2000 GTL

[Mikey B]

What would I expect to pay for a Cobra 2000 GTL and an Astatic D-104. There are no external speakers with the radio. It is in very good condition.

[721HACKSAW]

$250+, as long as it has not been hacked. There are a lot of those radios out there in ALL types of condition, be careful.

[Foxhunter]

What would I expect to pay for a Cobra 2000 GTL and an Astatic D-104. There are no external speakers with the radio. It is in very good condition.

Well I can't get the image you posted to display. The thumbnail you have is a blank box with a red X and it doesn't open. Maybe try reloading the image or sending it as an attachment.


I am not an expert on the Cobra 2000GTL by any means but do own two of them, so I'm a little familiar with them. Have you visited our CBRT Forum Sponsor website Rick "The CB Doctor" by any chance? He does specialize in these radios in particular and knows ALL the ins-and-outs of them and what to look for.

See here The CB Doctor Ebay listing
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Visit the CB Doctor Website Blog Cobra 2000GTL information
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To me, not being a radio repairman, but having bought many radios----the big questions are the the cosmetic condition AND the functionality/operating condition BOTH. Since the 2000GTL is a collectable radio it usually can't be bought for under $100 (I'm sure there are exceptions though). It seems many sell for between $200-$300+ depending on condition and whether it has an accessories like the external speaker and desk mic.


When estimating value or price as you are doing, Rick says the biggest issue with these radios are the Frequency counters going bad, and when one does go it costs some bucks to fix. Also the channel indicator and the two meters are common problem areas. So if those appear to work fine without a hitch, it does increase the value and would expect to pay more.


Also a big factor to some is whether the radio has been modified or not. Some (like me) value the radio higher in stock non-modded condition, while others will feel one with swing kits & extra channels etc is worth more-----because it is what they are looking for and would have to pay to have done anyway. Also, if it is modded, how nice/poor of a job did they do will affect value. Is it discreetly modified with hidden switches or has a fairly significant alteration been made? Look at the faceplate on this Cobra 2000GTL I just bought last month . . .

Foxhunter 351 NJ Cobra 2000GTL AM/SSB Base CB Radio and Cobra CA-2000 External Extension Accessory Speaker
[ external image ]
This is now my second Cobra 2000GTL now sitting down in the bunker--aka--"AM Radio Station FOXR" NJ

To some it wouldn't affect the price at all and to other guys it would bother. Aside from that and a stuck meter the radio appears to be in very nice shape.


Saw the post go unanswered as of my writing and wanted to chip-in and add some things to consider, maybe bumping your thread along too. See if you can re-upload that photo of it you have.


Foxhunter 351 NJ

[Foxhunter]

If you hear a banjo, stay in the truck.

Ha lol too funny my friend in the Bluegrass. That was actually a very classic scene and movie in-general. I've been to places in West Virginia southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee nearly as remote. Great flick.


Oop----they pulled the plug on the "Deliverance" dueling banjo video I posted
[youtube][/youtube]



Foxhunter 351 NJ

[Mikey B]

Foxhunter, I didn't post an image. This unit is at a local pawn shop. They want $199 for the rig and $100 for the mic.

[Foxhunter]

Foxhunter, I didn't post an image. This unit is at a local pawn shop. They want $199 for the rig and $100 for the mic.

Yes I see that now, it was your forum signature image at the bottom of your post that wouldn't display for some reason and is now showing. Because it wouldn't display or open I thought it to be a pic of the radio you were looking at.


$200 for the radio is probably not a bad price at all if it looks and works nice, I would wonder (legitimate questions to maybe get them to come down $ some) if they actually know it's operating condition---or---have they "tested" it by simply plugging it in to see if it powers up?


If they have not really tested it they can't honestly say that it is in good working order and operating condition. To begin with it would require an antenna or dummy load and a wattmeter at the very least (maybe an external frequency counter too). Some (a percentage) of these pawn shops do get in CB's regularly enough to have the basic tools to test them.


If so I'd want to legitimately ask what the RF wattage output was on AM---and---on SSB ? Do both meters on the radio work ? The meters will often stick or be lazy and is the first sign of trouble with them. Is the clock and frequency counter well-lit and stable or does it flicker or have segments out? Does the frequency counter 5-digit numerical readout match the actual 2-digit CB Channel the dial is turned to (is CH.20 shown as 27.025 etc---do they match?)


Do they (or you) have an external speaker to check to see if it has audio output? Would be a bummer to get it home and attach a speaker and hear nothing!


I've bought about a 100 radios and my stock rivals that of many shops so it has given me some experience in what to expect or what questions to ask. However to be fair, the guy at the pawn shop might just set a $200 price on it as-is untested. And that will be that. Most likely for $200, if not you, someone will buy it before long tested or not. Part of buying is a gamble but it's good to ask the right questions, sticking up for yourself as a buyer yet without sounding too pushy. These questions above and in my last post are some very basic questions and again are legitimate.

It's not like you're asking to see it work on an oscillioscope and/or spectrum analyzer or on any other highly specialized equipment.

One final thing, that Astatic D104. $100 for a D104 is too much. Unless it's still brand new in the box and/or absolutely mint or a special edition like the Night Eagle or a vintage model etc. What kind of D104 is it he has exactly, which particular one ? The D104's for a while were getting carried away in prices on Ebay and have come down much more reasonable nowadays.

I'd see what he says to some of your "polite but knowing-what-to-look-for" questions and see if he can do any better on the price at all.

If he sells it "as is" and "untested" tell him that many used older 2-way transmitting radios end up having all sorts of hidden problems which are costly to have troubleshooted and repaired. On top of that it's a sideband radio and could be even more specialized in regards to repairs.

In all honesty-----Most older radios such as this really need a trip into the shop anyway for a re-alignment. Hearing this he might cut you a small break on it figuring you'll have to soak some hard-earned money into it to have it looked at/bench tested somewhere, fixed and/or re-aligned. Let us know how you make out or other ?'s and about that D104. Odds are that Cobra 2000GTL won't sit there on that shelf too long and someone will buy it.



Foxhunter 351 NJ

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Mikey B

I can't add any more info to this thread than Foxhunter has already mentioned. What an item is worth is whatever the buyer is willing to pay. Some operators do not care what it looks like as long as it functions correctly, collectors are more interested in what it looks like as well. The most important thing to look at when considering any radio on eBay is the presentation.

I would avoid Cobra 2000's that are not plugged in or have the counter set on the clock mode. Chances are the seller is hiding something. A listing with a single picture is not showing the whole story. I want to see pictures of what is wrong with the radio, not what is right with it. I always make it a point to take pictures of the inside of the radio when I do a listing. Many radios may look nice on the outside but may have had coach roaches living inside at one time. You can tell by the droppings around the warmer parts of the radio, such as, the power supply. A radio that has been infested with roaches will smell like urine.

The Cobra 2000 GTL wholesaled for $325 when it was still in production. The suggested retail price was $599, most retailers sold it for $399, and made their money modifying the radio. The cost of the modification back then was $85. This included a standard channel mod and opened voice-lock.

I always suggest to ask as many questions as possible before bidding on a radio. The question and answer should be made public. If you get a private response because the seller decided to use the option to hide the response I would be suspect of the radio.

The speaker should be original to the radio, you can tell because no two production runs have the same color or pattern on the cabinet and speaker. If the pattern and color are the same then the speaker to the radio is original. One other thing that I look at is the frequency counter, it should read 27.2050 MHz on channel 20 in all modes AM and SSB. The counter should not go to all zeroes when the radio is keyed up. Ask questions, if the seller does not know because he or she does not have the means to truly test the radio you have two situations. The seller is telling the truth in which case the seller does not know what they have and you may win the radio and luck out, or the seller is lying and is hiding behind a plausible denial.

My own personal preference is a Cobra 2000 GTL that is in mint condition and all original. When I see a 2000 with knobs and controls drilled into the radio it makes me cringe. Why would you do that to the Cadillac of base stations? It would be like drilling a hole in a classic car like the original Mustang or a Corvette. If you want a radio to modify, and get the same results and performance as a Cobra 2000 GTL, then I would buy a Cobra 142 GTL. The cost is less than $125 for a nice radio and the expense is much lower to modify the radio. If you want a nice working Cobra 2000 GTL that is in mint condition, with the matching speaker, I would go no higher than $400 with S&H included. For that price you are looking to buy a piece of history not a radio to modify and drill holes.

Never buy a Base station that is packaged by the seller and shipped US Postal. The US Postal Service is brutal on base stations and packing a radio improperly will result in a radio not arriving in good shape. I have UPS pack my 2000's and I will ship by US Postal if that is what the customer wants, otherwise it goes by UPS.

I have added the Washington Base to my Website, and I am working on a section dealing with eBay sales. I try and add something daily to the Website. The site is 90% educational and a small portion is set aside for repairs. It is a work in progress and should only take me another 10 years to get every CB ever made on the Website

Good luck,

[madsage]

I paid $375 for mine not including shipping. It came with a D104 Silver Eagle and two speakers.
It is a super nice unit, like new. and never been opened up.. (until now) I feel super lucky to have found such a nice one for the money.


btw, the D104 does not match the cobra2000 well in my opinion. go with something like a sadelta, they are perfect match on this radio.
the d104 impedence is not right for the 2000, you have to run the power setting on almost zero and they sounds muffly, i've tried 3 diff d104's.

maybe you will get differen results?


Good Luck, if all is workingi say its worth $200 easy.


933 Arizona
in the stickers

[Foxhunter]

Foxhunter . . . This unit is at a local pawn shop. They want $199 for the rig and $100 for the mic.

Well . . . what happened did you get it ?? Been wondering !



Foxhunter 351 NJ

[madsage]

Around here in a pawn shop, If i find something i'm interested in, i offer them half of the sticker and see if they will take it. (they paid little for it)
most of the time they will come back with a compromise of about 75% of the sticker. If you turn it down and say no thanks, they might come back and accept your original inquiry of 50%, i would insist money back if it doesnt work, of course.

hey foxhunter did you get that stuck meter fixed? I have some extras if you need a replacement.

933 RiffRaff
in the stickers

[Foxhunter]

hey foxhunter did you get that stuck meter fixed? I have some extras if you need a replacement.

933 RiffRaff
in the stickers

Hey wow I just saw this now because was checking to see if he ever replied or not. Guess not. Seems many guys start these threads then simply disappear never giving any final answers or conclusions. Happens a lot.


No madsage I never did get to finding replacement meters and pulling the old ones on my newer Cobra 2000GTL and I appreciated the posting and offer. The one shop on Ebay seems to constantly sell them, but again the prices. The cell phone pic's on another thread showing your all-blue LED Cobra 2000GTL looks great.


As a side note, the seller on Ebay does claim they are "NOS original meters" but I have been told by a good source that they are China reproductions, being made for them to sell as replacements. From curiousity about the extra meters you mentioned, which do you have? The signal meter or swr meter---or both?


Foxhunter 351 NJ

[Mikey B]

I have not disappeared foxhunter, I'm still here. I actually went to the shop this weekend. The guy would not budge on the price, so I told him he could keep it, and he let me walk. I thought for sure I could get him to come down but I guess I was wrong. I want to set up a base, but I think I will stick with a mobile unit and a power supply if I ever get around to setting up a base.

[Foxhunter]

That's a shame in a way because $200 isn't a bad price for a 2000GTL. I'd have probably taken a chance and bought the base radio. And CERTAINLY skipped the $100 D104, he's crazy. Only worth somewhere near that (or more depending) if it's a special model or antique etc, there are exceptions. Sorry to hear you didn't get the Cobra 2000GTL. Everyone should have one at least once haha lol. Have you gone by there again since ?

[Mikey B]

No haven't been by. I'm going moose hunting next week, and I need to save up some cash. Plus, I just passed my tech test and want to set up a station at the house.