TTeaberry was a big name in the 70's (remember the Teaberry Stalker 202?), and the Stalker XX was one of the last "BIG" rigs to hit the market in the late 70's. It had a lot of great features, but like many rigs of the later years - not easy to modify. Let's look at the technical points first:

As you can see by the picture, this rig is stylish, and it's looks are rather distinctive, as most Teaberry's were. You might think it was an easy rig to modify, but not so...(the Stalker XX Domestic version uses the 8734 PLL which has pin 1 disabled internally, while the Stalker XX export model had the easy-2-mod 8719 chip). I found the Stalker XX very easy to use, and it's wood grain front and top case, along with the chrome trim were made some of my older rigs in the shack jealous. The microphone uses the familiar 5 pin connector, and I received some nice audio reports from just the hand microphone.

Receive audio was good, and the Tone control was a definite plus, and this internal speaker actually sounded pretty good (compared to others that seem pretty tinny). The only downsides I found were:

1. Not easy to modify. While it's nice to have a "stock" rig, it's also nice to have options. [NOTE: the PLL chip can be replaced by the 8719 PLL chip, but these are getting harder to find]

2. Adjacent channel rejection on SSB was only average (as compared to my model of comparison, the Stoner Pro 40). Once again, if you live in a rural area, of someplace NOT near a major freeway, this isn't much of an issue. [When I say "average" I mean: Pretty decent and not as bad as an RCI or Midland 79-290]

CONCLUSION:

The Stalker XX Domestic is a nice radio to operate within the 40ch. spectrum . Modification can be done via PLL switching (risky for do-it-yourselfer's) or kits are known to be available. It should make a fine addition to your collection or, for everyday 40ch. use!

73

Woody