Is a peak and tune worth it?

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi gunner57,

Calling Cobra will do you no good. They will not recognize any radio that is not type accepted, not even their own Cobra DX-150. If it does more than 12 watts peak then technically it is unauthorized. A peaking will make you sound louder on AM, but then so will a power Mic.

The affect of peaking a radio is not bad, but you may bleed over on the other 39 channels. On sideband a peaking does make a big difference, since SSB is 4 time as efficient as AM. There also is no percentage of modulation on SSB, so bleed over is not issue.

Some radios, such as the DX-959, will definitely will need to be tuned right out of the box. It is a question of Quality Control. The power will be less than the legal limit of 12 watts peak, and the SSB will be unusable unless it is tuned. Before the Cobra 29 LTD was made in China it was possible to calibrate your own equipment using a Cobra 29 LTD right out of the box. I can't say that is the case for every Chinese radio made today.

I have held a GROL and before that a Class 1 repair license for 22 years. Not all technicians that hold a GROL are necessarily good technicians, but you have a better chance of getting the correct information and having the job done correctly. There are some technicians that never held a FCC approved license, yet are still great technicians.

You no longer need a license to repair CB radios. The only example that I can give is that you have doctors that got "A's" in school and you have doctors that received "C's." Both are doctors, which one would you prefer to go to?

The most important thing in any radio system is the antenna. This is assuming that the radio is working decently; it is not so much a properly tuned radio that will make the difference (It helps) but the antenna that you use. Of course the high power radios will get out further than a stock type-accepted radio, but comparing apples to apples the difference will be the antenna you use.

DX-959 tune up alignment: [Please login or register to view this link]

Cobra 29 LTD Taiwan: [Please login or register to view this link]

Respectfully,

[Tucker442]

I can't imagine a company making a product and not having a warranty repair as long as you didn't hack it up or break stuff inside of it. Cobra more than anybody with all the cool products that they have made over the years have to have factory repair facilities for all their stuff. Now if the radio was modified sure that would void the warranty but the guy that did the mod should take the burden of making sure he doesn't goof up the radio and give at least a 90 day warranty.

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Tucker442,

Cobra will not help you with a DX-150 or DX-200 even though their Logo and name is on it. It is not type accepted for this country. You may find a shop that does warranty work for Cobra and will even work on the Cobra DX-150 unofficially. The paperwork that goes to Cobra from the warranty shop for reimbursement does not say anything about a Cobra DX-150.

By the way the Cobra DX-150 and 200 are garbage. That is why they only lasted for 1 year before they were discontinued. I know someone will post saying how much they love their Cobra DX-150. When they work; they work well. Too bad they rarely keep working past 6 months. Who designs a radio with an echo and no Talk-Back. There was a factory mod for Talk-Back for the first version, and then a Talk-Back was installed in the second version.

Most warranty shops will not remove most modifications even for radios under warranty. These shops get paid whether repairing Cobras that have been touched or not. Forget about sending a modified Cobra directly back to the factory. It will not be warrantied.

I used to work for a warranty shop many moons ago. I can't say that this is how it is still done, but that was the way it was done when I did warranty work. You had to do a lot radios because the reimbursement payment was $25 labor plus parts regardless of what was wrong with the radio. The easy ones made up for the ones that broke your chops. Most of the repairs were cold solder connections.........thank goodness.............

Respectfully,

[Tucker442]

Hey Rick thanks hard to believe that they wouldn't warranty it but I can understand it if the radio is no legal here in the US. I have heard a ton of bad press on those 150 and 200 models, I would stay away from them unless they were for free and even then I would be very cautious,, I heard the early ones were really bad then they did some production changes and that the newer ones were not as bad but still a problem. That has always been an issue with me with radios with lots of power, I stay away from them so as not to get the radio inside stuff hot. Magnum has a good idea with the RFX75 being out back of the radio, I had a RCI 2970DX that was great until it got some heat in it them forget about it. I'm sure the Cobras have the same issue. I know your a Cobra lover but you have to try one of these newer Magnum radios, I can't say enough about the Omega Force, between the great recieve and talk power it's all the radio I will ever need. Thanks for the info on the Cobra stuff I appreciate it

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Tucker442

The Magnum Delta turned me off to Magnums. I heard that the new ones are much better; they are also nothing like the Deltas. Once bitten twice shy........

As for the Cobra DX-150, I would not even take one for free. They are not heavy enough to be used as a boat anchor. They were almost $400 when they first came out. The price dropped to $129 within a year. That tells me something. I won't even bench one anymore. The biggest problem with the DX-150 was that too many shops cranked them up to the max.

The DX-150 and DX-200 did have a great receiver, but what good is it when they stop transmitting. I never talk anyone into any radio. I found many people will ask for my opinion and do what they want anyway. If they take my advice and the radio has problems then I am to blame for talking them into it.

There is a reason that the Cobra 29 LTD has been around from nearly day 1 when the 40 channels were introduced. The radio's reputation proceeds it.

If you are happy with your radios then absolutely stay with them. I will have to take a second look at the new Magnums. I should say that they must be reliable because I rarely get one for repair. The owners of those new Magnums that do come in are always happy with their Magnums.

Respectfully,

[gunner57]

Hi gunner57,

Calling Cobra will do you no good. They will not recognize any radio that is not type accepted, not even their own Cobra DX-150. If it does more than 12 watts peak then technically it is unauthorized. A peaking will make you sound louder on AM, but then so will a power Mic.

I don't expect them to cover the work on their bill, but rather recomend a factry authorized warranty shop to repair my radio at my cost. I figure if Cobra can recomend a shop it will be likely to be a half way decent shop, plus they may find one in my area so I can save on shipping. I only need the reciever fixed. I will deal with the transmit as is.

[gunner57]

But how to separate who properly tunes and who clips/cuts/hacks a radio into a scratchy noisy mess.

To find someone qualified look for someone who held at one time a First or Second Class Radio Telephone Operators License or now has a General Radio Telephone Operators License that also has a degree in Electronic Technology and worked as a Electronic Service Technician professionally in radio communications.

Call me crazy Night Crawler, but I have a GI bill and got to thinking after you made this comment. I don't know nearly enough about radios but have really found a new passion. They interest me, not just operation but I want to learn how they tick, what parts do what, etc. There are so many hacks out there and trying to find a good shop is harder and harder. I am interested in HAM radios as well. You seem to be pretty knowlegable in this field and even suggested I ask techs if they carry certain license and degrees. That is why I want to inquire further about those. An Electronic Service Tech with a degree in Electronic Technology, does that degree pretty much cover radio transcievers or is it more broad to cover mass media communication (like FM radio stations). Basically I want to know what kind of demand and job opportunities are out there that would be covered by this. I don't expect to run right out and open a CB shop and make a living. However if there was a demand high enough to get a job in repair in general radio communication. Then I, maybe, could start a small part time shop doing repair and sales for HAM, marine, MURS, and CB radios.

[Night Crawler]

I don't know nearly enough about radios but have really found a new passion. They interest me, not just operation but I want to learn how they tick, what parts do what, etc. I am interested in HAM radios as well.

I sent you a PM

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi gunner57

If I had it all over to do again I would have been a Lawyer or get a skill that can't be sent to China. Unless you repair antique radios, exports or amps there is no money in electronics anymore. I have to agree with you about the passion, but passion does not pay the bills.

After writing all that I have to tell you that I love being an electronic Tech, especially a radio tech. I always love Lou Franklin's books on Radios. They are a great source of information.

The best of luck.

[gunner57]

Hi gunner57

If I had it all over to do again I would have been a Lawyer or get a skill that can't be sent to China. Unless you repair antique radios, exports or amps there is no money in electronics anymore. I have to agree with you about the passion, but passion does not pay the bills.

After writing all that I have to tell you that I love being an electronic Tech, especially a radio tech. I always love Lou Franklin's books on Radios. They are a great source of information.

The best of luck.

I read that the nominal US average for a tech is only in the $35K/year range. It isn't very much, but it didn't specify what exact field of work it covered. I understand it is quite broad. I was looking more into broadcast communication end for a TV station or radio station. I was hoping to suppliment with part time repair and sales online of radios and equipment. I had been a construction contractor and then a soldier in the Army. I have since gotten marrie and have a family, so traveling and working across 4 states or deploying for 12 months at a time just isn't working. I need something more local. But hey, I am looking into forest management and wildlife biology too. Who knows?