You didn't say the brand of the antenna or where it is mounted. The antenna
is the most important part of the whole system. You want an SWR of 1.5:1 or
lower. One common mistake is to put something under a mag mount antenna to
protect the paint. Don't do it. You'll never get a good SWR reading. Also,
unless it is a shunt loaded antenna like the Wilsons, you want the loading
coil above the roof. You'll be happy with the Wilson and if you can mount
it, get the trunk mount. They are harder to steal and give a better ground.
The radio you have should do just fine, once you get your antena problems
worked out.

As for the peak and tune deal, there are many opinions and preferences.
Firstly, the radio is designed around a 4 watt output. It is adjusted not
only to meet the 4 watt legal limit but also to minimize harmonics. Just
leave it alone and definitely don't have parts changed. The Mega-tune didn't
sound too bad til I got to the parts changing part. I usually tweak the
modulation up just a hair but never disable the limiter. Invest in a good
power mic like an Astatic, Turner, or even a Cobra CA-75. This will improve
your audio tremendously. If you want to talk farther, look for a radio with
upper and lower sideband. I won't go into a big explanation but if you want
to know about AM and SSB, do some internet searching. There's alot more to
it than can be explained here. Also check out
http://www.1stopelectronics.com . There is a forum there that you can read
through and ask questions. There are some people who do some crazy things
with radios but also alot of people with some good advice on good basic
radios.

Chris

"Alex" wrote in message
...
| I just purchased a Cobra 19 DX III and a 36" base loaded magnet mount
| antenna. So far I'm picking up pretty good, and transmitting well
| also. I don't think I'm getting out there as far as i can. Most likely
| this Friday I will be purchasing a Wilson 1000 Magnet Mount to replace
| the antenna I have now. Is that going to get me out there a little
| more (the wilson 1000) No modifications have been made to this radio
| and have not been able to find any either. I purchased it brand new at
| a Pilot Truckstop, and am sure it is only putting out 4 watts (fcc
| required). Will the Wilson make me receive further or transmit further
| or both, or neither? I'm new and feel it all has to do with how much
| your getting out ( 4 watts doesn't seem to good )
|
| Maybe I don't need a new radio, maybe the wilson 1000 will do what I
| want it to do. I get so sick of losing communication once I'm not
| close to truckers anymore. What do I need to do? I want to make sure i
| am getting out as far as possible.
|
| My other dilemma:
|
| I've been looking here http://www.wilsonantennas.com/cobracb.shtml at
| some of the radios and the three that have caught my eye a
|
| Cobra 29 LTD Night Watch Classic
|
| Cobra 25 LTD Classic
|
| Cobra 148 GTL Classic
|
| The site also offers two tuning options before shipping. Which one
| should I go for? Seems like the Mega Tune. One more question below as
| well. The tuning options a
|
| The Mega Tune 29.99
|
| Our Mega Tune is designed to provide you with loud booming audio while
| still maintaining a clean and clear signal. If you looking to sound
| raspy or bleed over many channels this defiantly isn't the
| modification for you. Our techs have worked very hard to perfect this
| modification. The mega tune will not void any factory warranties, it
| will not damage your radio and it will not make your radio run warmer
| than normal. We also do not remove or disable any part of the AMC or
| ALC circuit. We do upgrade various parts of the audio circuit with
| higher wattage or better quality parts. We also do a few other
| modifications that make the radios wave form, when viewed on an
| oscilloscope more linear. This means of course you will sound as loud
| as possible while still maintaining maximum clarity. If you are
| looking for maximum performance from your radio we recommend you have
| us perform this modification. We also completely warranty all work
| performed by our service department. The mega tune will also increase
| your peak power. Dual final radios after being mega tuned typically
| put out over 40 watts and single final radios typically put out over
| 30 watts.
|
| The True Tune 10.00
|
| Our True Tune is like a basic peak and tune. When you receive your
| radio that have been True Tuned by Premiere Electronics you can rest
| assured that your radio is operating at it's maximum efficiency. We go
| through your radio and re-align the transmitter section. The reason
| this is necessary is because from the factory most radios just aren't
| working at their best. The factories don't have the time to sit down
| with every radio and precisely tune it. They generally get it in the
| ball park, but if you are interested in performance, you need the true
| tune. Every modification we perform is backed up with our unbeatable
| warranty! Like always, none of our work will void any factory
| warranties.
|
| Last question: The one that bugs me.
|
| I purchased a SWR Meter from Radio shack. It was the cheapest one they
| had and I am on a budget here, because some they had were way to
| expensive. The one I got was
|
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=21-534
| I took it back because nothing seemed to make much difference, or I
| wasn't operating it right, seemed to always fall in the red. The
| antenna I have the only way to adjust is to move antenna up and down.
| Maybe I wasn't in a good location. I finally got it to 2.3, and just
| left it. My question is was I operating it right to finally get a 2.3
| or is that just a cheap ass SWR Meter?
|
| I really hope someone has the time to answer and help out a newbie as
| I am very interested in Cb's since i finally broke down and got me
| one. I just want to be able to transmit and receive as far as possible
| without breaking the law to bad. Not ready for a amplifier or anything
| like that.
|
| I seem to like the site I am planning on purchasing from unless
| someone out here tells me there is no need for another radio because
| the Wilson 1000 will do what i want. I guess the reason i also like
| them is that they will tune and get everything running just right
| before they ship it. I know that wasn't done to the one I have now.
|
| If you want to email me feel free.
|
|