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October 7th 04, 02:54 AM
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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. |
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