Let me start by saying that I've always been a fan of the Galaxy radios and especially the 959 model. Great radio and very easy to make loud and proud.
This new made in Vietnam 959 has some issues. I'll explain what I've experienced. I ordered a Galaxy 959b starlite from Amazon. Arrived quickly as usual. Hooked it up, radio transmitted fine, however the receive wasn't correct. When first turned on receive was loud as it should be, but then gradually became quiet. So much so that it was difficult to hear a local with a thousand watts of power that usually blasts out of my speaker. This happened over and over again so I advised Amazon and they sent out another. The second 959b starlite was defective right out of the box as the face didn't light up (photos included) it almost looks as if a non starlight face was placed over the original face. There was also a light scratch on the meter and there was dielectric paste smeared all over the back of the radio. Called Amazon again and they sent another.
I'm on the third 959b starlite at this point. Transmit is good, the starlite face lights up (photo included) however the receive if still iffy at times. When it works correctly the receive is great, however when it becomes very low it's worthless. I believe it's heat related as it seems to have the low receive in the daytime and it's 110 degrees where I live. At night the receive seems to be stable. This is a mobile CB radio meant for automotive applications so the heat shouldn't be a factor, but I believe it is. The radio is not installed on the dash in the sun, it's totally out of the sun, but it still gets hot in a parked vehicle. None of my older Galaxy 959's, 99v's or Connex CX-3300HP ever had this issue. I'm using a Wilson 5000 antenna and SWR's are low across the band using an antenna anylizer. Radio is grounded by negative power wire and by a chassis ground to the case of the radio.
Your results may vary if you're not in such a hot climate. This is just my guess. Overall it's a good radio, I like the features and the starlite face. Hopefully the Vietnamese quality control will get better. You can tell the 959's are being made with cheaper internal components, but that's with all electronics these days.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (709) | (3064) | (2449) | (816) | (14) |
| Price | Unavailable | $153.87 | $199.95 | $119.99 | $269.95 |
| Sold By | — | my Goods | Cobra Electronics Official | IPC-STORE✅ | Prime Wholesale LLC |
| Color | Black | BEARCAT980SSB | Black/Silver | Silver | Black |
| Item Dimensions | 9.25 x 7.9 x 2.35 inches | 3.5 x 15 x 8.5 inches | 2.25 x 7.25 x 9.25 inches | 15.35 x 3.35 x 8.11 inches | 9 x 7.5 x 2.25 inches |
| Style | Green LEDs | BEARCAT980SSB | 29 LX MAX | PC78LTX | DX55F |
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2018
This new made in Vietnam 959 has some issues. I'll explain what I've experienced. I ordered a Galaxy 959b starlite from Amazon. Arrived quickly as usual. Hooked it up, radio transmitted fine, however the receive wasn't correct. When first turned on receive was loud as it should be, but then gradually became quiet. So much so that it was difficult to hear a local with a thousand watts of power that usually blasts out of my speaker. This happened over and over again so I advised Amazon and they sent out another. The second 959b starlite was defective right out of the box as the face didn't light up (photos included) it almost looks as if a non starlight face was placed over the original face. There was also a light scratch on the meter and there was dielectric paste smeared all over the back of the radio. Called Amazon again and they sent another.
I'm on the third 959b starlite at this point. Transmit is good, the starlite face lights up (photo included) however the receive if still iffy at times. When it works correctly the receive is great, however when it becomes very low it's worthless. I believe it's heat related as it seems to have the low receive in the daytime and it's 110 degrees where I live. At night the receive seems to be stable. This is a mobile CB radio meant for automotive applications so the heat shouldn't be a factor, but I believe it is. The radio is not installed on the dash in the sun, it's totally out of the sun, but it still gets hot in a parked vehicle. None of my older Galaxy 959's, 99v's or Connex CX-3300HP ever had this issue. I'm using a Wilson 5000 antenna and SWR's are low across the band using an antenna anylizer. Radio is grounded by negative power wire and by a chassis ground to the case of the radio.
Your results may vary if you're not in such a hot climate. This is just my guess. Overall it's a good radio, I like the features and the starlite face. Hopefully the Vietnamese quality control will get better. You can tell the 959's are being made with cheaper internal components, but that's with all electronics these days.
Verified Purchase
Great radio if you get a "good" one.
By Richard on August 15, 2018
Let me start by saying that I've always been a fan of the Galaxy radios and especially the 959 model. Great radio and very easy to make loud and proud.By Richard on August 15, 2018
This new made in Vietnam 959 has some issues. I'll explain what I've experienced. I ordered a Galaxy 959b starlite from Amazon. Arrived quickly as usual. Hooked it up, radio transmitted fine, however the receive wasn't correct. When first turned on receive was loud as it should be, but then gradually became quiet. So much so that it was difficult to hear a local with a thousand watts of power that usually blasts out of my speaker. This happened over and over again so I advised Amazon and they sent out another. The second 959b starlite was defective right out of the box as the face didn't light up (photos included) it almost looks as if a non starlight face was placed over the original face. There was also a light scratch on the meter and there was dielectric paste smeared all over the back of the radio. Called Amazon again and they sent another.
I'm on the third 959b starlite at this point. Transmit is good, the starlite face lights up (photo included) however the receive if still iffy at times. When it works correctly the receive is great, however when it becomes very low it's worthless. I believe it's heat related as it seems to have the low receive in the daytime and it's 110 degrees where I live. At night the receive seems to be stable. This is a mobile CB radio meant for automotive applications so the heat shouldn't be a factor, but I believe it is. The radio is not installed on the dash in the sun, it's totally out of the sun, but it still gets hot in a parked vehicle. None of my older Galaxy 959's, 99v's or Connex CX-3300HP ever had this issue. I'm using a Wilson 5000 antenna and SWR's are low across the band using an antenna anylizer. Radio is grounded by negative power wire and by a chassis ground to the case of the radio.
Your results may vary if you're not in such a hot climate. This is just my guess. Overall it's a good radio, I like the features and the starlite face. Hopefully the Vietnamese quality control will get better. You can tell the 959's are being made with cheaper internal components, but that's with all electronics these days.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2019
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