Deathwish is a twunt CB radio - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:20:30 am
content: Ok everyone repeat after me, Deathwish is a twunt, why, because he just bought aCobraColt 720 DX CB radio that probably is as dead as a dodo and he knows nothing about Radio sets.This one:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141866371163?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITWhy oh why do I do this to myself. I see something I like the look of and I think, that is going to be a challenge to fix and I buy it. ArghhhhI don't suppose anyone has a service sheet for this thing do they ?Look, you guys with the HAM radio set ups will you please stop throwing rocks, the forum is rather too small to be dodging them.

author: LA7SJA
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:35:24 am
content: Can u post a picture of the radio?Johan-Fredrik

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:41:17 am
content: it isnt here yet but will when it arrives

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:46:54 am
content: Quote from: Deathwish on January 02, 2016, 01:41:17 amGlad you've found something to do to keep you off the forum.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:48:27 am
content: There doesn't appear to be any such radio.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:48:52 am
content: A large number of American hams started out in CB radio. I started in the 70's when you still had to pay $5 for a FCC license, my call sign was KND3913. I mostly got into CB because the thought of taking tests scared me. My first radio was a Midland 23 channel and then I bought a President 40 channel radio. I used them first in the house, my parents letting me put an antenna on the roof and then when I was old enough to afford a car, I used it both home and mobile. I finally became licensed in 1999 while I was attending ITT Technical Institute. One of my professors was my Elmer. I now hold an Amateur Extra class with the call sign of NW0LF. If it interests you, you can look me up on QRZ.com and see a picture of my ham 'shack'and the QSL card that I send out. I won't be throwing stones for sure.Not sure how testing works over the pond. Over the years as a Volunteer Examiner administering tests, I have taken a 3 man team and tested people at home who weren't able to attend the test sessions for whatever reason. Maybe you can make the same arrangements so you can test in an environment that is comfortable to you. I've enjoyed the hobby for going on 17 years now and have talked to people all over the world. I wish I would have explored it when I was younger. If you can find a way to get your license, I think you would have the same fun as me.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:50:43 am
content: Quote from: tautech on January 02, 2016, 01:46:54 amYour socks do that anyway...Quote from: AF6LJ on January 02, 2016, 01:48:27 amI can assure you it exists.GreyWoolfe, I have no idea about testing for HAMS here except I know I hate tests, as for CB radio they threw out licencing for that years ago..

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:52:28 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on January 02, 2016, 01:48:52 amI couldn't agree more.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:06:35 am
content: colt-cobra potato-potatoes

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:12:25 am
content: Sigh, sorry Sue, I have no idea why I said Cobra, it is in fact a colt yes. I have Cobra on my mind for some reason. probably as I was looking for a Cobra 29 ltd.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:25:08 am
content: "GreyWoolfe, I have no idea about testing for HAMS here except I know I hate tests, as for CB radio they threw out licencing for that years ago.."CB licensing here went the way of the Dodo years ago also. I understand you hate tests, but if properly prepared, you only have to take each test once, depending what class of license you want.By the way, though I am sure you have done this already, here is the link to the RSGB contacts page-http://rsgb.org/main/contact/You can find out about testing and if they have/make special accommodations.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:30:12 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on January 02, 2016, 02:25:08 amYou saying I need a special place on the bus, Dang.You could be right you know.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:33:12 am
content: Quote from: Deathwish on January 02, 2016, 02:12:25 amThat makes a difference.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:34:45 am
content: Quote from: Deathwish on January 02, 2016, 01:50:43 amYou could probably do the UK Foundation Licence blindfolded!In the meantime,you have a CB radio which may or may not work.The CB Regs in the UK are a bit different to those in Oz or the USA.27MHzFMradios were the only legal CB's in your country,but I think,more recently,the rules have changed so you can also use AM & SSB.I may be wrong about the latter----Just Google for the info on both CB & the UK Ham Regs.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:46:34 am
content: I wonder if he is legally allowed to repair the radio. For a long time in this country you had to have at least an FCC Second Class Radiophone license to repair radio gear.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:59:05 am
content: Haha, a year or so ago I bought a Cobra CB and a Baofeng handy because they were so cheap and I figured with the move of all the '80s/90s retards from CB to mobile phone only the good would be left behind.Sadly I have found the airwaves completely devoid of anything at all. The CB I still fancy wiring in my car and sticking the mag aerial on just to see if any truckers use it on the motorway. The "handheld mobile" laws do not apply to CB's so I can go all Smokey and the Bandit rubber duck!Baofeng - I did stumble upon a repeater but the guys all seemed to talk about their ailments and their wives OAP illnesses and stuff along with a bit of HAM banter. Pretty depressing. They all meet up every Sunday for an hour IIRC. I mainly use my Baofeng to listen to Radio 4.HAM is really on the lower bands. My Yupiteru gets all that stuff but it's not as interesting as all the old Police/Fire/Ambulance stuff I used to listen to. It was amazing all the stuff that was NOT reported in the local papers. Rapes and murders with something called an IC something or other.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 03:04:47 am
content: vk6zgo. It used to be AM was illegal I think, well I was suddenly told I was not allowed to use my president back then when it all went FM.Sue, yeah you can repair anything here, no laws I am aware of to say you cant.Mac. CB is alive in wales, what did you expect, no one told us that it had died. As for the plod and such, yeah I enjoyed listening to that till they went all digital and encoded, the miserable gits.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 03:42:24 am
content: Good luck Deathwish; those things are not hard to fix, and can be a good learning tool.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 03:50:21 am
content: Yeah.looks like you had the same scene as in Oz,with mass importation of illegal AM & later SSB radios.It really ramped up when the USA went to 40 channels & the manufacturers were stuck with tons of 23ch radios.They dumped huge numbers of them on the Oz market------at their cheapest,you could pick up AM rigs at K-martfor $40-$50.CBers were everywhere--all over the (then) 11metre Ham band.The poor old Novice licences were totally outnumbered.The CB-ers whinged,& whinged until the Authorities threw in the towel & made CB legal.There was a " sting in the tail",though---there were only 18 channels,including two "Oz only" ones.You could still use the 23ch radios,but you only had 16legalchannels.There was also Licensing & Callsigns.Of course,most of the CB crowd ignored that,& whinged & moaned,until Licensing & Callsigns were dropped,& 40 channels were legalised on the FCC plan.Now,all the law-abiding people who bought 18ch rigs lost two of the channels which became illegal.The Govt's idea was to move all the CB activities to 40 channels on around 477MHz UHF FM by 1982.The HF CBers wouldn't have a bar of it,at the time,so it was quietly forgotten.Truckies started to use UHF to get away from "the morons on 27MHz",& when Repeaters became permissible,UHF CB began to get a following.As the '80s & '90s wore on,27MHz withered away,until,by the turn of the Century,you would be lucky to hear anything ,whilst UHF did quite well for a while,although never with the shoals of stations of the early 27MHz days.With the advent of cellphones,however,UHF CB lost popularity,until,now most City channels are left to foulmouthed louts---just like everybody left 27MHz to get away from!

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 03:58:22 am
content: The 11 meter CB mistake was one of those that had far reaching effects, sad to see one poorly thought out decision by the FCC led to such spectrum pollution.They should have put CB up in the middle of the VHF low band (30-50MHZ). They could have done it and cheaply enough.And in typical fashion the FCC could have provided incentive for those CB-ers to get their ham ticket by removing the code requirement and providing a decent entry level license. But...Well too little too late.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 04:53:00 am
content: I remember those early days of CB in Oz ... everybody was running around trying to avoid the RI's (Radio Inspectors), it was kind of like a game - but I don't think I ever remember someone getting 'done'.My setup was in my car - and of course I had to get a SWR meter to tune my antenna. Being known for my technical interest, I was soon called upon to 'help out' others. I still remember SWRing in a few antennae on vehicles. One lesson I learned is to check your surrounds ... trying to get the SWR down when the antenna is about 5 feet from a chain wire gate just doesn't work. When I realised what was going on, I could have slapped myself stupid - but since those around me had no idea, I just quietly moved the vehicle and had a 1.1 SWR inside 2 minutes.When the licensing came out, I picked up my CB callsign - NCH285, but then we had the 18 channel change on 27MHz and the push to UHF. My interest waned when my car was written off by someone who didn't like the colour of red in the traffic lights. With that and the lack of finances to move to UHF, I just never got around to fitting up my replacement vehicle.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 05:47:17 am
content: Made me laugh because most of the HAM's were moaning about it all and yet it was them who were doing all the repairs and mods on the CB radios around where I lived. They didn't mind shoving extras into your rig for the pennies but god help you if you fired up outside their house.

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 01:11:08 pm
content: I agree with Sue on those things not being hard to fix.In fact I urge new radio techs (no pun intended) to start out with a cb for their first tear down. This gives them a platform to begin in RF repair. A CB radio has all the basic stages that ham radio has less bells and whistles and filtering stages. Dynascan Corp (Cobra) made some very good quality radios back in the day. Cobra 142, 148 were single side band rigs and could cover the entire 10 meter band wit ha little work.I worked part time at a cb shop for 25 years up till 13 years ago. Stay away from anything that has EPTxxxx on the board. (Super Star, Galaxy DX, RCI). These are to USA Illegal export rigs and are just plain crap. I am not saying that just because I am a amateur radio operator it is just a fact. Their PLL mixing creates a lot of spurious emissions (harmonic s).I found little information on the radio you mentioned.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 02:07:27 pm
content: QuoteIf it was a Midland Precision series 7001 I would be jealous....

author: Flump
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 03:13:28 pm
content: Welcome to the Club, I have loads of old CB's from Cobra 148/Superstar 360 to Uniace 100's and most inbetween.The Colt will proberbly have a Cybernet Board in, try and find a close up of the Board and then DL a copy of theCybernet Export manual and see if you can cross reference it.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 03:45:34 pm
content: Nice to see some old CB users in the UK. Are these things legal without a license? Never worked that out.I used to troll truckers in the early 90's on the M11 with my car boot sale Midland 77 and pole antenna I found in a skip. Learned all about RF, transmission lines and SWR. Unfortunately it got used like an immature 14 year old: Breaker breaker one niner, pigs at Duxford Northbound (even though there weren't any). Still in the attic at my dad's house somewhere.Currently lurking (listening only) on 40M CW and worrying the neighbours by slinging bits of wire up into trees out the back. Will do the RSGB test when the toddler grows up a bit and I can retain some brain contents for more than a few minutes

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 04:22:23 pm
content: If you have an amateurs licence you can repair radios here in the UK including CB's and PMR's, otherwise you need a trade certificate for radio repairs having an Msc in electrical or electronic engineering wont do, but if you have one of those I guess the rest is a doddle.The RSGB dose home testing and tutoring for those who cant get out for whatever reason unless the reason is a cell door.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 05:06:05 pm
content: Can you get a foundation license just by doing the test at all? I did the practice exams and know where to poke a PL259, how not to poke an electrocuted HAM and how to pacify the angry guy next door who's TV stops working every time I transmitEE degree as well but...

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 05:22:56 pm
content: Quote from: MrSlack on January 02, 2016, 05:06:05 pmIt's been a very long time since I took my ticket, but I always think if a half witted 16 yo like I was can pass what is now the Advanced Test in the UK, then the Foundation must be really easy.By far the most difficult thing for a techie will be polishing up on the regulatory bits which is largely rote learning I'm afraid, the engineering and maths aspects are schoolboy stuff. Despite hating learning those regs, I did become a bit of a nerd in them once I'd passed my test.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 05:55:40 pm
content: Enough said.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 08:36:52 pm
content: Quote from: MrSlack on January 02, 2016, 05:55:40 pmYou mean there is no Black red and green anymore?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 08:42:00 pm
content: If it was made on the cheap none of the above apply.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 09:17:36 pm
content: Google it , then fix it, you'll learn loads concentrate on one bit at a time, and don't run around like a headless chicken inside it slowly and carefully, writing down all the voltages you find the fault.

author: Flump
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2016, 10:40:04 pm
content: I didnt see there was an audioline included , thats coolI have the small 340 same as that and a mint 341.Lots and lots of info on the web about audiolines.The very first thing you should do if you have not already is getsome kind of antenna for 27mhz otherwise you have no way of testing them.Sure you can use a watt mtr + dummy load to see if you have any rf comming out of thembut that wont show up a tx modulation fault, best way to test them is talk to people.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 01:24:03 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on January 02, 2016, 01:48:52 amI was also a CB'er and have had a ham license since 1982. But before that I was a keen HF DX'er. Radio was magic to me and it still is.Your call sign was cheap at $5. The Australian federal government imposed very high CB radio license fees in the late 70's. If I recall was it cost roughly $140 per year in today's dollars. The government abandoned CB licensing as soon as they realised it was costing more to police than the money they were making. Increasing the price would have driven more CB'ers into piracy. The federal government's CB licensing extortion racket went bankrupt.Today, CB (both 27MHz HF and 477MHz UHF) in Australia is the wild west. No policing, no licensing, no nothing. No-one cares, least of all our government. I know a bloke who wanted to run a UHF CB repeater that covers about 5000 square km in the country 20 years ago. He enquired to the government about setting up the repeater legally but the government was totally unresponsive. He said they had no idea how to handle the request, so he has been successfully running the pirate repeater on a hill on his farm for 20 years and has never had a knock at his door.I ran a pirate station in 1977, but eventually became legal in 1978 because the government ran a fear campaign threatening pirates with a fine, confiscation of equipment and a criminal record unless they get a license. Plus it felt good to have a license over some pirate call sign. My CB was a Roberts 23 channel CB designed and made in Japan, which I of course hacked. Had a lot of fun with it, especially considering it had LEDs for the S-meter and TX power. The clever design could get you 20 S-meter levels out of 5 monochrome LEDs (ie: the last LED's intensity gave you 4 discernible levels; so 5 x 4 = 20).Today, in the urban areas, CB is as dead as a doornail. In Melbourne the last repeater was switched off after one user of the repeater murdered another user. CB is dead. Mobile phones also killed the CB radio star.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 01:39:44 pm
content: Death is sometimes relativeJust like the command prompt (c:\> ) was declared "dead" in 1995, it will be around as long as there are keyboards in one form or another,CB will be around for as long there are 18wheelers on the road.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 02:02:10 pm
content: I would rather use it than a mobile phone, it costs me nothing in call charges.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 02:35:24 pm
content: It is a good phone alternative, so long as you are happy with all in range being able to hear. 2 friends have some semi private comms using simplex operation on 2 different rigs, running on 2 wildly different frequencies and different modes at low power so they barely reach each other enough to open a squelch on the receiver. Otherwise they do not care about you hearing the queries, and often you can have a nice 3 way chat.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 03:38:25 pm
content: Around here the CB is all talking turnips, The tractor drivers all have a CB in the cab alongside PMR's in many cases. All you here is I'm down the bottom end of the 50 acres a drilling beet, or something along those lines, no one else to talk to on CB.I got my licence back in 93-94. just one test to get full ticket plus another for Morse, never took Morse as I am tone deaf or something and could never distinguish between the long and the short. The test was a walk over, we worked out at the time that if the class had been all chimps 25% would likely have passed just by random ticking of the multi choice boxes, 4 boxes per question some of the questions did not have any of the right answers any way, but I knew what ones they were looking for so ticked those anyway.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 03:42:02 pm
content: Did not set a record in my test, but was finished 20 minuted in and left and waited for the rest to file out after the 2 hours...... Record was another who got 100% and finished in something like 8 minutes. Think he memorised the question and answer set, as the self test set in the downloaded book is a superset of the exam question pool.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 10:36:05 pm
content: Quote from: DimitriP on January 03, 2016, 01:39:44 pmMaybe in the USA but not here in Australia where CB is dead. The truckies UHF CB channel is dead no matter where you go. It has been like that for 20 years. In the cities it is dead. No anybody copy, not YL's, no 10-4 good buddies, no eyeballs, no 10-20's, no 10-9's, no breakers, no go-the-breaker, no nothing.What a most people don't know is it is permissible to encrypt speech on UHF CB; but illegal to do so on ham radio. Let's just say I know someone who ran a private mobile telephone service on UHF CB in country Victoria in the 1990's. Philips FM320's with some added, er, shall we say "enhancements". Coincidentally, there was no mobile phone bill shock.

author: Zad
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 04:08:58 am
content: Quote from: Deathwish on January 02, 2016, 01:20:30 amI suspect you have spent some time on Pistonheads thenDon't worry about the service manual. Open it up, check the fuses, check for 12/13.8V or so. Look and smell for burnt PCB or components. Most CBs are (or were) very very similar in design, so once you get used to the general architecture you can find your way around most of them.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 04:30:59 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on January 03, 2016, 10:36:05 pmI think there is a bit of usage of UHF CB in Norwest WA bysometruckies & also by the "Grey Nomads" back & forth between their campervans.Listening to the Perth CB Repeaters,& simplex channels on my handheld scanner,mostly all I hear is a few foul mouthed Yahoos---there would only be a handful of any kind of users.Interestingly,there seems to be a bit of a Renaissance on 27MHz after dead silence for,as you say,20 years.Early last year,I spent quite a bit of time playing around on 10metres using an Icom IC575a.This radio receives down to 26MHz,& whilst poking about,I heard quite a few CBers on Ch 35 LSB & a few other frequencies.Interestingly,they were mainly in Victoria.If I could hear them,I had a good chance of hitting VK3RHF 10m FM repeater,which I did quite regularly last Autumn.There were a few WA CBers on too,which interested me enough to try to unearth the old Electrophone SSB rig,but it looks like I may have chucked it out.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 08:58:41 am
content: I was in Radio Shack tonight and two guys walked in and asked if they carry CBs.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 09:16:20 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on January 04, 2016, 04:30:59 amWhen RHF opens, I'll listen out for you. Its a very good repeater, but does not get much use. I am aware there are some grey nomads using CB on remote areas. Some of them run illegal power (hacked FM91's rigs) but they are not hurting anyone. Least of all does the ACMA care. Radio inspectors are a thing of the past.One thing we willneverfind on CB's in VK land: YL's on channel calling CQ looking for an eyeball.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2016, 05:54:03 pm
content: Quote from: Zad on January 04, 2016, 04:08:58 amYou wouldn't be that well 'ard company director throwing cans of red bull up the oxo tower by any chance?

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2016, 07:55:11 am
content: Calling Deathwish.....Have you left us for some CB crowd?Last post 6th JanLast active 11th JanYou all right Garry?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2016, 09:37:12 am
content: Quote from: tautech on January 20, 2016, 07:55:11 am"This here's the Daddy Duck a-lookin' for the,Deathwish,Got yer ears on,good buddy?,Come on!"

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2016, 11:59:04 am
content: Quote from: Macbeth on January 04, 2016, 05:54:03 pmI've met the bloke who threw the can of red bull. A more passive employee you'd struggle to find.and is anyone near enough to Deathwish to pop round and check he's ok?

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2016, 11:49:44 pm
content: Oh no... Don't tell me he's gone and done a Rod Hull & Emu with his new outside HAM radio antenna?