I'm off to get me a new radio. I'm trading in the cobra 19 dx III for
a cobra 29 ltd classic. I'm hoping you have some tips for me when I
return. I'm not saying I am going to mess with the inside cause i am
still a little afraid to do that, but if there are some pots to turn
that are foolprrof then i will appreciate any input. I'm so excited
cause I really didn't want the 19 dx III to start with. I didn't have
the money, but I just couldn't wait. I hope I'm making a good choice.
I asked around and several said it was a good choice. Any info you can
give me would be great about this radio

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 15:07:47 -0400, Alex
wrote in :

I'm off to get me a new radio. I'm trading in the cobra 19 dx III for
a cobra 29 ltd classic. I'm hoping you have some tips for me when I
return. I'm not saying I am going to mess with the inside cause i am
still a little afraid to do that, but if there are some pots to turn
that are foolprrof then i will appreciate any input. I'm so excited
cause I really didn't want the 19 dx III to start with. I didn't have
the money, but I just couldn't wait. I hope I'm making a good choice.
I asked around and several said it was a good choice. Any info you can
give me would be great about this radio


Here's the best advice I can give: If it works, don't **** with it!
The 29 LTD is a very decent radio. Please keep it that way.

Some will suggest tweaking VR-this or VR-that, but avoid the
temptation. You may notice an improvement, but it's usually at the
expense of something you don't notice. For example, if you tweak up
the modulation pot, you will certainly increase your audio. But the
pot is set at the factory for 90 to 97% modulation, which is just
dandy. Turn it up and you run the risk of overmodulation, an effect
you can hear when someone bleeds over onto adjacent channels. It can
also cause interference to your neighbor's boob-tube. The frequent
modification of "snipping the limiter" has the same effect. Another
reason to avoid tweaks: People like to turn the power pot to get an
extra couple watts. Now I already pointed out that a couple extra
watts isn't going to make any noticable difference. But if you -do-
tweak the power you must also tweak the modulation to match the new
carrier or your modulation drops and your audio gets quieter instead
of louder. And after that you must compensate for the increased power
consumption by the radio, assuming the heat-sinks for the power
transistors are capable of the increased power. If not, you could fry
your driver or final and your radio goes to the shop. Another tweak is
to the voltage regulator, but that can change the voltage regulation
of the PLL (frequency circuit) and send your radio transmitting
anywhere but where you want. Etc, etc.

CB radio is a plug-n-play concept. If you want to start tweaking
transmitters, look into getting a ham license. They are cheap, the
test is unbelievably easy (you get to memorize the questions before
the test!), and there are lots of hams that are more than willing to
help you get started with the hobby.

Anyway, back to your new radio. First, get an external speaker. Not a
horn speaker, but one you can use inside the vehicle. Even an old car
stereo speaker will work. There are two speaker jacks on the rear of
the radio: PA and EXT. Use the EXT jack. You will notice a =-BIG-=
improvement in sound quality over the cheap little speakers that
usually come inside stock radios.

Next, find a good place to mount it. Try to mount it on, or as close
as possible to, the chassis or dash. Run the negative power lead to
the closest point that contacts the chassis -- the closer the better,
and cut the lead as short as possible. If you can mount it directly to
the chassis (like the transmission hump or under the dash), run the
negative lead to the mounting bracket. Or, as an alternative, run both
power leads to your power source and run a third wire (again, as short
as possible) from a screw on the back of the radio to the vehicle
chassis/dash. Make sure all connections are good, clean and tight.

Let me know when you get ready to install the antenna and coax.

Frank Gilliland wrote:

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 15:07:47 -0400, Alex
wrote in :


I'm off to get me a new radio. I'm trading in the cobra 19 dx III for
a cobra 29 ltd classic. I'm hoping you have some tips for me when I
return. I'm not saying I am going to mess with the inside cause i am
still a little afraid to do that, but if there are some pots to turn
that are foolprrof then i will appreciate any input. I'm so excited
cause I really didn't want the 19 dx III to start with. I didn't have
the money, but I just couldn't wait. I hope I'm making a good choice.
I asked around and several said it was a good choice. Any info you can
give me would be great about this radio



Here's the best advice I can give: If it works, don't **** with it!
The 29 LTD is a very decent radio. Please keep it that way.

Some will suggest tweaking VR-this or VR-that, but avoid the
temptation. You may notice an improvement, but it's usually at the
expense of something you don't notice. For example, if you tweak up
the modulation pot, you will certainly increase your audio. But the
pot is set at the factory for 90 to 97% modulation, which is just
dandy. Turn it up and you run the risk of overmodulation, an effect
you can hear when someone bleeds over onto adjacent channels. It can
also cause interference to your neighbor's boob-tube. The frequent
modification of "snipping the limiter" has the same effect. Another
reason to avoid tweaks: People like to turn the power pot to get an
extra couple watts. Now I already pointed out that a couple extra
watts isn't going to make any noticable difference. But if you -do-
tweak the power you must also tweak the modulation to match the new
carrier or your modulation drops and your audio gets quieter instead
of louder. And after that you must compensate for the increased power
consumption by the radio, assuming the heat-sinks for the power
transistors are capable of the increased power. If not, you could fry
your driver or final and your radio goes to the shop. Another tweak is
to the voltage regulator, but that can change the voltage regulation
of the PLL (frequency circuit) and send your radio transmitting
anywhere but where you want. Etc, etc.

CB radio is a plug-n-play concept. If you want to start tweaking
transmitters, look into getting a ham license. They are cheap, the
test is unbelievably easy (you get to memorize the questions before
the test!), and there are lots of hams that are more than willing to
help you get started with the hobby.

Anyway, back to your new radio. First, get an external speaker. Not a
horn speaker, but one you can use inside the vehicle. Even an old car
stereo speaker will work. There are two speaker jacks on the rear of
the radio: PA and EXT. Use the EXT jack. You will notice a =-BIG-=
improvement in sound quality over the cheap little speakers that
usually come inside stock radios.

Next, find a good place to mount it. Try to mount it on, or as close
as possible to, the chassis or dash. Run the negative power lead to
the closest point that contacts the chassis -- the closer the better,
and cut the lead as short as possible. If you can mount it directly to
the chassis (like the transmission hump or under the dash), run the
negative lead to the mounting bracket. Or, as an alternative, run both
power leads to your power source and run a third wire (again, as short
as possible) from a screw on the back of the radio to the vehicle
chassis/dash. Make sure all connections are good, clean and tight.

Let me know when you get ready to install the antenna and coax.



excellant post frank.

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 17:55:10 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 15:07:47 -0400, Alex
wrote in :

I'm off to get me a new radio. I'm trading in the cobra 19 dx III for
a cobra 29 ltd classic. I'm hoping you have some tips for me when I
return. I'm not saying I am going to mess with the inside cause i am
still a little afraid to do that, but if there are some pots to turn
that are foolprrof then i will appreciate any input. I'm so excited
cause I really didn't want the 19 dx III to start with. I didn't have
the money, but I just couldn't wait. I hope I'm making a good choice.
I asked around and several said it was a good choice. Any info you can
give me would be great about this radio


Here's the best advice I can give: If it works, don't **** with it!
The 29 LTD is a very decent radio. Please keep it that way.

Thanks for that. I do get tempted though, but am not gonna touch it.

Some will suggest tweaking VR-this or VR-that, but avoid the
temptation. You may notice an improvement, but it's usually at the
expense of something you don't notice. For example, if you tweak up
the modulation pot, you will certainly increase your audio. But the
pot is set at the factory for 90 to 97% modulation, which is just
dandy. Turn it up and you run the risk of overmodulation, an effect
you can hear when someone bleeds over onto adjacent channels. It can
also cause interference to your neighbor's boob-tube. The frequent
modification of "snipping the limiter" has the same effect. Another
reason to avoid tweaks: People like to turn the power pot to get an
extra couple watts. Now I already pointed out that a couple extra
watts isn't going to make any noticable difference. But if you -do-
tweak the power you must also tweak the modulation to match the new
carrier or your modulation drops and your audio gets quieter instead
of louder. And after that you must compensate for the increased power
consumption by the radio, assuming the heat-sinks for the power
transistors are capable of the increased power. If not, you could fry
your driver or final and your radio goes to the shop. Another tweak is
to the voltage regulator, but that can change the voltage regulation
of the PLL (frequency circuit) and send your radio transmitting
anywhere but where you want. Etc, etc.

Okay, for a newbie not much of that makes sense, but I get where your
coming from.

CB radio is a plug-n-play concept. If you want to start tweaking
transmitters, look into getting a ham license. They are cheap, the
test is unbelievably easy (you get to memorize the questions before
the test!), and there are lots of hams that are more than willing to
help you get started with the hobby.

Gotcha.

Anyway, back to your new radio. First, get an external speaker. Not a
horn speaker, but one you can use inside the vehicle. Even an old car
stereo speaker will work. There are two speaker jacks on the rear of
the radio: PA and EXT. Use the EXT jack. You will notice a =-BIG-=
improvement in sound quality over the cheap little speakers that
usually come inside stock radios.

Next, find a good place to mount it. Try to mount it on, or as close
as possible to, the chassis or dash. Run the negative power lead to
the closest point that contacts the chassis -- the closer the better,
and cut the lead as short as possible. If you can mount it directly to
the chassis (like the transmission hump or under the dash), run the
negative lead to the mounting bracket. Or, as an alternative, run both
power leads to your power source and run a third wire (again, as short
as possible) from a screw on the back of the radio to the vehicle
chassis/dash. Make sure all connections are good, clean and tight.

Let me know when you get ready to install the antenna and coax.

I have an antenna now, magnet mount 36" base loaded. I've adjusted the
SWR with a external meter. With this antenna the best i could get was
2 SWR. I'm sure most of my problems are from the antenna. It's a $20
antenna from the truckstop. and I have dont all I can do with it. It's
mounted in the center, but some advised put it about 6-12inches from
the windshield.

By problems I mean I'm not getting anything coming in clearly, all
kinds of static. I had the Gain to max, so that might have been just a
distant signal (like I said I'm still playing with the controls) I'm a
newbie who feels that i should be able to hear everyone at all times.
( right now I am just enjoying listening) When I set the gain lower I
hear nothing ( could be just noone around ) It's not like I live in a
town where alot of action goes on, so I think that is just my paranoia
thinking that my radio is not working right.

I know how to operate squelch, but on my other radio cobra 19 dxIII
thats all I had to worry about . Now, with the squelch all the way
down I don't even get the hissing sound unless I turn up the gain a
pretty good bit, and then thats when I get those weak signals coming
in. When someone is transmitting on the meter bottom line is signal,
it stays between 1-3, more towards 1.5- 2 lots of static, but as soon
as someone comes in clear it jumps up 3 or further ( I'm assuming they
are closer ) which I like so much. *LOL*

So my theory, as a newbie, My radio is fine, and I'm not gonna open
the case. I'm just getting over anxious, and my antenna is not one of
the best, and just hoping that with a better antenna those weak
signals that i am hearing will come in much better with a better
antenna. Because of everything I have read the one thing thats keep
sticking out in my mind is that the cheapest of radios can be all that
you need as long as you dont go cheap on the antenna.

I'm broke right now, and just hoping when I get the wilson 1000
magnet mount it will get better. I'd like to go for the little will,
because it's not so dang long but not sure if it will get out as good
as the 1000. The reason is the radio is on my van, and with the 62"
wilson 1000 I want even be able to pull under my carpot without it
scraping the ceiling. I wish I knew how to install one that wasn't a
magnet mount, and maybe I could put it on the back side of the van,
and drop it down a little, and I hate to have to pay someone to
install a antenna. I'm just kind of bummed out right now.

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 17:55:10 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:


Anyway, back to your new radio. First, get an external speaker. Not a
horn speaker, but one you can use inside the vehicle. Even an old car
stereo speaker will work. There are two speaker jacks on the rear of
the radio: PA and EXT. Use the EXT jack. You will notice a =-BIG-=
improvement in sound quality over the cheap little speakers that
usually come inside stock radios.

I have a extra speaker that hooks up to my little mini stereo that I
never use. I figured I would try it out just to see. Remember now I am
a newbie, and messing with all these wires and stuff makes me a bit
nervous. On the back of the Cobra 29 LTD Classic is the place for it
just like you said EXT, but it's a round hole. One the back of the
speaker I have is two wires, one red, one black. There must be some
type of a adapter I can purchase. I hate to buy a new external speaker
if this speaker here will work. What do i need? Thanks so much for all
the help you have given me.

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 17:55:10 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:


Anyway, back to your new radio. First, get an external speaker. Not a
horn speaker, but one you can use inside the vehicle. Even an old car
stereo speaker will work. There are two speaker jacks on the rear of
the radio: PA and EXT. Use the EXT jack. You will notice a =-BIG-=
improvement in sound quality over the cheap little speakers that
usually come inside stock radios.

I have a extra speaker that hooks up to my little mini stereo that I
never use. I figured I would try it out just to see. Remember now I am
a newbie, and messing with all these wires and stuff makes me a bit
nervous. On the back of the Cobra 29 LTD Classic is the place for it
just like you said EXT, but it's a round hole. One the back of the
speaker I have is two wires, one red, one black. There must be some
type of a adapter I can purchase. I hate to buy a new external speaker
if this speaker here will work. What do i need? Thanks so much for all
the help you have given me. Not sure if this helps but it says 4 ohm
on the back of the speaker

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 01:34:42 -0400, Alex
wrote in :

snip
I have an antenna now, magnet mount 36" base loaded. I've adjusted the
SWR with a external meter. With this antenna the best i could get was
2 SWR. I'm sure most of my problems are from the antenna. It's a $20
antenna from the truckstop. and I have dont all I can do with it. It's
mounted in the center, but some advised put it about 6-12inches from
the windshield.


An SWR of 2:1 isn't bad, but 36" just doesn't cut the mustard. Save
the mag-mount for emergencies and see below.


By problems I mean I'm not getting anything coming in clearly, all
kinds of static. I had the Gain to max, so that might have been just a
distant signal (like I said I'm still playing with the controls) I'm a
newbie who feels that i should be able to hear everyone at all times.
( right now I am just enjoying listening) When I set the gain lower I
hear nothing ( could be just noone around ) It's not like I live in a
town where alot of action goes on, so I think that is just my paranoia
thinking that my radio is not working right.

I know how to operate squelch, but on my other radio cobra 19 dxIII
thats all I had to worry about . Now, with the squelch all the way
down I don't even get the hissing sound unless I turn up the gain a
pretty good bit, and then thats when I get those weak signals coming
in. When someone is transmitting on the meter bottom line is signal,
it stays between 1-3, more towards 1.5- 2 lots of static, but as soon
as someone comes in clear it jumps up 3 or further ( I'm assuming they
are closer ) which I like so much. *LOL*


Welcome to the wonderful world of radio communications.


So my theory, as a newbie, My radio is fine, and I'm not gonna open
the case. I'm just getting over anxious, and my antenna is not one of
the best, and just hoping that with a better antenna those weak
signals that i am hearing will come in much better with a better
antenna. Because of everything I have read the one thing thats keep
sticking out in my mind is that the cheapest of radios can be all that
you need as long as you dont go cheap on the antenna.


It sticks in your mind because it's mostly true. I say "mostly"
because there are some radios out there with less-than-ideal
performance (the TRC-435 comes to mind), but generally they all do
pretty much the same job -- the only major differences are in the
bells and whistles. And just remember that no matter what radio or
antenna you are using, you will -always- have weak signals.


I'm broke right now, and just hoping when I get the wilson 1000
magnet mount it will get better. I'd like to go for the little will,
because it's not so dang long but not sure if it will get out as good
as the 1000. The reason is the radio is on my van, and with the 62"
wilson 1000 I want even be able to pull under my carpot without it
scraping the ceiling. I wish I knew how to install one that wasn't a
magnet mount, and maybe I could put it on the back side of the van,
and drop it down a little, and I hate to have to pay someone to
install a antenna. I'm just kind of bummed out right now.


If you can drill a hole, you can install an antenna. And you may not
even have to drill a hole......

I've seen two really good places to mount an antenna on a van. The
first is a side- or rear-mounted ball near the roof. If you are short
on funds you can probably find one of those for a couple bucks at your
local pick-&-pull wrecking yard. And you can figure out how to install
it by uninstalling it from another vehicle (slick, huh?).

Another option is a mirror-mount antenna. The advantage is that the
mount clamps to the mirror bracket and you don't have to drill any
holes. But these are a little tricky because your mirror bracket must
be grounded to the door which must be grounded to the vehicle, and you
must route the coax through the door in a way that doesn't pinch or
repeatedly bend the coax.

Personally, I don't have any problems with drilling holes in my
vehicles. But if you do, think about making a mounting bracket. It's
just a piece of sheet metal that can be bolted under the hood or to
the inside of a door frame, and the antenna mount bolts to the
bracket. Works fine. Just don't forget to file down the corners and
sharp edges (that's a blood-loss thing, not an RF thing).

Most important is that your mount should have a 3/8-24 stud. This is
the standard mount and will allow you to use the widest variety of
antennas, from a 9' whip to a 6" stubby (which will give you about as
much range as your headlights). And you can change them as fast as you
can unscrew one and screw on another. Longer antennas can be mounted
with a spring which, as I think you can obviously see, is better than
stopping to put the mag-mount antenna back on the roof every time it
gets knocked off. You have an advantage with a van because you could
keep a nice collection of antennas in there without a problem.

Another issue is coax. Despite what others may claim, the standard
RG-58 is fine. But DON'T use foam coax -- it's not for outdoor use and
can cause problems in a very short time. You can buy the coax new, but
you can get it much cheaper if you know where to look -- computer
shops and recycling yards. A lot of LANs used high-quality RG-58, and
now that people are going wireless there is lots of this used coax
available, much of it in excellent condition because it was installed
indoors. Many LANs use RG-59, but don't use that. It has different
characteristics and will not work as well as RG-58.

And don't use crimp-on or twist-on connectors. This is one thing you
might want to pay someone to do. Or, get a soldering gun and a few old
connectors and practice it yourself (which is the way the rest of us
learned). Then people will pay -you- to make -their- cables.

When you run the coax, don't crimp it against anything or make sharp
bends. If you have extra cable and don't want to cut and solder a new
connector, coil the extra into a figure 8 and tuck it somewhere safe.
I'm sure someone will question the reasons for the figure 8, but just
trust me on that one -- I haven't steered you wrong yet, have I?

Anyway, after you get everything installed, hook it up and check your
SWR. And by "check" I mean just make sure it's below about 3:1. The
SWR meter is frequently used to tune antennas and that's fine, but
don't obsess about getting it down to 1:1 because the SWR meter is not
the best meter to tune an antenna. However, it -is- a good meter to
tell if you have a major malfunction like a shorted coax or dirty
antenna stud, and that's when you will get an SWR of 3:1 or worse.

And I still recommend finding a good book on the subject. You said you
are broke, but public libraries are free (and they are a great place
to waste time and meet brainy chicks). There have been several books
written about CB radio. Probably the most common is Radio Shack's "All
About CB Two-Way Radio", which would serve well as the definitive CB
Radio FAQ. It even has a pictoral description on how to install a
ball-mount.

Take your time. Do what you think would be a professional job and you
shouldn't have any problems. Then start talking and enjoy the chaos of
CB radio.

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 04:25:35 -0400, Alex
wrote in :

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 17:55:10 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:


Anyway, back to your new radio. First, get an external speaker. Not a
horn speaker, but one you can use inside the vehicle. Even an old car
stereo speaker will work. There are two speaker jacks on the rear of
the radio: PA and EXT. Use the EXT jack. You will notice a =-BIG-=
improvement in sound quality over the cheap little speakers that
usually come inside stock radios.

I have a extra speaker that hooks up to my little mini stereo that I
never use. I figured I would try it out just to see. Remember now I am
a newbie, and messing with all these wires and stuff makes me a bit
nervous. On the back of the Cobra 29 LTD Classic is the place for it
just like you said EXT, but it's a round hole. One the back of the
speaker I have is two wires, one red, one black. There must be some
type of a adapter I can purchase. I hate to buy a new external speaker
if this speaker here will work. What do i need? Thanks so much for all
the help you have given me. Not sure if this helps but it says 4 ohm
on the back of the speaker


You just need a plug, 1/8" mono. Rat Shack has them, part #274-286. If
you can't solder, they might have one with screw terminals, or you
might find an old plug with the wires still on it and splice them
together. The wire colors are to match the phase of two stereo
speakers and shouldn't matter when using just one speaker. 4 ohms is
fine, just don't crank it up like a sub-woofer.

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 02:01:54 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:


You just need a plug, 1/8" mono. Rat Shack has them, part #274-286. If
you can't solder, they might have one with screw terminals, or you
might find an old plug with the wires still on it and splice them
together. The wire colors are to match the phase of two stereo
speakers and shouldn't matter when using just one speaker. 4 ohms is
fine, just don't crank it up like a sub-woofer.



Thanks so much for all your adivce man. I really appreciate it. I also
checked my spare bedroom, and found 2 10 watt 8ohm speakers as well.
You've gotten me wanting to try the antenna mount deal now. I hear
people talking about the 9' whip in almost every forum I go. Where do
I get it, and I also hear it is pretty cheap compared to other
antennas, and what i have read people seem to like that antenna.

I have a magnet mount that i purchased with my police scanner. It
comes in parts
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=20-032
or Catalog #: 20-032 if the link doesn't work.

I was thinking that maybe I could take it apart, and add it to my
antenna that i am using for my cb. In order to do that I would have to
use one of the little black connectors that you see in the photo, not
sure what they are called. I just don't know if those little black
thingies would cause interference or what. I did check and my cb
antenna would fit perfectly in that connector. that would make it
almost 50", not sure what i difference it would make

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 05:15:53 -0400, Alex
wrote in :

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 02:01:54 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:


You just need a plug, 1/8" mono. Rat Shack has them, part #274-286. If
you can't solder, they might have one with screw terminals, or you
might find an old plug with the wires still on it and splice them
together. The wire colors are to match the phase of two stereo
speakers and shouldn't matter when using just one speaker. 4 ohms is
fine, just don't crank it up like a sub-woofer.



Thanks so much for all your adivce man. I really appreciate it. I also
checked my spare bedroom, and found 2 10 watt 8ohm speakers as well.
You've gotten me wanting to try the antenna mount deal now. I hear
people talking about the 9' whip in almost every forum I go. Where do
I get it, and I also hear it is pretty cheap compared to other
antennas, and what i have read people seem to like that antenna.


9' whips are cheap because they are just a whip -- no loading coil, no
magnets, no matching networks, no nothing. It is the fundamental
1/4-wave vertical and is the most efficient mobile antenna you can get
for CB radio.


I have a magnet mount that i purchased with my police scanner. It
comes in parts
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=20-032
or Catalog #: 20-032 if the link doesn't work.

I was thinking that maybe I could take it apart, and add it to my
antenna that i am using for my cb. In order to do that I would have to
use one of the little black connectors that you see in the photo, not
sure what they are called. I just don't know if those little black
thingies would cause interference or what. I did check and my cb
antenna would fit perfectly in that connector. that would make it
almost 50", not sure what i difference it would make


This will NOT work. You need a primer in antennas. Basically, they
have a specific length for the frequency to be used. CB radio uses
frequencies around 27 MHz, which translates into a 1/4-wave vertical
of about 9'. Lower frequencies require longer antennas; higher
frequencies require shorter antennas. Scanners cover a very wide range
of frequencies, and therefore require a very special antenna.

Maybe Jay or some other antenna guru can explain this better or point
you to a good page.