If you want to use the original knob, you can usually fix the problem by cleaning the surfaces on the knobs with a piece of emery paper (scrape any burrs first) then a little teflon lubricant between the knobs before reassembly.
I have the 99 N2. But the only thing I complain about that radio are those little cooling fans which are a joke. I myself put a cooling fan behind the radio and it blows across the heat sink on the bottom and the one in the back and the radio stays cool. Now if you want to move up to a big radio move up to the Texas Ranger Longhorn. I recently purchased one and let me just say that is a big radio. Big Power Big Audio LOL. But one big positive thing about the RCI X9 and the 99N2 & 99N4 they're not a Drifter on sideband like some of the older Ranger radios.
You can design and build a step circuit for the fan input voltages ..so you can control fan speed ... Use a tip 120 device and a couple resistors and a diode ..u can basically induce voltage to fans without indusing voltages to rest of circuit ..with this being said u must have some technical pc PCB and knowledge... Or don't attempt it Unless u just don't on the feed lines to fans...
When RCI first came out with it's *RCI 2950* I went out, got one and made it a base station. 500W "Foot warmer" and a Antron99 with a GPK1 and a older D-104. Talking skip was so much fun back then! *2AR515* 73's!
I had the same problem with my squelch on my connex after I got it peaked and tuned but it was because my radio tech tuned the receiver therefor it’s receiving more noise even though that needle isnt moving it’s catching everything….so basically what I did is I closed my RF gain until it quiets down a bit and just leave my squelch open and that seems to be the best receive method without hearing all that static and more of the people around you
My only problem with this radio is it needs a 6 digit frequency display (it is not a counter like everyone thinks) for SSB, just like it’s cousin Galaxy radios. I bought one used and the person had some shop turn it wide open which caused it to heat up badly, after a “mild” tune, it is fine now.
I have the 2970.N2 The manual button is stuck so i cant,chow a channel display as well as turn off my roger beep. So dam annoying to have that beep on when on 10 m
I have the same truck same radio. You have to run to the battery with 4 gauge. You’re not getting enough volts from the fuse post. The volts drop to 13 when modulating from hiking up inside the cab
I got ahold of you a while back about my kinworth but I am not in that truck any longer. I started with the new company I've got a new 2023 Cascadia and I'm still interested in having you run some wire and some better antennas and coax for a new radio. If you're still interested
My friend life has changed here recently and I stay pretty busy. I'm finding it hard to have time to make videos these days. I do have some Cascadia videos that may help you and be glad to answer any questions.
If that plastic piece that the radio is mounted to pops out, why wouldn't you just make holes in it to run the coax & power cables so that you could have a nice clean installation?? If you're spending the time & all that money, why leave ugly wires hanging out?
If you turn down your RF gain, you don't have to turn the squelch up as high but you lose your gain so............... I don't know where the best setting is you'd have to have a radio guy measure all that on an awesome set of diagnostic equipment before we'd know how to set that up or when and how to use your gain, squelch so on. My General made by Ranger as well as Galaxy, Connex, Super Star and whatever else the make now are probably all the same way that radio is. I'm not sure how much good gain is if you cancel it out with squelch but it must be good for something?? Nice video anyway Rich. It's got to be nice not being neg. temps there!
With all the RF bonding I've done on the truck. I'm only needing to squelch the first 1/4 of the meter. That takes all background static and most from other interfaces. With the needle on 0 you have some background static, it just seems you're turning the knob a long way just to get to the 0. If that makes sense.
@@jrichtruckincbtips Sure it does, but if you turn the rf gain down, if it's like mine it'll do the same thing, then you won't have to turn the squelch up so high. At least that's how mine works.
@@jrichtruckincbtips Yeah that's what I was saying so they can kind of cancel each other out if you play with them. I wish they came out with an auto tune but I guess they already have auto squelch, so maybe that will be my next radio. I'm at the point to where I just want one that works and don't need a bunch of fancy stuff done so it works.
My coworker has 1 and it's been good so far. I have heard that some have had problems with cold solder joints, but that can be fixed by a good cb tech.
i understand why you hooked it up the way you did but you are going to cause problems not hooking that straight to the battery and you want the knobs to be stiff your just use to beat to death wore out radios that are sloppy the knob has nothing to do with how loud the volume is either sounds like a bunch of people that don't know how to use a radio the knob even has a line on it to indicate the level
@@jrichtruckincbtips yeah understandable how much power were you seeing out of it hooked that way seems like it would be dropping a lot of voltage when keyed up the way it is i have a 2970N2 have had it 12 years in different cars and pickup trucks always ran straight to the battery always seen 200-250 out of it then used it as a base on a 150 amp power supply and it was almost 300 i though man that's to high but the reason for it is the voltage not dropping and the amps being constant the same for his radio will happen when you hook it to the battery it should do more but the longer the run the thicker the wire should be or you will lose voltage and amps i showed that very thing to my women i used 15ft of 8 gauge wire and hooked up an texas star 500v it did 400w but hooked up a 5ft thicker gauge wire and it did 500w so just in wire aloan 100w was lost and gained
I have the same radio I have the 4 gage wire to the battery and its matched but I get a high pitch noise when other people talk any idea what I can do to solve that problem
You can, but you're not going to get the full 400 watts. I'll be doing a video, when I get better weather on the difference between going to the fuse box and the battery.
Use some graphite on the outer knob, it will get it to quit sticking to the inner knob
10:46 you can adjust the squelch pot inside on the board and fix that
Used weather stripping to help hold coax in place after running it along door weather stripping on vehicle door. Helps keep coax in place
You are ALL right my Friend...... Thank You
If you want to use the original knob, you can usually fix the problem by cleaning the surfaces on the knobs with a piece of emery paper (scrape any burrs first) then a little teflon lubricant between the knobs before reassembly.
You can but the flat knob just feels better in the fingers.
Just bought this same radio at Walcott and the power cable they sold me is 4 guage. This radio has been souped up, can't wait to hook it up.
It's an awesome radio and just beautiful. I can't stop looking at it.
i'd rather have the RCI 2970N4 blows away this over rated piece of CHIT
@683402 Enjoy your conversation with Mud Duck in the Desert because that's pretty much all you'll receive.
I have the 99 N2. But the only thing I complain about that radio are those little cooling fans which are a joke. I myself put a cooling fan behind the radio and it blows across the heat sink on the bottom and the one in the back and the radio stays cool. Now if you want to move up to a big radio move up to the Texas Ranger Longhorn. I recently purchased one and let me just say that is a big radio. Big Power Big Audio LOL. But one big positive thing about the RCI X9 and the 99N2 & 99N4 they're not a Drifter on sideband like some of the older Ranger radios.
Yeah, Longhorn is huge. Don't think it'd be to great on top of the dash, it'd be better to hang it.
You can design and build a step circuit for the fan input voltages ..so you can control fan speed ... Use a tip 120 device and a couple resistors and a diode ..u can basically induce voltage to fans without indusing voltages to rest of circuit ..with this being said u must have some technical pc PCB and knowledge... Or don't attempt it
Unless u just don't on the feed lines to fans...
When RCI first came out with it's *RCI 2950* I went out, got one and made it a base station.
500W "Foot warmer" and a Antron99 with a GPK1 and a older D-104. Talking skip was so much fun back then!
*2AR515*
73's!
I would definitely go with the 4 gage wire power and ground to the battery
I had the same problem with my squelch on my connex after I got it peaked and tuned but it was because my radio tech tuned the receiver therefor it’s receiving more noise even though that needle isnt moving it’s catching everything….so basically what I did is I closed my RF gain until it quiets down a bit and just leave my squelch open and that seems to be the best receive method without hearing all that static and more of the people around you
My only problem with this radio is it needs a 6 digit frequency display (it is not a counter like everyone thinks) for SSB, just like it’s cousin Galaxy radios. I bought one used and the person had some shop turn it wide open which caused it to heat up badly, after a “mild” tune, it is fine now.
yeah i wish they would have added the 6th digit also the same with the longhorn N6
Wow Great review terrific tips thanks very much enjoy your radio fantastic now I saving money to buy 0ne and good luck my friend God Bless
I like the X9 it will
Be my next purchase
Find an X9 hp it has more power than the standard X9
I love my 99N2 jts an awesome radio.
I had the same issue with mine and replace the knobs with the knobs on the striker 955.
I have the 2970.N2
The manual button is stuck so i cant,chow a channel display as well as turn off my roger beep. So dam annoying to have that beep on when on 10 m
I have the same truck same radio. You have to run to the battery with 4 gauge. You’re not getting enough volts from the fuse post. The volts drop to 13 when modulating from hiking up inside the cab
I'll check that out.
nice looking radio wow hard to get them here in holland
Where are you located. I am a fellow trucker trying to get an install.
I just don't have time these days, brother. I don't have time to make new videos hardly.
Thanks
I got ahold of you a while back about my kinworth but I am not in that truck any longer. I started with the new company I've got a new 2023 Cascadia and I'm still interested in having you run some wire and some better antennas and coax for a new radio. If you're still interested
My friend life has changed here recently and I stay pretty busy. I'm finding it hard to have time to make videos these days. I do have some Cascadia videos that may help you and be glad to answer any questions.
What kinda range do you get
Great update!!
Dude you are so correct!!! they suck...
I appreciate these videos man thanks. Fredd79
Nice radio.
If that plastic piece that the radio is mounted to pops out, why wouldn't you just make holes in it to run the coax & power cables so that you could have a nice clean installation?? If you're spending the time & all that money, why leave ugly wires hanging out?
Because I don't keep a truck for years and years like an O/O.
@@jrichtruckincbtips even more the reason.
If you turn down your RF gain, you don't have to turn the squelch up as high but you lose your gain so............... I don't know where the best setting is you'd have to have a radio guy measure all that on an awesome set of diagnostic equipment before we'd know how to set that up or when and how to use your gain, squelch so on. My General made by Ranger as well as Galaxy, Connex, Super Star and whatever else the make now are probably all the same way that radio is. I'm not sure how much good gain is if you cancel it out with squelch but it must be good for something?? Nice video anyway Rich. It's got to be nice not being neg. temps there!
With all the RF bonding I've done on the truck. I'm only needing to squelch the first 1/4 of the meter. That takes all background static and most from other interfaces. With the needle on 0 you have some background static, it just seems you're turning the knob a long way just to get to the 0. If that makes sense.
@@jrichtruckincbtips Sure it does, but if you turn the rf gain down, if it's like mine it'll do the same thing, then you won't have to turn the squelch up so high. At least that's how mine works.
@@bradh74 true, but the squelch is up high enough that the weaker signals can't come in, unlike the rf gain where I can't here the weak CBs
@@jrichtruckincbtips Yeah that's what I was saying so they can kind of cancel each other out if you play with them. I wish they came out with an auto tune but I guess they already have auto squelch, so maybe that will be my next radio. I'm at the point to where I just want one that works and don't need a bunch of fancy stuff done so it works.
@@jrichtruckincbtips By the way Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
👍🏻👍🏻 Many thanks J , also where can I get the tall radio bracket ? Happy trails.
Most any cb shop should have it, or check Amazon.
@@jrichtruckincbtips Thank you
For the money you'd think they would include a bracket that fits the radio
Knobs would be a minor thing.
Bet it gets hot quick.
I'm not a long talker, so it doesn't get too hot.
Is that enough power at the fusebox for that big radio?
He hasn't had any issues so far.
No
do u not have to be carful with that switch on the lefe < the amp switch>
Not wired to a sufficient power source.
Is there a frequency counter that you could recommend for this radio?
It has a frequency counter
Is the Ranger rci x9 good radio?
My coworker has 1 and it's been good so far. I have heard that some have had problems with cold solder joints, but that can be fixed by a good cb tech.
I’m order the heavy duty power cord for my 955 and see will that increase my signal and I’m going to connect it to the battery this time
👍🏻👍🏻
i understand why you hooked it up the way you did but you are going to cause problems not hooking that straight to the battery and you want the knobs to be stiff your just use to beat to death wore out radios that are sloppy the knob has nothing to do with how loud the volume is either sounds like a bunch of people that don't know how to use a radio the knob even has a line on it to indicate the level
It's going to go to the battery soon. The flat knob just works better for people with larger hands that aren't used to tiny knobs.
@@jrichtruckincbtips yeah understandable how much power were you seeing out of it hooked that way seems like it would be dropping a lot of voltage when keyed up the way it is i have a 2970N2 have had it 12 years in different cars and pickup trucks always ran straight to the battery always seen 200-250 out of it then used it as a base on a 150 amp power supply and it was almost 300 i though man that's to high but the reason for it is the voltage not dropping and the amps being constant the same for his radio will happen when you hook it to the battery it should do more but the longer the run the thicker the wire should be or you will lose voltage and amps i showed that very thing to my women i used 15ft of 8 gauge wire and hooked up an texas star 500v it did 400w but hooked up a 5ft thicker gauge wire and it did 500w so just in wire aloan 100w was lost and gained
How long are the screws that hold the bracket down?
Maybe 1/2"
Where did you buy your N4 from?
Atlantic Coast Communications
Whats the vr number on a texas ranger sle 127 silhouette elite.
Idk, I'm not a cb tech
I have the same radio I have the 4 gage wire to the battery and its matched but I get a high pitch noise when other people talk any idea what I can do to solve that problem
Not sure on that, could be a problem with the receiving side of the radio.
@@jrichtruckincbtips Sounds like it could be alternator whine, maybe.
✌✌✌
What brand coax is he running?
It's Tram RG8X, but is going to get RG400 soon.
@@jrichtruckincbtips what's your opinion on the K40 RG8X. Is it good to run 500 watts through?
@@jordanjacobs2440 you may run into issues like this guys 99N4. When he transmits with the amp on it makes 1 of the interior lights flash.
I have same radio with same problem and watched your video. Changed know and it worked, thanks.
Also what kind of antenna do you use?
@@rondallbyrd6270 I use a Hustler SCB
So I can wire this into my fuse box???? I also have this radio
You can, but you're not going to get the full 400 watts. I'll be doing a video, when I get better weather on the difference between going to the fuse box and the battery.
No
Wire directly to the battery
OMG! Who the hell hooked that radio up!? Wrong wire, NEVER go to the fuse block with a 600 watt radio and I would hate to see what coax you got.
He's connected to power cables feeding Dill block, He's good!
NOT GOOD!! Gotta go straight to battery terminal.