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Cobra 19 DX IV CB Radio - Page 3 Questions & Answers
Wanting to put a cobra 19 dx IV cb radio in my
If I were you, I'd hook the power source directly to the battery. There should be a plug like rubber thing near your brakes. Take that out and run your wire from the cb radio to the battery. This way the truck doesn't have to be turned on to talk. Just make sure that you turn the cb radio off each time you use it or you'll drain the battery.
Installed my cb and have
- Hi, those radio do not have a SWR meter on it. If you want to check your antenna on it (which could very well be the problem) along with your coax you need to put a power/watt meter inline between the CB and the antenna.
- If you have any comments or require further assistance please feel freer to leave them here.
- Hope this helps and thank you for using FixYa.
Regards,
Tony
How far will a cobra
This is a tough question with many variables power, antenna, weather, terain, other radio traffic and interference on channel and reciever sensitivity.
The answer/guess roughly 2-8 miles depending on best and worse conditions.
This is one of your lower end cb radios but has a good receive sensitivity of the money.
This might be a good resource for any other questions you might have
http://www.advancedspecialties.net/cb-radio-faq.htm
Be aware that most cb radios that Truckers talk on are actually 10 meter "export radios" that are illegal by FCC standards. They put out far more than the legal 4 watts that radios sold in the US as cb radios do. This is not to say that your typical cb is not modifiable to high rf power levels but not to the degree that the exports are.
How to set up the cobra 19 DX IV CB Radio
first keep the manualhandy for the radio and antenna you are using. start by finding a good mounting point for the radio. install the bracket and cheeck the fit with the radio. next run the included power cord from the back of the radio to the fuse box. don't plug it into the radio yet. take the black wire and ground it to metal. try to find a screw goofyinto the metalof the car and loosen it, wrap the wire o. it and tighten it. next find thefuse for the stereo. pull it out and press I back inwith the red wire getting pushed into the fuse socket with the fuse. now you can plug in the radio. IMPORTANT! do not plug it in backwards. if you do you will blow out a diode in the radio and it will not turn on until repaired. turn the key on and then the radio. make sure it powers up BUT DO NOT KEY THE RADIO YET or you will damage it. the radio must never be keyed withough an antenna connected. mount the antenna as close to center of the car as possible le and according to theantennas instructions. run the coax to the radio and connect it tightly. now you need to tune the antenna for best SWR. there is a section in the radios manual and the antenna.manual that explains how to do this. rather then me type it all out you should have detailed I.structins already. if not let.me know and I will ppart it. after the swr is tuned for lowest you are ready to talk on the radio. enjoy.
I have my radio hooked
Turn up "MIC GAIN" also check and see if it keys up full scale 4 watts on output meter. If that doesn't do it change MICS. Go for a power mic by cobra that runs off say a double AA battery. It may be conditions also or your out of range of persons. check Antenna,Swr reads (should be 1.1 to 1.5)on a Radio Shack meter. Try it all.
Cobra 19 DX IV, I
- The UK uses more FM frequencies than AM frequencies. So the CB will work over there just fine but you will need to find someone who uses them frequencies as well or it may no be much fun. Here is a frequency chart for what we in America call import radios shipped from over there. http://macuk.org.uk/cbchart.htm 27.555 FM is the main frequency used in the UK but the Cobra 19 is a strictly AM CB. Also on the link on the far right are the standard 40 channel frequencies from the UK version of CB's and not one is the same as the Cobra 19 as the UK uses FM for their 40 channel CB radios.
- Here is the 40 channel CB frequency chart utilized in America http://www.csgnetwork.com/cbradiofreq.html
- Hope this clarifies things for you.
Regards,
Tony
My fuse went out when
i had this problem with my cobra soundtracker cb. if it's the inline fuse then replace with a 2 amp glass fuse or if it's the internal fuse then a small .5 amp fuse is the one. slightly harder to find in the shops but halfords type shops will have them or curry's
I put this radio in
the radio could be off freq. did you buy it new if you did exchange it if not somebody may of tinkered
with the channel pod. make sure your antenna is tuned as far as swr's the only thing you could do is take it to a radio tech and have him adjust it back on freq not alot of adjusting you can do to that radio but a tech should be able to adjust it back on for little cost.
Cobra 19dx iv
when i
Just buy a factory built antenna/(it should be close) Buy you a magnet mount RADIO SHACK job(works). If your indoors buy ANTRON A99(set at 1.3 SWR factory). If it keys 9 db then that equals 4 watts output thats OK.
Output it has only 3watts
hi what is your swr reading iff above a 2 it is to high ajust antenna untill you get below 1.5 if possible you should see a dramatic rise in output power if this fails you can ajust the vr10 at the back of the radio and ajust power output with metre in line ...hope this helps you
Doesnt transmit very good
First make sure your SWR is nice and low 1-1:5 is recommended and no higher than 2. You can loose up to 50% of transmission with a high SWR. Your set up is as only as good as your antenna. I like the Wilson model antennas myself but there are many good antennas out there. The radio you have may have never been peaked or tuned. Even new they are far from the legal limit or 4watts swing 12 watts PEP. Also, don't be discouraged by those saying you are not getting out. Most these days have a far more watts coming out of the back. So their standard may be different. You can take your radio to a licensed tech and have it peaked and tuned. With the radio you have, it may be more (in value) than the radio itself is worth. But you will get more power out of it. Good luck.
I have a cobra CB. I went to hook it up today, and
Most CB radio have a diode near the B+ leads going in the circuit board, by your description when you hooked it up you probably got the + and - mixed up and put them in reverse by mistake, when this happens it will short out the diode and sometimes destroy the audio output ic and open a trace on the circuit board before it blows the fuse as it smokes. The diode must be replaced and burnt spot repaired on the circuit board, if you are very lucky the audio ic will come out unharmed.
I have a grandstand cb
I suggest you go to channel 19 the "trucker channel" the CB radio is still widely used with this group.
My cb is all hooked up and wont transmitt or
check the swr's, if its new radio that should be the only thing. .. installed antenna system wrong. ie put the insulating washer in wrong spot. or you are using one of those cellular style atennas and those do not pickup or tx very far... if you need help let me know.
My radio off frequency
is this set AM and the recievers FM? if so there will be no way round the 'problem' BOB
How do i ground my antenna base or mobile ?
If you're using it in a car the antenna makes contact with the body of the car either through the magnetic base, if you're using one, or the metal clip if that's how you attached the antenna to the car. Either way the contact between the antenna and the body of the car acts as a ground.
If you're using it in your house it depends on the type of antenna you're using. Home base antennas have spikes that stick out from the base of the antenna. These act as a ground. If you're using a mobile antenna in your house, which will not give you a great signal, you need to connect it to something metal. Linking the body of the transceiver to the copper piping of your central heating or water heating system provides a good ground for the radio. As the ground of the antenna is connected to the metal of the transceiver body this is the same as grounding the antenna. Even if you're using a proper homebase antenna it's still a good idea to earth the radio as it improves the signal and reduces noise interference
If you're using the CB on a ground floor you may be able to run an earth braid wire outside and put a metal spike in the ground and connect it with your earth braid. Connect the other end of the earth braid to the metal on the body of your radio. NOTE: When connecting an earth to the body of your radio it must not be a painted part of the radio. You could drill a small hole in the body if necessary and put a nut and bolt through it to connect to the earth wire.
I hope this answers your question.
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