Cobra 29 LTD CB Radio Logo
Posted on Jun 28, 2014
Answered by a Fixya Expert

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29 ltd weak on modulation

Bad antenna cause it to weaking modulation...

2 Answers

Fal Mueller

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  • Master 438 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 29, 2014
Fal Mueller
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OK will try to help, 1st is your transmit power level still at rated output?
If not replace your final and driver transistors, the result of a miss- match to antenna is overheating final transistors thereby damaging junctions in the transistor reducing the power RF output level.
Am modulation is produced by coupling the audio output of the speaker amplifier to the DC buss supply to the collectors of the final and driver transistors. so if Rf output is OK you kneed to look deeper into the modulator circuits. or try a different Microphone ...

Laron

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  • Expert 146 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 29, 2014
 Laron
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In the form of a question???? I am assuming you are hearing it on another radio or someone has told you it is quieter. A shorted coax is more likely wattage and range reduction. Proportionally reducing audio volume.......modulation. If you have only changed antenna it could be broken or could you have put the Teflon washer on the bottom of the mount rather than insulating the antenna from the mount during installation. That would result in a direct ground. Thank for reading my blither.....take care.

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5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 27 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 27, 2008

SOURCE: cobra 29 ltd sound tracker cb

you start by replacing every electr cap as most cb radios live in a hostile enviorment, They ALL suffer from dried up electolite. if the set is old ,that will be you first step,if you are up to speed with desoldering with out lifting copper tracks/etc, no reason why you can't have a go...do not shift trim pots or tuning can slugs
with out marking their factory positions as this can end up in a
mess
CHEERS

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Anonymous

  • 773 Answers
  • Posted on Apr 24, 2009

SOURCE: cobra 29 ltd classic antenna calibration ??

Wow. That's not at all a solution to what this guy is asking. And why all the caps??

The one point jm77437 has that is correct is that you do not set the radio, you set the antenna. The rest is blah blah.

Here is how you tune your antenna for you radio. First off it depends on what kind of antenna you have. most fiberglass antennas have a tunable tip to adjust the height of the antenna. Metal whips either have a collar at the base that the whip will either slide up or down in to adjust the height. The other type of metal whip's you have to physically clip to shorten the antenna, you must be careful with this type because once its clipped, that's it. You cannot add what you cut off.

I am going to give this example using a metal whip with an adjustable collar.

First after your radio is hooked up in the vehicle, drive to an open lot. Buildings and other structures can cause extra reflection. turn to channel 1. Flip the meter to CAL. Key the mic without talking. Now turn the CAL knob up until the needle reaches the little upside down triangle all the way to the right marked CAL. Now you have just celebrated your radio for your setup to measure you SWR. Now while still holding the key, flip the meter switch to SWR. The needle will move, and where it stops is your SWR reading. The lower the better. Anything under 1.5 is considered really good. But still, the lower the better.

Make note of what your SWR was on ch 1.

Now flip to channel 40. Repeat the SWR process. You must recalabrate each time you take a reading.

Now like jm77437 said. If your SWR reading is higher on 40 then 1, then your antenna is too long, and you must make it shorter. Loosen the collar and lower the antenna in the collar 1/4 inch at a time. check the swr each time you adjust the antenna.

If your SWR reading is higher on channel 1, then your antenna is too short. You must make your antenna longer. Do this by loossening the collar and pulling the antenna upward in the collar 1/4 inch at a time, again checking the swr each time you adjust the antenna.

What you want to achieve is having the same SWR reading on channel 1 and 40. then you have the best match you are going to get with that antenna.

If your swr is under 1.5 on all channels, you don't need to fuss unless you are a perfectionist. then by all means go ahead.

If your reading is higher then 3, or your ant light comes on, something is really wrong. Make sure your antenna is connected all the way, and the coax is not damaged.

Its important to have an appropriate SWR because if you do not, you are reflecting too much signal back into the radio, and eventually you will burn out your final transistor, and your radio will be toast.

Some tips: make sure you check the swr with the doors and windows shut. Make sure you are in an open lot. Remember to calabrate ecah time you take a reading. If you have had your radio peaked by a radio shop, and they have lowered your dead key, or have done a swing modification, then the meter in your radio will not work when taking an SWR reading and you will have to use an external meter.

Anonymous

  • 773 Answers
  • Posted on Apr 24, 2009

SOURCE: cobra 29 ltd classic antenna calibration ??

You should not calibrate the antenna before you install it on the car!! the antenna needs to be calibrated on the vehicle that it is going to be on. Type of vehicle, different mounts, and many other variables can change the amount of reflection you will get.

j0hn9999 did a much better job but left some info out.

Take your SWR readings on channel 1, then on channel 40.... NOW, if your SWR is higher on ch 40 then ch 1, then your antenna is too long and it needs to be shortened. Refer to the antenna instructions on how to shorten the antenna.

If your SWR is higher on ch 1 then on ch 40 then your antenna is too short. You must lengthen the antenna. Again refer to your antenna instructions on how to lengthen your antenna.

You must calibrate each time you take a reading.

Make sure your doors and windows are shut when taking a reading

Make sure you are in an open lot when taking a reading as buildings, trees and other structures can cause reflection and give you an inaccurate reading.

If you adjust the length of your antenna on another vehicle and then put it on yours, the SWR will be off. It will need to be tuned again.

An external meter is better then the one in the radio, but will need to be hooked up in the vehicle you have the antenna on.

If you are not running any kind of power, or do not have a swing kit installed, and the radio is stock, the meter in the radio is more then enough to get a correct SWR reading.

Anonymous

  • 33 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 28, 2009

SOURCE: Cobra 29 LTD Bluetooth

You got your radio peaked? Most likely, however, the pot for the antenna warning indicator is VR6. I always check that after peaking a radio.

Anonymous

  • 38 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 30, 2010

SOURCE: HAVE A COBRA 29 LTD.

May be an antenna/coax issue. Turn the DYNAMIKE all the way up. Turn the RFGain all the way up. Turn the SQUELCH all the way to the left.
GET A "SWING KIT" INSTALLED!!!
"WILDCAT" IN LAURELVILLE OHIO
35 YEARS OF CB FUN!!!

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Cobra 29 ltd weak on modulation

you have to turn up the modulation then vr4 to wide open
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I have had a Cobre 29 LTD Classic, a 29 NW LTD Classic and now a 29 LTD Chrome.It seems that the first two died because of possible bad antenna connections. I was able to calibrate the radios and adjust...

HELLO STAN FIRST HAS THE RADIO BEEN PEAKED AND TUNED? SECOND IS THE INTERIOR LIGHT IN YOUR PICK UP RIGHT BELOW YOUR ANTENNA,IF SO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM BUT EASY FIX THE WIRING GOING TO THE LIGHT ACTS LIKE AN EXTRA ANTENNA CAUSING YOUR ANTENNA TO RESONATE TO YOUR RADIO CAUSING THE A W I LIGHT TO COME ON MOVE YOU ANTENNA BACK A LITTLE FUTHER AND SHOULD BE GOODif you want to get a bettter antenna get a willson 500 mag mount far better
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What is a voic box on a cobra 29 ltd? What is a good antt combo four a 29 ltd?

Cobra's LTD 29 model Citizen's Band radio features the full 40 channels allowed and a heavy-duty microphone. The radio provides 4 watts of AM radio frequency output with a switchable automatic noise limiter and noise blanker. Other features include Cobra's Delta-Tune function. Making a Cobra LTD 29 hear and receive better involves making changes to the radio's settings, including the settings specific to this brand.
M/F Turn the switch labeled "NB/ANL, ANL, OFF" to the "ANL" position and try the transmission again if noise is affecting reception. "ANL" is an automatic noise limiter function and reduces noise caused by the vehicle's electrical systems and electronics.

M/F Switch to "NB/ANL" to activate the noise blanker, which may also reduce noise if you continue to have problems. It's an RF noise filtration function and will help with ignition noise.

M/F Adjust the "RF Gain" knob by turning it clockwise to increase gain in weak signal areas if you have problems hearing radio traffic.

M/F Set the "Delta-Tune" function to capture a more listenable signal and get rid of adjacent channel noise. Rotate the knob labeled "Deltatune" to the center position for best tuning. Try micro-adjustments to the left or right as well.

M/F Turn the volume up if you still can't hear and as with any CB radio, adjust the squelch if the radio is noisy when there's no traffic. Turn the knob labeled "Squelch" all the way to the left to receive all signals, including noise and turn the control clockwise until the background noise stops. You will be able to hear the strongest transmissions without having to listen to weak signals and noise.
The service manual can be found here
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HAVE A COBRA 29 LTD. MY SIGNAL IS WEAK WHEN I KEY UP AND I CAN"T RECEIVE A GOOD SIGNAL FROM OTHER CB RADIOS. DO I NEED TO HAVE IT PEAKED AND TUNE?

May be an antenna/coax issue. Turn the DYNAMIKE all the way up. Turn the RFGain all the way up. Turn the SQUELCH all the way to the left.
GET A "SWING KIT" INSTALLED!!!
"WILDCAT" IN LAURELVILLE OHIO
35 YEARS OF CB FUN!!!
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Hi i recently bought a cobra 29 ltd chrome cb radio for my car,i also installed a new antenna ,i have a strong signal,but i am unable to hear conversations because the sound is distorted.It sounds like...

You can't tune the radio. You are supposed to tune the antenna.

I have a page for tuning your antenna. This can cause some distortion, but it shouldn't be that bad. Go here for how to tune your antenna.

also the internal speakers aren't that great. Try an external. I can't just use an internal because an external is so much better.

Something else to consider. There is a lot of skip right now. Skip is when the ionosphere becomes charge by solar flairs, and causes radio signals to skip across it, making them travel hundreds and even thousands of miles. There are some cb operators out there who run a lot of power. 10k watts and up, who just talk skip all day. A lot of those guys sound extremely distorted and over modulated. You may be hearing these guys out there. Its their radio's not your receive.

Also. People who are close to you, may over load the front of the radio in the receive section, which will make it sound distorted.
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I have weak talk back signal

Did you tune the antenna??

The antenna needs to be tuned for best SWR.

If the antenna is not the right length, then you will get signal reflecting back into the radio. this is bad and it can damage a radio.

The 29 has a built in SWR meter.

The lower the SWR the better.

Here is how to check the swr.

Turn to ch 20. Put the sf swr cap switch to CAL. Key the radio. With the radio keyed, turn the cal knob up until the meter is all the way to the right on the cal mark. with the radio still keyed, flip the switch to SWR. Where ever the needle falls is your swr reading. The top line is SWR. If it is above 3 this is really bad, and your antenna is no tuned and you are hurting your radio. You need to adjust the antenna length.

Turn to ch 1 and take an SWR reading the way I explained. Then do the same on ch 40. IF the SWR is lower on ch 1 then 40, your antenna is too short, make it longer. The antenna has a way of adjusting it. Usually the whip slides up or down in a colar.

If the swr is higher on ch 40 then 1, it is too long, and you need to make it shorter.

Keep making adjustments until the reading on 1 and 40 get lower, and are about the same.

Then check ch 20 again. It should be low, 1.5 or under. Then you are good to go.

you will find people hear you a lot better, way better then ever.
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Antenna

OUCH! Cb antennas are cut to a specific frequency. FM antennas are also cut to a specific frequency. If you ground the antenna to a frame, you short out the antenna. BAD THING. If it is a 102" whip, you would have to cut off about 2/3's of the whip to work. If there is a cylinder at the base of the antenna You would only need about 7' of the whip sticking out for it to work right. Inside the cylinder there is a coil that would make up for the missing length of a 102" whip. I would suggest finding an old CB with FM built in like one of the old SEARS CB/FM receivers.
They had the electronics built in to compensate for the varience in the old sets.
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Cobra 29 ltd sound tracker cb

you start by replacing every electr cap as most cb radios live in a hostile enviorment, They ALL suffer from dried up electolite. if the set is old ,that will be you first step,if you are up to speed with desoldering with out lifting copper tracks/etc, no reason why you can't have a go...do not shift trim pots or tuning can slugs
with out marking their factory positions as this can end up in a
mess
CHEERS
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1answer

Poor modulation reports

try your antenna connection, it may be loose at the antenna. also check the ground, if the ground is not making good connection this may also be causing your problem. if none of this works i recommend that you carry it to a cb shop and let the professionals solve your problem.
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