dawa88

Im running a Cobra DX III (with PA system) that I installed myself when I first got my truck. I havent had the opportunity to tune it properly, but that is beside the issue. All has worked well until I began trying to fix my alternator issues. The cb is spliced in with my radio.

I went through the fuses under the dash and after I noticed issues with my cb. Normally when I turn it on it starts at channel 09, after the fuse check it started at 8_ and I chouldnt change the channel or squelch. I checked the 2A fuse that is just outside the cb and it was fine, after I checked that fuse the display no longer read 8_ but now just has random bars.

As I said in my other thread, I hate doing electrical with a passion, just for this reason. Any help is greatly appreciated.

olharleyman

Just find a old school 29 LTD Cobra peak and tune it and call it a day

DixieThunder

Try wiring it to a battery outside of you're vehicle and see if it is doing the same thing. Hopefully it will kick back to normal and you can go from there. If it's still all retarded then you may be looking at deeper issues. Just my two cents, also you said you haven't had it tuned. How much have you talked on it without it being tuned? If you are running to high of SWR then you have been literally frying out your radio every time you have keyed up the mic.

dawa88

Alright, Ill give that a shot when I get a chance. The cb barely gets used because it isnt in tune so Id say <10 times really, its only got a range of about 300m so I dont usually bother. Just really dont have as much time or the resources to put the work in that Id like to.

dawa88

Took me a long time to get around to this, seeing as I dont use the CB that often. Hooking it up to another battery didnt end up changing anything, still reading 8_. Any other suggestions, maybe an internal fuse or something?

Tbeck792

With a range of only 300m I would say that by not having it tuned it got fried. Time to upgrade!

91muddog

the radios fried. save some money, buy a cobra 29 from craigslist and find a decent swr/power meter, please.

dawa88

Alright, thats what I needed to know. Thanks for the help and Ill get on that, when I get the money...

Tbeck792

Check out ebay and get a SWR meter while you're at it. It will be more than worth it in the end, you'll gain a ton of range as well as make your radio last a whole lot longer. Some of the higher end radios even have meters built in making it even easier to tune them.

DixieThunder

That's the importance of checking your SWR's brother. I know you have seen other peoples posts on here about it. Just saying brother, it's crazy but what's happening is that heat from the electrical transmission gets cycled back into the radio. That's why we say it's fried because it quite literally is haha. Sorry about that happening to you brother. I'd really REALLY recommend getting a Wilson 1000 antenna set up. They are quite good and you should have no problem whatsoever with getting your SWR levels nice and low with it. You can have the best radio in the world but if you don't have a good antenna set up you mine as well chuck it out the window brother while you are flying down the highway. Hope you have better luck in the future man!

meganzhang

Yeah if you have an external speaker plug try that. Also check the settings on your CB. You never know just might have a switched flipped into the wrong position or something like that. As for it be tuned and peaked....nothing wrong with that but maybe not really necessary. I know at the TFT ride I was able to talk to people at the welcome center while still down on the trails. Not bad since I still need to find someone with a SWR meter to tune my antenna for me. Good luck hope it works out.