Radio Shacks "new" ham radio?

Just checked the "RadioShack.com" site and to my surprise, they offer a ham transceiver again, but now they've stooped to an all time low.
They offer for sale, a converted 11 meter Cobra CB radio, the Cobra 150 GTL DX as an AM/FM 15 watt 10 meter ham transceiver! For $229.95 and with only a channel number readout (1 to 40) what self repecting ham would buy this and is this what they think of us? This is really stupid, an insult against what they consider ham radio to be all about and I can't believe this is even allowed to be sold.
Just my opinion, thanks.
Ken DA2KW / N2VHZ

 

WOW

Again, WOW

Radio Shack has turned into a truckstop.

When do the linyeers come out on their website?

Times are getting tough for the Ratshack.

 

Hi Ken and all,

"...and I can't believe this is even allowed to be sold."

Uh, it's NOT if you remember the truck stop raids. Oh Riley, got your ears on good buddy?

 

WTF?

On the other hand. I know of a few local ops around here, that'll probably buy it...

 

What do you expect from Rat Shack? integrity? Honesty? Quality? Legality? GET REAL!

It's even described as a "CB radio" by product type.

Rat Shack knows (or should know) full well this product falls on the dark side of gray, and is pandering to the free-band market. For the same reason the majority of truck stops and other "two way radio shops" get away selling such radios; they know the FCC can't stop all of them. At least, not before they sell a lot of the radios. The profit they make far exceeds any forfeiture the FCC can impose. (Although the FCC usually makes a settlement and accepts a "voluntary donation" to the U.S. Treasury...)

 

Just went and looked at radio shacks website. the radio in question looks like a piece of junk. Leave it up to radio shack to do, but who isn't.

Bob

 

To be fair, this is a Cobra product, not a Rattyshack one.

But they should be ashamed of themselves.  They should at least have some hams looking at which "ham" gear they try to sell.

And if  they wanted to look legit they should have just sold the 200GTL, not the 150.

Looky here:

http://www.thequackshack.com/radios/cobra/cobra.htm

 

Rat Shack is a waste of time. I would just sooner drive to Ham Radio Outlet in Portland OR and buy a quality rig there.

 

Radio Shack junk once more. Doesn't have SSB, and can you imagine trying to manipulate the dials to the correct combinations to find a frequency. Try to imagine trying to break into a safe while driving on the interstate at 70mph. Come on 15 watts on am.

 

Whether on not it carries the Rat Shack name, it's sold by Rat Shack. There are precious little (and little precious) of their items that they make, it's all outsourced to other manufacturers/suppliers, whether it carries an "o-fish-shell" Rat Shack label or not. And the quality of any of their offerings is usually (expletive deleted.)

 

From the Cobra Site:

Cobra 200 GTL DX AM/FM/SSB/CW 10 Meter Tranceiver
Hottest new release from Cobra! Another Bolder Step in the Right Direction!
4 Pin mic plug configuration, Frequency Counter, RF Gain, <<<<Dual Control Clarifier>>>>, Mic Gain, HI/LO power switch, Squelch control, volume, on/off, NB/ANL, PA mode, 10KHz switch, Nightwatch Technology, SWR/CAL, Antenna Warning LED, Roger Beep, 320 Channel capable with 80 channels per switch setting, and 4 bands! 1-40 then .1-.40 for the next 40 channels displayed in channel indicator for each setting. Large Meter for easy reading. 1 Year Factory Warranty
Factory MAX Wattage 30 AM/FM and 100 SSB with 40 watt Dual Finals.
In Stock Now!

Awesome introductory pricing at only $225.99!

==============

With the clarifier, this actually makes some sense. Where else can you get a 100W, allmode 10M rig for that price?

 

those guys are totally retarded. Cycle 24 is a couple of years from having any good results on 10 meters. trying to promote or sell a 10 meter rig is just plain dumb right now.

 

Actually now is the time to sell something like that. Truckers don't want to 'shoot skip'.

Of course if a ham were to buy it they would find out quickly that ten meters is actually open more often then they thought.

 

'fraid I have to disagree. The inclusion of "channels" and such "CBish" features as "Roger Beep" make it the type of radio the U.S. F.C.C. doesn't find to be Amateur Radio equipment, despite any manufacturer's claims. And most Hams wouldn't touch such a radio with a ten foot shorting stick. AMATEUR RADIO (HF) equipment is supposed to be frequency agile, and not channelized. It's an unabashed attempt of an (apparently ) unscrupulous manufacturer and supplier (Rat Shack) to attempt to sell equipment that has no legal place in the U.S. market.

.

 

Best thing to do ... see if it will hit the shelf in a retail stor ball park history guess October to November then ask to see one and look for the silver tag if it reads  FCC CERTIFIED complies to the FCC requirements of Part 95 of the FCC Rules ( or something like that !) It should only get the Tag if and only if that Radio model ( Guess what look at your ham Test book gives a solid clue !!)  was submitted X amount of SAME Model Number for the Certification to the FCC Labs,  any of us OB's recall in the earlier days Certain brand of CB's were not only ( old term) FCC and DOT type Accepted. acceptance broken, when johnny came lately and stuck the Golden Screwdriver in it.  ( Excuse me while I am ROFLOL !!)  

Be kinda kewl if someone designed a CMOS with a self destruct design by clipping a zener to allow the full supply voltage to destroy the CMOS.  or a program in the BUFFLO command that if a certain diode was removed after RESET would render the IC useless. any Engineers catching on ? that would be the ultimate FCC Certification