop
Location: I-40, Exit 283
Town: Holbrook
State: Arizona
Claim: Home of the Super Quad Modification
Translation: "4 steps to big bucks"
Tech: Jerry
Note: He's no Galaxy and Ranger Specialist either!
he just knows he's "technician material" because he used to pull and install black boxes in airplane
cockpits so naturally, he considers himself qualified to properly service your 2-way radio equipment. Makes sense,
huh?................ Problem is, even if we fail to mention the fact that he has no solid electronics background
in the first place, he doesn't posess the necessary complement of test equipment required to properly service your
radio gear, much less know what to do with it if he did.
Advice:
Buy the merchandise, that is if Jerry hasn't already been into it. Stay away from the service. He can handle
tuning antennas and simple solder repair jobs and I heartily recommend him for these simple tasks when you for
some reason can't get hold of me. If it's for anything else, I can be there in 30 minutes.
Give me a call.
After all, you should get a "real technician" for this kind of money, don't you think.......................?
Update: April 26, 2001........
Finally saw a cobra 29 that jerry had "been through".... Bench test showed about a watt and a half or
so of carrier with 22 watts of forward power, Add to this the ever popular "mod kit" installed at jp
36 and a misaligned receiver front end and you have jerrys "infamous super quad modification". More
garbage!
Since the 2SC2078 had been changed out for the 2SC1969, I offered to "finish the job" for the customer
in exchange for the education. His answer was a resounding "yes". After removing all unauthorized components
from jp 36 and replacing d-11 which had been "clipped", I went to work........Results follow:
Now the previously butchered 29 was producing 6.5
watts of carrier with forward power to 36 watts. FYI
Update: May 09, 2001........
Talked to the guy who runs the polishing crew at the texaco fuel stop exit 283 yesterday and he told me that he
has already gone thru two amplifiers that jerry set up for him. Further evidence that jerry has absolutely no
clue as to what he is doing when it comes to 2 way radio........
jerry is gone and bill (horseman) is taking it over.
hey bill, do all of your customers know that you're only pretending to be a technician?
the ones that end up over here afterwards figured it out........
if you're buying new radios here you'll be disappointed
Name: Road Runner Electronics
Location: I-5, Exit 199
Town: Coburg
State: Oregon
Claim: Come meet our new tech
Translation: When non-family member techs
realize how bad we rip people off, they quit!
Tech: Jimmy, Jackie and Tech of the month
Merchandise is greatly overpriced due to lack of competition but they do have a good selection. Unless you really
need something right now, save your money and go someplace else. They can be trusted to set an antenna, do simple
soldering jobs and a very basic tune-up. At least they will let you watch and they are not a clip and remove parts
kind of shop. They will lie about the condition of your radio so they can buy it dirt cheap and fix it for resale
and will tell you your radio is junk so they can sell you an overpriced new one. Due to the only local competition
going out of business their already overpriced merchandise just went up in price.
here's the tune-up for a Cobra 29: twist the final tank slug, rotate amc counter-clockwise but not full. turn the
receiver agc wide open, disabling the agc and requiring the manual reduction of the rf gain control to copy transmissions
from nearby
stations. They're only charging $45.00 for this. End result? A 29 that came out of the box oem with a receiver
that doesn't hear very well and a transmitter that doesn't perform any better than stock. stay away from these
guys.
Big Dog's CB Shop
Interstate-70 Exit 148
Petro Shopping Center
Kingdom City, Missouri
here's the tune-up you get with your new Cobra 29 Classic....ferrite slug removed from L-14 (no tank resonance) resistor
R-55 cut open (no voltage transient protection for the receiver) diode D-11 cut open (transmitter audio overmodulated
and distorted) receiver AGC cranked wide open (causes strong, nearby signals to overload the receiver front-end requiring
the operator to manually reduce the receivers rf gain control)
Big Dog's CB Shop
2 locations: 1 in Carlisle PA at the Petro, exit 52 of off I-81 and exit 226 off of the PA Turnpike (I-76), and one located at Exit 77 off of I-81 in PA, near the TA Truckstop, North
of Harrisburg.... Folder
Bigfoot CB Shop*
not to be confused with Bigfoot Radio Repair (http://bigfoot8170.tripod.com/)
located in Rapid City, South Dakota "bigfoot" seems to be a popular cb shop name these days. somewhere
between 3 - 6 other shops using the same monicker. Bigfoot Radio Repair is the "original". visit his
web site.
Blackwolf....somewhere out of the TA in Ontario, California....in a dark brown or black chevy van with the words
"Mobile CB Repairs" on the outside.....
attempted an installation of a connex board and a woody-woodpecker DS-2 noise toy. both installed and wired improperly.
i guess either the iron wasn't warm enough that day or voltages were down in the van....cold solder joints throughout.
Broncos CB Shop
these guys have a novel approach. they just grab the amc vr with a pair of pliers or something similar and just
rip it off the
board. seen more of these than i care to remember. the phoenix area and surrounding stores are famous for this
"mod". watch out for these guys because i understand that they have been expanding into other states.
Danny's Radio Shop @ Danny's Truck Wash
I-10, Exit 138
Phoenix, Arizona
peak and tune is clipping the limiter, removing the
27mhz pa tank tuning slug and turning the vr controls
to the fully clockwise position
GI Joe's Radio Electronics
Peak & Tune - Setup
*Remove modulation limiter. *Most 10 meter radios have a variable or low power setting for amps, however a modulation kit will drive the amp much better.
Hi Tech CB Repair
Located in Checotah Oklahoma, US69 and I-40. these guys have quite a little scam
going. for about $60.00 - $80.00 and just 10 minutes of your time these guys "promise"
60 - 80 watts out of your Cobra 29! isn't that incredible? if you want to bust these guys
just make sure you have your radio checked before any work is performed and have your
wits about you. if you're alert you'll at least be able to exit the place with your dignity
and your wallet intact. information we have gathered leads us to suspect that they're
playing "head games" with the wattmeter. your first clue would would be the camper
trailer they're setup in.
hotshotscbrepair
quote: "ALL anyone has to do is "clip" a diode! YOU DONT NEED ALL the equiptment to do THIS! CbTricks
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howard Electronics Inc.
not to be confused with M.C. Howard Electronics Inc.
(http://www.mchoward.com/)
located in Austin, Texas.
Leyden Technologies Inc.
Cobra 29....butchered...
03/22/03 these components found missing. TR-18, D-11, C-73 and R-104 removed and replaced with a wire for whatever
reason........... http://www.cbdoc.com/
Live Wire Communications....the same people have changed their name to:
12 Volt Electronics Inc CB Shop, just across the street from the old livewire shop.
"We are the technicians from Live Wire which has closed." their monthly dribble on
movingout website is a joke, just as full of the same misinformation as they claim
to be targeting in their technically challenged diatribe. same guys, different name.
don't be fooled. Folder
Premiere Electronics
Connex 3300 S/N M2F00183 tx. power only 20 watts and receiver not realigned for the 11 meter band. 10 uv. in produced
less than an S-1 reading on the S-Meter. after proper realignment of the receiver front end and no change in the
generator input level (10 uv.) S-Meter reading is now at S-7. npc mod (1N4001 and 390 ohm) installed at R-240 but
5K6 at R-240 not removed so npc did not work. TR-32 and R-249 removed from board. cost: $24.95 Folder
Pro Tech CB Shop
effingham-petro connection
Inside Petro @ Effingham, Il.
I-57 I-70 Interchange
217-347-7755
other locations include: Marshal Tx., Weatherford Tx., West Memphis Ar. and Kingdomcity Mo..
stop by and watch bob smoke new 29s and TS350s right out of the boxes!
R&R Communications Inc.
the dustmod kit........
"Removal Of The AMC Limiter Is Necessary"....no confusion here. their own words right on the page. (http://www.rrcom.com/dustin/dustmodkit.html)
located in Wilmington, Delaware. Folder
and here's their latest "brain fart" in their tips section. "Most AM CB radios, when tuned for maximum
output power, will swing backwards on a Bird meter. This is as true a reading as you can get. (yeah, right) Unlike
the Bird meter all other meters will swing forward giving you a false reading." (i guess according to rrcom
the pep adapter kit for the Bird provides false readings) http://www.rrcom.com/tip/swingkit.html
the reason that their Bird is swinging backwards is because without the peak-reading adapter installed the Bird
is absolutely useless for peak envelope power measurements, you dopes! and 12 watts of carrier is too close to
saturation to provide any longevity from radios configured in this manner, much less any usable talk power in the
sidebands of an am signal, as is evidenced by the number of these pieces of crap turning up on repair benches all
over the country. use your Birds for fm transmitter power measurements and keep your technically deficient, overpriced
modifications to yourself, or install the adapter and watch your Bird provide the same "false" readings
that you claim every other meter does. what a con job.
RadioActiveRadios, Salem, Oregon
In their ad, they claim that they "are not a CB shop"...they are telling the truth, there are no radio technicians employed there. They offer their "WackPack" tune up, that will "lock down" the channel........it does that, with over modulation, splatter across all 40 channels, etc, etc....when I asked them to "re check the tune", was told that "if we did it, it is perfect", and to change anything again, it is minimum $50. GALAXY REFUSES TO HONOR THEIR 2 YEAR WARRANTY FOR ANY RADIOS MODIFIED BY THESE GUYS. Link #1 Folder
Rhino CB Shop, New Mexico
this guy has figured out a way to get the Cobra 29 and other radios to produce carrier levels of 10 - 12 watts
claiming that "you need more carrier to get your signal out"....another pretender that doesn't understand
the anatomy of a transmitted am signal. besides the destructive effect resulting from this he also fails to understand
that the higher levels of carrier render the transmitter unable to achieve optimum modulation levels. needless
to say, the amc is gutted in these radios as well. "another chop shop in New Mexico". Rhino CB Shop is OUT OF BUSINESS!
Galaxy DX99V
R-249 cut, TR-32 removed.
usb off+ 1100hz.
lsb off+ 1500hz.
am off+ 400hz.
typewriter "white out"
slopped all over v11, v13 and v16
squelch thresh open both am and ssb
am and ssb receiver sections hearing
no signal at .5 uv @ 10db s+n/n
transmitter power avg. 15 watts at
full open setting
"Stay Away From This Place"
9:52 PM 3/13/03
Update.........
i received an email today from Mr. Frye stating that he only sells
used equipment in this condition at reduced prices and obviously
doesn't bother to check it much less make any effort to make sure
that it's working properly.* here it is in his own words. no
attempt has been made to correct or edit.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I HAVE READ YOUR COMMENT ON A RADIO THAT HAD COME FROM MY
SHOP IN FULTONVILLE NY
*I FIRST MUST TELL YOU BEFORE YOU GO PUBLISING COMMENT LIKE THIS IS WOULD BE WISE AND TO
YOUR ADVANTAGE TO CHECK UP ON THE COMMENTS MADE IN THE THIRD PERSON"""
I KNOW THE RADIO IN QUESTION AND TO THAT THIS UNIT WAS SOLD TO A CUSTOMER AS IS USED AT
A VERY LOW PRICE.
WE AT RIVERSIDE DO NOT REMOVE TR 32 OR CUT R-249 THIS MUST HAVE BEEN DO BY ANOTHER
OR THE CUSTOMER HAD TAKEN THIS UNIT TO SOMEONE ELSE.THAT GOES AS WELL FOR THE WHITE
USED ON THIS UNIT?
WE DO NOT DO THESE THING'S AS FOR MYSELF I DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOUR KNOWLAGE OF
ELECTRONIC'S STEM FROM BUT MYSELF I HAVE BEEN IN ELECTRONIC'S SINCE I WAS 18YRS OLD AND
AM NOW 50YRS OF AGE"".
I WOULD EXPECT YOU AND ANYONE ELSE TO VERIFIY ANY STATMENT'S MADE BY A THIRD PERSON
{THE CUSTOMER} BEFROE YOU PRINT A WORD ON LINE ABOUT SOMEONE YOU KNOW NOTHING OF?
IT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR LETIGATION FOR LIBEL ACT'S
WOULD REPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO CONTACT MYSELF OR MY CO FOR COMMENT AND OR MY STAFF.
AGAIN I KNOW OF THE UNIT YOU ARE SPEAKING AND I ALSO KNOW THAT EVERYDAY WE HAVE FROM
ACROSS THE COUNTRY THE SAME PROBLEM'S THAT WE FIX{SUCH AS RUNNING A WIRE ACROSS THE
AUDIO CHIP FOR MORE MOD"WHICH CAN CAUSE THE AUDIO CHIP TO OVER WORK AND ALSO CAUSE
TRANS'TO SHORT OUT""SIMPLE MODIFICATIONS WITHOUT REMOVING OR IN ANYWAY CAUSING PROBLEMS TO A GALAXY BOARD CAN BE ACOMPLISHED WITHOUT DESTROYING A VERY GOOD
BOARD IN THE FRIST PLACE""
I AM SORRY THAT WE CANNOT PLEASE EVERYONE BUT THAT IS THE NATURE OF THIS BUSINESS MANY
CUSTOMER'S COME IN OUR SHOP WITH THE BIGGEST PROBLEM BEING ""I CAN'T GET OUT'''''
TRACTOR'S TODAY ARE NOT GOUNDED THUS A GROUND MUST BE CREATED TO SET THIRE S W R 'S
SIMPLY A CHANGE IN ANT/COAX/STUD THAT'S IT.
WELL I HOPE THAT THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP AND NOT A REVIEL WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME GAME
AND IT IS HARD ENOUGH IN THIS SIDE OF IT THING'S ARE GOING TO CHANGE IN A BIG WAY VERY
SOON THE CURCUIT BOARD OF TODAY WILL BE REPLACED SOON WITH A LASER BOARD AND TO AN
PASMA SYSTEM THESE UNIT'S WILL REPAIR THEMSELF'S
IN YOUR TRUST P FRYE SR
RIVERSIDE COMM
Stay Away From This Place if you're looking for inexpensive, used radio
equipment. unless of course you don't care what kind of shape it's in.
obviously if the price is low enough, neither do they. i will concede
here in the meantime that the possibility does exist that they didn't
perform the work mentioned above. And no Mr. Frye, you and i are not in
the same "game". this may be some kind of game to you but i take my
reputation and my business seriously. so much so that i would never
sell a customer a radio in this kind of condition, regardless of the
price. some of us (very few) have enough integrity to make sure that
every piece of used equipment works
according to acceptable standards.
Furthermore, i require none of your pseudo-technical
advice/babble/dribble. Sorry to hear that things are so hard for you.
changing your policy on used equipment may make it possible for you to
be more pleasing and pleasing more of your customers.
And while you're at it, your netiquette sucks. Try unlocking your
CapsLock key the next time you have occasion to email me. If you want
to yell save it for someone else.
Skywalker's CB Shop
Breezewood, PA. off of I-76, PA Turnpike Folder
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
here are a few from a shop on I-95, exit 98, at the truckstop across from King's Dominion. The driver could not remember the name of the shop or truckstop, however. Folder
Location: Wytheville, VA. exit 77 off of I-81 This is a NEW shop, NOT TJ's cb shop.
Customer was not sure of the shop name. Wytheville
I don't have pictures (yet), but both of the new local shops are chopping limiters,
and worse. This is direct from their mouths. I have no shop names yet, but here are
the locations:
1. rt 11 Petro off of Exit 226 on the PA Turnpike (I-76), and exit 53 off of I-81.
2. rt 11 Citgo gas station across the street from the flying J travel plaza, same exits.
we'll have some pictures for these 2 shops very soon.
all of the shops listed above as a matter of course routinely strip and gut the amc/alc limiting circuits in the radio equipment
that they service. the most recent entries are indicated by an asterisk*........the work produced by
most of the shops listed is indicative of a serious absence of any educated or experienced technical talent whatsoever.
i would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to Lew McDowell with Bigfoot Radio Repair and to Gary Clifton
of DC Electronics for their understanding and patience in working with me to help make this list as accurate and
unoffensive as possible. thanks also to DTB Radio for the visual support.