The "505 Smackdown" - Southern Illinois Talk Monst

[GC505]

"The 505 Smackdown" (local watergates) recorded from a station about nine miles from mine:

The 505 Smackdown - 1

and

The 505 Smackdown - 2

Talking from the IMAX-2000 at 109 feet, as shown in the photo below:

[Becker]

Hey, where you at in So. IL?

[trip7downunder]

Why dont ya have a gate of talking skip. That to me does not prove any smackdown on any cb especially when ya just saying 505. I want to hear skip talking on 11 or the bowl. Then i be impressed

[GC505]

Hey, where you at in So. IL?

I'm in Benton, Franklin County. A recent transplant from the Chicago area.

You from So. IL?

[Becker]

I'm in Benton, Franklin County. A recent transplant from the Chicago area.

You from So. IL?

Some call it So. IL it's really central. I live just north of St. Louis. Hamburg, Calhoun County.

[Norrad]

I'm lost
Was the smackdown part the guy saying your radio sounds like $h|T

[GC505]

I'm lost
Was the smackdown part the guy saying your radio sounds like $h|T

The smackdown part was what happened to the guy who said my radio sounded like **Censored**.

[Mentor3006]

Over driven and distorted... Almost sounds like that mic is picking up a computer fan in the background or something like that.

[GC505]

Over driven and distorted... Almost sounds like that mic is picking up a computer fan in the background or something like that.

...Another one of "those", huh?

[GC505]

Oops, I just noticed that the links I posted are the same.

The second link is supposed to take you here: 505 Smackdown 2.

So there's some more overdriven, distorted radio at 2.6 kw PEP for you whiny pansies, now let lose with the negativity! (I'm very used to it... I hear it from everybody who can't cant key on me.)

[SheepDog]

No offense, but I too think I heard you the other day. I am in Springfield, IL and I am pretty sure I heard you. I heard someone calling their location as "Southern Illinois Station" that was VERY over modulated and had really bad audio. It might not have been you, but whoever it was needs to have their radio looked at.

[GC505]

I doubt it was me, I have never had anything but great reports on my audio. "Mentor3006" is criticizing what he heard recorded on a cheap mini analog tape recorder by a station 9 miles away, transfered to a digital .wav format, emailed to me and then transfered to .mp3 format. That's absolutely brilliant!

Why is it that my audio is only criticized on internet forums and by people base their negative judgment on cheap analog recordings (a brilliant move) and say things like "I think I heard you..."

Anybody who actually speaks to me on the radio is impressed with the audio quality. I never get poor audio reports unless it's from:

• 1) somebody who never heard my station and just needs to talk **Censored** in an effort to overcome their own insecurities; or
  2) somebody who can't talk when I key down and is **Censored** off about it.

Note that there are a lot of big So. IL stations around here. The chances that you heard me from 150 or 250 miles away (depending on if you are in Springfield as you say or in Macomb as your profile says)... and then you mysteriously bump into me in a forum (that I just registered on) a couple days later ready to criticize what you heard is highly unlikely.

Regards,

[LiveWire113]

Why is it that my audio is only criticized on internet forums and by people base their negative judgment on cheap analog recordings (a brilliant move) and say things like "I think I heard you..."

Maybe if you can't take the criticism you shouldn't post up crappy audio (regardless of how it was recorded/transferred/converted/posted) with a provocative topic that is more than likely going to get looked at and picked apart on an internet forum. I'm just sayin....

[poboy309]

nice to see someone else from IL on here. welcome!

[GC505]

I can take criticism just fine, in fact I heartily welcome it... from people who have heard it. That's why I now have a station that nobody (who has actually heard it) gives poor reports on. I have welcomed years of criticism, learned, adjusted and built on it.

Criticizing a station based on absolutely nothing more a 5 second analog tape recording is like saying your favorite rock band sounds like crap in live concert based solely on what you heard on a cassette tape.

Oh well, I just look at the source. Slamming some radio that you've never heard (or "claim" to have "maybe" heard from 150-250 miles away) does nothing more than show your level of intelligence.

O well, I guess I should just consider the source.

PS: Your handwriting sucks. I can tell by what you typed above.

[GC505]

Thanks for the welcome, poboy309!

Where in IL are you located?

[crazytruker]

Well a person has to consider the recording device as well as their speakers. I think the radio sounds goods. The #2 sounds clearer and loud as heck. Both are loud. Maybe it's the recording for the #2 but #2 sounds crystal clear to me. I've always had a good ear and I won't **Censored** someone. If someone sounds bad I'll tell them so as to let them know in case there is a problem with their set up. Of course there are those that refuse to believe such is the case with a guy here around these parts. But it's his loss. I was trying to help him but he thinks I'm lying. I think it sounds pretty good 505

[J-570]

2.6kw doesn't mean crap.... you shouldn't be able to tell your running power.....

That audio is garbage, take that radio to a tech that knows what they are doing. And by the way check the microphone section and listen to my watergate of my general lee, that was recorded with a little analog tape recorder...

[GC505]

What an idiot...

[trip7downunder]

I never said it sounded bad. It would sound distorted and over driven as that station is only 9 miles away. Also i would say being class c . To me that's a maul right there . I just want to hear gates from further away and 505 stomping some ducks on the air. I know that if you had that setup down here only a few of us could give you a run for ya money. I like it so keep up the good work and turn the audio flat out. If they don't like it they could always go to another channel. Maybe when the cycle is in full swing we may get a hook up to ya. Then you would hear my maul from Australia

[GC505]

I listened to your "watergate", it sounds great.

When I get a chance, I'll power down to stock and record my radio from a few feet away like you did. Then we can compare audio. As it stands, there is no comparison. Put some pills behind that little thing and have somebody 10 miles away record you keying on their neighbor a block away.

There is a reason stations like yours are never heard on the bowl. When I'm interested in asking for complimentary radio checks from the driveway I'll ask for your help.

Keep up the great work. Mud ducks need a mascot too.

[GC505]

NOTE: The above message was directed to "J-570".

Thanks, trip7downunder.

[Mentor3006]

Actually my handwriting does suck, which is why I am a fast typist. And you are way distorted. Maybe it is something with the signal you are keying over. (yeah that's impressive, no wonder CB has faded so badly as a hobby huh?). I don't know what is causing the issue, but your audio is far from clean. You are taking watergates. Maybe try different mics until you find one that sounds clean, or something...

You want to sound impressive? Listen to triple 7's stuff. Good and clean!

[drdx]

Well, that is a fine looking setup. I will mention something that I can't believe others haven't mentioned. At that height, you will have, as you already know, excellent local groundwave coverage. You will most likely also have excellent long range dx, I'm referring to overseas-Europe, Asia, Austrailia, etc performance. But.... on domestic skip, due to the serious height, you might experience a watery performance due to the excellent low radiation angles that are a product of your height and the radial kit. I had a friend years ago with a crank up tower, and he ran it at the 60 ft mark for local, but bumped it down a bit for skip, as it did better there. You might want to have a domestic skip antenna in the 36-50 ft range, or better yet, lose the radial kit and go with a flat yagi under the vertical. You should hit triple7 nicely though. I will have to say that's the highest tower I've ever seen a hobbyist erect and not go with a directional antenna of some kind. -drdx

[Mentor3006]

Preacherman,

I never got to the second link. It came up with a file not found error... I was going by the first one. And it sounded plenty distorted. You are right though, it very easily could have been the recording device. I am a bit too used to having pro grade audio equipment at my disposal. (Nady SP-5s, Shure SM-48, M-Audio Pro Duo, Crate BX-100, etc...) I know audio. I am no audio engineer, but I am familiar with the gear, and honestly, the recording he had up, sounded plenty distorted. Yes there are factors into the audio recording quality, but... If I had an amp that big. (why I would want that much power I don't know, but whatever makes you feel good I guess), I would be embarrassed to release a Watergate with audio that distorted.

Power isn't everything. I have said this for years in all sorts of audio ventures, be it CB, car stereo, or playing in a rock band. You have got to have good audio.

I'm not slamming the OP unduly, I am hoping to point him to a potential problem so that he can improve his setup and get better audio out there. Read my posts, and you will see. I don't pull dumb punches. I call it like I see it, and I try to help out. If you don't agree, fine, and I am sure there are areas I will disagree with all sorts of folks, but that is what makes this a great hobby. We all have our ideas of what makes an ideal system.