well i was using a wilson mag. base antenna.. then i remebered that i had a 3' firestik that i had on my jeep...

so i drilled a hole in the bottom of the pass side stake pocket and installed it there... i then tuned the SWR using the SWR CAL **** on my Cobra 29..

well now it wont send when i "key up" ( i can tell by the RF meter, it doesnt move) but it recievs some kind of signal, i can see it moving around when i am not "keyed up" .. so i though it was the antenna...

i hooked that mag.base back up and it does the same darn thing...

i am hoping there is a fuse i might have blown... i hope the radio isnt junk now...

any ideas?

 

RR2,

Using the built in SWR meter is marginal at best....
You should have the SWR tuned with a antenna analyzer.
IF I am understanding your description of how you mounted the antenna.....; the SWR was probably quite high !!!!
Keying up the radio to tranmit for any period of time with BAD SWR probably COOKED either the driver or the final for transmit mode. You can receive incoming signals, but will not be able to transmit.

OR 4x4

 

yeah.. i cant send... but when its jus sitting there i can seethe rf meter movng but i dont here anything...

can ths be repaired? whats the next step?

 

Take it to a truck stop. A lot of TA (Travel America) stops have lil CB shops in them and they can do repair plus tuning. Good luck. The Cobra 29 is a really nice radio (thats what I got) plus they aren't that cheap. I hope yours can be salvaged.

 

The Cobra 29 can be made to PERFORM quite well on AM.... when tuned properly.
Saw that radio put out 45W when worked on by Chris at The Radio Shop near the TA Truck Stop in Ontario, CA.
Ensure your antenna is grounded properly and have the SWR tuned to <1.5 with an Antenna Analyzer.

OR 4x4

 

There are no internal fuses. If you fried it you'll probably be able to smell it once you open the box. Also, you may be able see the final transistor smoked on the board if its bad.

Depending on what model of the 29 you have, you can probably find your radio's tech info at this link: Cobra Radio tech info

If you take it in, its probably going to cost more than the radio's worth. I got hold of a Cobra 148 NWST the other day and it was smoked. The final cost to repair it would have been about $150.00 dollars. Needles to say for that amount I went out and bought a nice little Galaxy DX-979.

 

Rev,

Repairing a 148 NWST for $150 !!!! OUCH !!!!!
That particular radio is known to have problems even when NEW from the factory. Misalignment between RX/TX on SSB, unstable voltage regulator, poor audio tone just to name a few.....
The most I ever spent on repairs was $120 and that was on an HF radio.
IF you have problems with your Galaxy; contact Chris. He is a VERY knowledgable technician and quite reasonable !!!!

OR 4x4

 

Yeah that Cobra 148 had major problems...Someone had opened it up and went to town...Obviously not knowing what they were doing. Every VR and tuning coil had been turned way out of alaignment. The board had a burned spot and looks as though someone had tried to resoilder an IC.

So far the Galaxy been working fine. I tried it out the other day in the truck and from IB I was able to talk with some folks up in Mira Mesa just fine (25 miles). Said it was coming thru loud and clear. But if I run into any problems I'll give Chris a shout.

 

you've popped a final.

the little bump you see when you key is the driver transmitting.

the driver "transmits" to the final, which amplifies your power.

you ARE transmitting, but no one will be able to hear you unless they're like 2 ft from you.