Dak Mark X SSB CB Radio Vintage 1978 (appx) - Looks Great - Performance Lacking

This is a Dak Mark X SSB CB radio that I acquired along with a few other base station CB radios from the 1970's era. I could not pass up the deal. This radio was not working when I powered it up. I was able to trace the problem to a cold solder joint on the board with the help of the schematic diagram that thankfully came with the radio along with the alignment instructions. I don't think this is really a great preforming radio but it sure looks great and is fun to have sitting in the shack.

[@AussieMark909]

That is one terrific looking base station. I recently picked up a Tedelex TE-7000 and as soon as my new antenna arrives I'm on the air. Back on 27Mhz CB after 30 years! Thanks for showing this cool radio, best wishes from Australia. Cheers, Mark.

[@1040QSO]

Beautiful looking radio!

[@amirmuneeb475]

My Stryker SR-955HPC is much better than this one: strykerradios.com/store/10-meter-radio-955hpc/

[@PhoenixRising251]

A good friend has allowed me to use his DMX. Being very picky with many different radios since the early 80's all I can say is WOW!!! It has a tremendous receive, very low noise floor on AM. It rivals any radio I currently have, even both of my Cobra 2000's that are in great working order. All my local folks tell my I sound better on the DAK than anything else I own. Now I'm thinking about getting one of these things. It has truly spoiled me in less than a week of using it.

[@TraderRoss]

awesome old cb. you just cant beat analog meters, they look so much better than digital.

[@mikeoliver8346]

I had one my dad bought me as a kid. Several kids from school had radios and we’d talk all night. I have a picture of it somewhere

[@225rc]

This man knows his stuff,I've watched all his videos.keep them coming

[@RadioHamGuy]

225rc Thanks very much 225rc! Try do do a good job anyhow here. Appreciate it.

[@TREEHUGGAH1]

wow that's the rolls Royce of CBs.she sure is a beauty.

[@junglejoecvideogates9705]

I knew a guy that had one of them back in the day, use to talk to himon 11 meter band. Nice radio. That would have been 1980/81. It was a beautiful radio. That was the only one I had ever seen

[@1940123]

thanks for showing the ins and outs of this CB. good video with describing all the features and the needed repair.

[@BeingRomans829ed]

Never thought much of these radios in the past, as I thought they were just a mobile radio all jazzed up with knobs and meters with side handles thrown in for good measure. Did not realize they had the tube output. Certainly not on the level of a Browning or Tram, but seems to ba a cut above the average CB.

[@petrok1rp254]

Amazing. I like the look of these radios from 70’s!

[@Rick90lx]

I used to have one of those radios in the early 90's. It had a bunch of modifications, including extra channels. Lots of good times with that radio and a palomar 250 or the maco 75!

[@Eric-zi1oz]

Beautiful radio....

[@danmyself5341]

The first time I saw this radio I was thoroughly impressed it was hooked up to a d104 microphone and it meant business.

[@mindblast3901]

Nice video thanks never Knew there where valve CB radios OK Valve Linear amps sure All the best from UK

[@sandmanbub]

Could use a little DeOx in the switches. I just picked up the one my father used to use and am going to recap it, test and replace the tubes if needed, align and bring back into specs before upgrading the mod swing and adding some channels. I've always liked these sweet sounding rigs.

[@sandmanbub]

I noticed that you and I use the same Weller soldering station ;)

[@mikelee8520]

What a great radio that is. I bet you loved sorting that one out. Mike.

[@RadioHamGuy]

I have to agree with you on that, good but not great, but sure looks nice in the shack!

[@mikebottiaux5850]

I bought a DAK like this new back in 1978, they were good (not great) radios. Thanks for the video.

[@glenn2595]

Thanks for the review. Today in 2019 people on ebay are trying to get $600 to $1600 for this radio. I agree, it is impressive looking. I'm thinking of adding a really nice 70's vintage radio, SSB and was really thinking of this one. I also have the 642, 2000, 5875A, 78-999, and the LCBS-8 in mind as well. Since you say it's not a great performer and you will stick with the 148, that gets under $150 on ebay, that tells me to look at the other radios on my list instead.

[@79tazman]

I miss CB Radio I use to have a cobra 148 with all the goods done to it it had the open clarifier extra channels use to dead key 2 watts and swing to 20 on am had a little 150 kicker too talked all over the world on that I had a ranger 2990 too damn I miss those days

[@rogersmith9808]

I was a "Dakonian" in the 1980's. This guy Drew Alan Kaplan (DAK), had a neat concept. He had hot and/or trending electronic gizmos built to his specs. and then marketed them mail-order to technogeeks (like me) by using a "fireside chat" style of explanation about the products. He also marketed his own house brand of blank recording cassette tapes (back in the day) that were supposedly great quality. Here's the Wikipedia page about him and his company: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAK_Industries

[@RadioHamGuy]

+Roger Smith I sure purchased a lot of things from him reading his full page adds in Popular Science magazine or others like that. He was a great marketer. I still have some home speakers around here somewhere, the ones with a sub woofer and the angled stereo speakers, I think that was one of his items also, or maybe that was BSR? not for sure now, but I got a lot from both of those places.

[@rogersmith9808]

+RadioHamGuy Yep.... me too. He was quite the marketer and yes... he sold a TON of BSR products. As a matter of fact I think my EQ was a BSR.

[@RadioHamGuy]

+Roger Smith Ok, I put it all together again now that you mentioned that, for a minute I thought BSR had another deal by themselves, but DAK was the one that sold BSR stuff, now I remember. I still have that BSR graphic EQ with the LED's on each position and the nice spectrum analyzer display, still works great on my stereo to this day! I love that thing.

[@goodgrendl]

Great tour of the DAK. I bought one that a CB bud used for years. When he passed it was in his LWT that I get the rig. I have his lollipop Sure mike too, the one with the gain control. I'll wager you know about my Collins 32V1 and 75 A-3 twins. Great big handsome rigs but nothing hears like my old Navy 390R. The DAK sits nicely along side them. But, all things must pass and I am about to clear out these old rigs. Not enough room anymore in the shack. Too much stuff!! 73 WX7U

[@Mister22x2]

I have 5 Dak Mark X's and I tune them myself. They all kick butt on the TX side but the receivers, like most Lafayette and Kraco radios, are lacking in adjacent channel rejection. That said, I'll still take a Dak X over most base stations with the Tram Radios having the edge and being one exception. I wouldn't give you a dollar for a Dak Mark IX.

[@TREEHUGGAH1]

that is one good lookin radio and it sounds powerful!!!! what a gem.yout lucky to have so many fine rigs.ENJOY.last tuesday the 10 meter band was flat.i couldnt even get anything on any of my shortwave radios.better luck this week i am hoping. 73 my friend,davy

[@m0ogy]

A Very impressive looking radio

[@cmj20002]

I know this is an older video, but I love that radio. Now some say they have a lot of issues due to the quality of the board. Still, I can fix just about anything electronic, so I am looking to pick one of these up broken or not. These are really nice radios.

[@KLewisChef]

wow.. i can hear those same guys on channel 6 out here in seattle

[@freakzilla10]

WOW! thats a steal! wish i could get one like that for 100 bucks!

[@fortymobile]

Had one and cold solder joints all day long.......But one hell of a good looking radio...i used to get a popping noise when i unkeyed ...

[@bryanmiles4759]

I have a DAK 9. And a DAK 10 with extra channels!!!!!!!

[@Team-fabulous]

What a fantastic looking radio, ya lucky sod.. Enjoy it....

[@billdojeepin]

That rig is awesome.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

It kinda looks like that lost age of alloy hifi from the 70's. A nice solid thing to own.

[@TheZeke1974]

If they had used a Cobra 148 board instead of a crap Hy Gain board this radio would have been a real gem!!!

[@SamuelBarrPhotography]

What would it cost to do that board replacement?

[@djdanger1969]

A buddy of mine called these a pack-a-sac Dak

[@cdm1250uhf1]

Really nice basestation, I wish I had one.

[@ivanildoalbuquerque864]

Lindo rádio, por perto, parabéns pelo gosto de falar pelo px achei bonita a sua estação.

[@eyeballll]

The DAK was a very handsome radio.

[@OrionDenali]

and I'm BACKOUT! My, my... those were the days. Enjoyed the daylights out of my Galaxy Rig but I'd love to have tube finals for sure!!!

[@philb7617]

This beautiful looking rig deserves a Uniden Grant XL board - LoL!

[@RadioHamGuy]

Phil B It sure does, deserves a much better board than they had anyhow!

[@RadioHamGuy]

I didn't go that far with it yet, I just got it back into working condition and left it at that for now, it is on the list for a someday project though. Thanks for all the nice comments also!

[@buzzsah]

WOW!!! I had one until my X sold it on me. If you come across one at the fair price let me know.

[@mikebottiaux5850]

I'll agree with you, it did fill up my desk nicely.

[@jpbrown1963]

Nice to look at radio

[@Radionut]

OK Thanks for your reply! Harder to find that I thought!

[@jackfrost9728]

nice looking radio. Tube finals hard to burn out with high SWR. Too bad she don't work too well. But looks awesome!

[@RadioHamGuy]

It is the AGC or automatic gain control on the receiver, slow setting kind of evens the sound out and you don't hear as much of the noise in between words.

[@sip26081]

nice old radio i have a old President Vegas and only 2 watt. gr, Sip from the neteherlands

[@RadioHamGuy]

Yes, I sure wish they would have done that! Then it would be a super radio.

[@RadioHamGuy]

@Delivered0ne That is a great idea, I just don't know how much time I want to put into it, but that would be an improvement!

[@321reh]

@2:49...Those Analog Meters Look So Damn Sexy!!! ( So does this CB Radio!!!)Thanks Once Again For An Awesome Video!!! Best Regards Rick

[@eogg25]

the thing looks like a stereo receiver. i beleive i had a dak turntable. beleive it or not they are still in business but not doing CB radio's. i buy Cb,s at rummage sales whenever i see them and resell them. nobody really uses them around hear except truckers.have fun

[@RadioHamGuy]

@Delivered0ne I have not done that much research on the board so you may be right. I guess I am not very familiar with the Mark Sidewinder board off hand either...if you find more info than I have here, please post it here if you think about it, that would be great!

[@glenwoofit]

WoW, That looks great!!!

[@RadioHamGuy]

@eogg25 Yes, I was wondering if it was the same company and I am thinking it was but not for sure. I used to have some DAK stereo stuff around here made with the DAK name on it also and am thinking they maybe decided to try something different during the CB boom and see how that went also. But I may be wrong too.

[@nedabernathy3660]

There is a conversion to higher wattage tubes that causes about 70 watts pep

[@richseverson2840]

Had one of these. It was a HH Scott ship to shore telephone. KILLER modulation.

[@generalingwer4341]

Beautiful unit.ive seen them only in photos.never owned one.would be curious of MSRP price? Mercedes all way!

[@RadioHamGuy]

@fordbroncodave I got it from someone local who was getting rid of a bunch of radio stuff, I paid 100 bucks for that and another SSB base and AM base and some test gear. I like the looks of the Dak but it is really lacking in quality inside so I would never pay very much for one. My GTL 148 still works better on the air and sounds better, too bad they didn't use that board inside instead of the Hy-Gain board. Ok on the CPI, I think I remember those, cool looking radios! I will check out..

[@magoolew5131]

I have the same radio, but I think it's only AM. I thought mine was a 10, but maybe it's just a DAK AM. I don't have side band as far as I can remember.I haven't been on it for years because of a mic keying problem. I don't know if it in the radio or the mic.

[@northdakotaham1752]

Gotta get a bigger desk for that one!

[@RadioHamGuy]

North Dakota Ham lol, that is for sure Kevin!

[@RadioHamGuy]

Yes, 10 meters sure has been kind of flat again lately, I check out 28.400 a few times every day usually, not hearing much in the last few days anyhow. Waiting for it to improve again.

[@carlosm2637]

Estaba muy bonito!

[@1OFGODSOWN]

With that serial number this was a late model or series 3 production unit.Mine is a Series 1 production.Maybe it would be nice to have 1 of each of the 3 production runs? In my opinion the DAK Mark X is by far the most beautiful & impressive looking radios of any kind ever built much less a CB Radio.That brushed aluminum face plate & those four large meters when lit up for sure catches the eye & draws attention to the radio.many say they lacked in performance but I prefer mine over my Browning Golden Eagle MK III,Golden Eagle Mk IVA,& my President Madison (1st generation) or any other CB Radio I have ever used or owned & that is a very long list.It's a keeper & does everything I need from it & more & it has never had any mods of any kind including the clarifier mod & it's almost straight up & down on frequency across the 40 channels as it should be.I have the Original Astatic Black DAK D-104 with it as well & not a repainted & relabeled copy.It's an AUDIO MONSTER on transmit & I'm talking Smokin Loud Audio just like I like them. {:>)

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

it is a shame that the Transceiver doesn't use a Phasing SSB modulator/demodulator using a BQSD based around the PI5V331 and 74HC74 chips which means no sproggies. and I think it is weird that no manufacturer doesn't use a (BQSD/BQSE) as an RF UP/DN converter to take 455kc up to 26.965-27.99125 back down to 455kc and it would get rid of intermixing products (Sproggies).

[@nickbaird3728]

I want to buy the dak

[@chortride]

I like my Dak Mark X a lot. The internal speaker doesn't sound very good. I has a very high tiny sound that make the receive difficult to understand. The only thing this unit is missing is a tone control circuit.

[@goudrelle1]

They had cheap circuit board, I know, I had one of these in the past and i had to bring voltage in some of the circuit by welding wires from one end to another, not sure how mary wires i had welded on these boards LOL, but they were nice looking !!!!!

[@RadioHamGuy]

+orignalbuckaroo Yup, very nice looking but the board sure didn't match up to the looks of the radio, it could have been so much more. It probably sold very well on the looks alone. Oh well.

[@Radionut]

RadioHamGuy I've had mine for quite some time yeah it needed repair due to a stupid fault of mine. I disagree with the part about the weak board. But that's just me. does anyone know a source of those mode switches? I've got one on my radio with a broken tip and would like to replace it

[@nedabernathy3660]

Still have a Stoner Pro 40 :)

[@RadioHamGuy]

@TheZeke1974 I have to agree, the radio looks great but the performance is not that great and the board is not high quality by any means.

[@animalcorvair]

worked on many i still have one,, they are bad like the 9s on cold solder joints ,

[@chortride]

Hey there Radio HAM Guy. I'm in need of a back panel for a Dak Mark X that's in good condition without extra holes. Regards,

[@deonwhite201]

I bought this radio on Ebay

[@joemamma302]

i got a problem with the recieve i think q20 may be blown but i wonder what you think its like the recieve is weak i hear who is talking to me but i have no noise level it just goes full quiet and takes alot of noise to budge the meter

[@19GN03]

Awesome look like right from the factory 73's 19AC125

[@watergate528]

Damn shame that the internals don't match the flash of the external radio! Still, a sharp looking unit!

[@225rc]

Snake radio coustoms,I went to your sight an you don't have a scope and your comments are turned off.wonder why,hiding something

[@79tazman]

Love shooting skip on SB

[@giovanniberry1611]

great radio

[@buzzsah]

Big, empty, good talking CB. i had one and replaced all the knobs with push / pull using them for the 10m conversion, and a tUG-8 D104.

[@breedogg60]

Hello can you make some copies of your Dak MK x radio plz? I’m getting one and going to need the manual Thank you for your videos!

[@RadioHamGuy]

Glad you enjoy the videos, thank you. I am not sure what I have here anymore for documents I don't think I had much on it but will look in my filles, been a while since I did this video and not sure what I have now. If I come up with something I can sure send copies to you.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Not sure off hand, look pretty common though, should be out there, maybe someone else can leave a suggestion.

[@fordbroncodave]

larry where did you get that and how much? i have never seen that radio up close before but heard good things about them from forums. also, you might want to check out a CPI 2000 base radio! way cool! if you have a directional beam antenna point it left of the twin cities just a tiny bit. very active up here every night at 9pm on 38 or 40 lsb

[@billybonewhacker]

I realy like that unit. And im glad they mmade it so compact and low profile.i prefer somthing a little larger my self like maybe range or perhhaps coffee table sized . But hey any port in a storm right? B.s. aside great job :)

[@gordonbennet65xxx]

interesting technology. ic`s combined with valves. is that common with those types of units ?

[@vasilepop4369]

Very neat! 73 de VA6POP

[@thebad300]

just found one new in box today when going thru my grandparents stuff

[@soylentgreen6476]

Is the radio for sale?

[@thebad300]

Soylent Green one of my uncles took it and he a bit of a horder

[@soylentgreen6476]

Thebad300 That's cool! Thanks for the reply.

[@garysherman6712]

Do you want to sell

[@foxman362]

I wish they had these radios on ebay......

[@Delivered0ne]

@RadioHamGuy Isn't it basically a J.C.Penny's 6241 circuit board? What do you know about the board in the Mark Sidewinder?

[@Radionut]

darn it broke one of the flip switches. Do you(or anyone) know where I can get them? I love my DAK X

[@kayakbassfishing473]

Radio Ham Guy I had that very DAK Mark X back in 1978 79 can I please buy it from you sir or can you let me know where I can find one please

[@RadioHamGuy]

Sounds great on owning the radio back then, I remember them at the time and thought they were very cool but never had one back then. I want to keep this one for now. I don't know of anyone else who has one either sorry to say. Keep an eye on ebay and places like that or maybe someone else will reply to you hear.

[@Bens359pete]

Good morning. Could you tell me what the 2 screws on bottom left on back of dak ix are for? Are they for station grounding. There is not one like your dak 10 near ext speaker jack

[@Radionut]

Hey ham radio guy do you have a good clean copy of the schematic for the 10? I can't find one anywhere. I want to modify mine so we can go mobile on 13.8 V power from the car. If you have it let me know thanks buddy

[@richardwatson8822]

what should the plate current run at ? Thanks . good looking radio .

[@Jhorak101]

Would you know how to get a PDF version of you tech Manuel for that radio ? I have a friend here in Central texas that own one and is in need of the owners Manuel. Thanks.

[@1OFGODSOWN]

The PDF for the manual & service manual are available online for FREE download.Google is your friend.

[@alfredindy8058]

That reminds me of the Galaxy Saturn radio with it's dual finals.

[@koen577]

Hi! I have a dak 9 radio, and most of the time I can hear just fine, but i cannot transmit worth a damn, no one out of a range of half a mile or so can hear me. My mic works fine, there is modulation. What kind of antenna are you using? What is your SWR at? Can you help me at all?

[@RadioHamGuy]

+Koen577 I am just using a sloper dipole I made cut for 11 meters sloping off the side of my tower so I have vert polarization. Works very well for me and I have it cut for 1:1 SWR.

[@79tazman]

Did you peak and tune it see how many watts you can get out of her??

[@giuseppecuffaro-1398]

Hello sir i got a dak mark x need some repairs on it are you available?

[@RadioHamGuy]

Very sorry, I am no longer doing repair work for anyone due to my recent eyesight issues, just not able to do that kind of work for anyone these days, hopefully you will be able to find someone able to do that.

[@hoskinmage]

I noticed a switch on the right side witch read slow and fast what does that button do I'm not familiar with the Dax 10

[@RadioHamGuy]

That is the AGC or automatic gain control for receive. Many CB radios don't have that but many SW radios and most all ham rigs have that.

[@hoskinmage]

What was it used for ,I really like the dax10 I was also wondering if you could put a 959 in it instead of the hygain board.i know it won't be original but wouldn't it be a good radio.i run an eagle 2000 with an eagle 1kw. Then the radio I most talk on is its big brother eagle 5000 .maybe we can talk someday I go by 273,or snowman in southeastern ky.