Cobra 29 and All Its Functions
I usually refer to a Cobra 29 in my other articles, but I realized I have never talked about the radio itself. As a basic functioning radio, it ain’t bad. It will get the job done, but you’re just not going to step on any big swinging radio. The following is a review of all the buttons and switches and what they mean. We’ll start at the top left, work our way across then go over the bottom row in the same manner.
The meter: Top Line is for calibrating and reading the SWR. More on that when we get to the first switch.
Middle line, ah, a sort of indicator of your power, dead key and swing when you talk.
Bottom Line is incoming signal strength. “Hay, what I’m I giving you?” “S5 swinging to 6”. If someone is pinning the meter all the way to the right, turn it off, they may blow your front end.
S/RF, SWR, CAL
S/RF is the normal setting showing receive signal, S, and power output, RF.
Now for the SWR:
Radio on channel 19.
Move switch to CAL.
Key the mic.
Now go the bottom row, all the way to the right, SWR CAL, and turn the knob until the meter’s pointer is in line with the red triangle point.
Unkey the mic.
Put switch to SWR.
Key the mic and read what your SWR is.
NB/ANL, ANL, OFF
NB is noise blanker, ANL is automatic noise limiter, OFF is, well, off. Noise blanker and automatic noise limiter takes a ton of shit out of your receive. If you want to hear all that, turn it off, but in a ride, keep it all on.
CB PA
CB is normal CB functioning, PA, if you installed a speaker, it will give you a PA system. I used to do just to fuk with folks I know, but some used it as being a “wanna be”.
You can’t imagine how many times I got a call and being told the radio stopped working. “Is it switch on PA?” Click and fixed.
BRT DIM
Bright and dim of the meter light and channel indicator.
CH 19 NORMAL
If you’re on another channel like in a quarry and instead of cranking the knob, flip the switch up for 19, down for normal operation. If the switch in on 19 you won’t be able to use the channel selector. That’s another call I used to get. “Hey, the channel switch isn’t workin!” “Is the switch up for 19?” Click.
RX/TX LED
Green indicates you are receiving, RX. Red indicates you are transmitting, TX.
ANT LED
If that lights up, SOMETHING IS WRONG, STOP TRANSMITTING. It’s a warning light, just like dash idiot lights. If your oil light comes on, you gonna keep driving?
Channel Indicator Self-explanatory.
Bottom Row
MIC Plug
If it’s a 4 pin, don’t try to ram in a 6 pin please.
If you do not have any receive but the meter is moving like you are, the mic plug either fell out or the mic is broken. A 29 needs a mic inserted to hear.
VOL SQL
Off/ON/Volume– I ain’t saying a word.
SQL, squelch, personal preference here. Me, I’ve run it wide open ever since my first 23 channel radio and don’t even notice the noise. If someone is trying to reach out, I’d like to hear them. You can turn it up to silence everything, but if you go too far, you might block out a signal. It’ an operator’s preference.
DYNAMIKE
This is how loud you are transmitting. If your radio has been tuned and you are traveling nose to tail and the other guy says “dude I can’t understand a word you’re saying”, back down the dynamike to noon and you should be okay, or somebody is on the wrong channel.
RF GAIN
This controls what your radio can receive. If you’re in a parking lot and some asshole with an amp keys up, turn the sonabitch all the way down or turn it off.
Again if your traveling nose to tail and you can’t understand the other guy, try turning down the rf gain until he clears up. Just remember to turn it back up so you can hear all you want to hear.
DELTA TUNE
What a waste of a knob. I usually use it for comp radios and turn it into a power control. It is supposed to be like a clarifier but not needed on AM.
SWR CAL
As previously mentioned, it used to calibrate the meter for SWR readings for antenna tuning.
Hope this clears up any questions.
Mark
No BullShit Radio
#nbsradio1