Cobra

Cobra 148 GTL and F-GTL

Extra Channels: Locate the MB8719 chip
(usually right behind the channel selector).
Wire a single-pole, single-throw switch from
pin 10 to ground (SW-2 on chart), and another
from pin 11 to pin 12 (SW-1 on chart).
Supertune: Many of you have asked about
supertunes for this radio. I do not recommend
modifying the 148 very much, due to the type
of modulation circuit used. I have found that
the best over-all sound and performance
comes with nothing more than a standard
tune-up, with the mod level set for 100%.
However, there are a few mods that will yield
better over-all PEP and still keep decent
quality sound. Change C109 to a 3.3uf or 4.7uf.
RemoveC174, and run a 1000uf cap from
negative side of C174's position to the base of
TR41, with the positive side of the 1000uf cap
going to the base of TR41. Reset the AMC level
for 100% modulation.
Cobra 140/142 GTL
Extra Channels: Replace the 11.1125 mhz
crystal with a 11.3258 crystal. Locate the
MB8719 chip (usually right behind the channel
selector). Isolate pin 10 from ground (Cut the
trace). Wire a switch from Pin 10 to
ground(SW-2 on the chart), and another from
pin 11 to pin 12 (SW-1 on chart). You may need
to re-align the frequencies a bit. Supertune:
Many of you have asked about supertunes for
these radio. I do not recommend extensively
modifying the 140/142, due to the type of
modulation circuit used. I have found that the
best over-all sound and performance comes
with nothing more than a standard tune-up,
with the AMC circuit left intact. However,
there are a few mods that will yield better
over-all PEP and still keep decent quality
sound. Change C90 to a 3.3uf or 4.7uf.
RemoveC119, and run a 1000uf cap from
negative side of C119's position to the base of
TR34, with the positive side of the 1000uf cap
going to the base of TR34. Remove R186. For
AMC changes, place 5k variable resistor from
base of TR33 to ground. You can also try
removing R125 and increasing the value of
R102. Change C90 to 10uf.
Cobra 29 LTD:
Receive Boost: Locate pin 14 of the PLL chip,
and the Positive (+) side of C-12. Install a 22k-
220k ohm resistor between these two points.
The smaller the value, the more the receive is
boosted. Use CARE when soldering to the PLL
chip! If desired, this mod may be wired
through a switch.
Supertune: Replace the stock final with a
2SC1969 unit. Solder a jumper across D8 (this
may cause receive distortion at high volumes,
remove jumper if it does). Solder a 68pf cap
across C62. Solder a 68pf cap across C59 if
there is already a 33pf across it. If there isn't,
use 100pf instead. Replace R 55 with a 10-15k
resistor, and solder a 33-55 pf cap across that
resistor. Replace R58 with a 4.7 ohm resistor.
Set VR4 just a bit to the right of half-way open.
If D11 or C3 have been removed, replace them.
D11 is a simple small-signal swithcing diode
like a 1n147, and C3 is just a 1uf electrolytic. If
TR18 has been removed or cut, replace with a
2SA733. Spread Open L12 a tiny bit, and adjust
L16 for best swing, using a loud, steady
"aaaaaaah" sound into the mic (or if you have
a function generator, set it up for 1khz at
about 16mv output, and use that. MAKE SURE
to use heat-sink compound (a very light
coating is sufficient) when mounting the new
final, and MAKE SURE the final mount screw is
tight!
MOSFET Supertune (29LTD classic and newer):
Replace stock final with IRF520 MOSFET
transistor (pin-for-pin match when installing).
Remove R56 and in its place install a 470-ohm
resistor in series with a common switching
diode (1n914 or similar), with the banded end
of the diode towards the front of the radio.
Remove C53 and solder it across C59. In C53's
place solder a 3.3k resistor. Remove C 61 and
solder it across C62. Remove C126. Remove
R55 amd solder a 22pf cap in its place. Remove
the slug from L14. Replace C71 with a 33-47uf
cap. Turn VR4 (AMC) counterclockwise fully.
Gently spread L13 and L12 and tweak the
spreads for best PEP when modulated. Tweak
L20 and L17 for best PEP when modulated.
After tuning is finished, set VR4 to half-way.
Note: Older 29's (LTD and GTL) use the same
basic procedure, but instead of re-using the
caps, place a 100pf across C62, a 68pf across
C59, and 22pf across the spot where you
removed R55.
Channel 9 switch to Channel 19: Cut D32. Hard,
huh?
Radio comes in TX mode without mic plugged
in: Check C117 and C118
Channel display goes dead on key-up, little or
no receive: Check TR23 for bad part or bad
solder joints. Also check C119.
Cobra 25 LTD:
Supertune: Replace the stock final with a
2SC1969 unit. Solder a jumper across D10 (this
may cause receive distortion at high volumes,
remove jumper if it does). Change R43 to 4.7
ohms. Remove C149. Place 82-150pf cap across
C 46. Place 33-68pf cap across C42 (select for
best output). Set VR5 half-way open. If D9 or
C6 have been removed, replace them with the
same values specified in the 29 procedure
above. If TR14 is cut or missing, replace it with
a 2SA733 unit. Spread open L8 a bit, and
adjust L10 for best swing, using a loud, steady
"aaaaaaah" sound into the mic. MAKE SURE to
use heat-sink compound when mounting the
new final, and MAKE SURE the final mount
screw is tight! Optional: For more mic
amplification, replace R76 with 1K ohm.
Channel display goes dead on key-up, no
transmit: Check C90 or C118 for short.
Cobra 19 Plus, 19 DX, 19 Ultra (and other
brand/models with same chassis):
Supertune: Replace the final with a 2SC1969
unit. Solder a jumper across the diode going
from the Audio Transformer to the Driver and
Final (this may cause receive distortion at high
volumes, remove jumper if it does). Solder a
jumper across the resistor going from the base
of the Final to the Driver. If a diode has been
cut for modulation, solder it back together, or
replace it. Adjust the modulation control POT
(VR) for 100% modulation (usually between
1/4 to 3/4 way open). Tune output coils for
best swing, using a loud, steady "aaaaah"
sound into the mic. Note: These radios are
superb for clarity of modulation, even on the
stock mic.

Cobra 200 GTL-DX

Echo mod:
NOTE: Previously there was a part number
error in this mod. I originally listed R39 as the
part number. That was a typo. The mod is now
correct. If you changed R39, please change it
back to 100K to maintain receiver integrity.
R550 controls the delay of the echo (speed of
the echo). By changing it to a lower value, the
delay is decreased. Higher value (obviously)
increases the delay. Values below 1k would be
inadvisable. I've not experimented with a max
value yet, but a couple hundred K would likely
be the practical limit. If you want, you can put
a 100K pot in place of R550, making sure to
use a bit of hot glue to keep the wires from
moving around too much. Keep a 1k fixed
resistor in series with the POT.
Mic Preamp Mods:
1. R181 is the feedback resistor on the 4558
mic preamp IC. It is 150K stock. Change it to
anything from 470k to 1M. This will allow
much more effective use of a good noise
cancelling mic on the radio. As with the
talkback mods and echo mods, use hot glue on
the parts you install to make sure they do not
flex. Values above 1M will be problematic
from a noise standpoint, and 470K is likely
going to give more than enough added gain
for practical purposes.
2. C158 controls the speed at which the AMC
circuit responds. To speed up this circuit (and
thereby give more even modulation at max
levels), change this to around 10-22uf. If you
go much lower than 10uf, you may start to get
a choppy sound.

Galaxy
•

Galaxy 33-88, Connex 3300, and similar units:

"Supertune": Change R174 and 187 from 10k
units to 2.2k units. Peak L31, L33, L40, L42,
L43, L44, L51, and L52 for best swing, using a
loud, steady "aaaah" sound in the mic. Set
carrier control pots as normal for high and low
power levels. For louder, cleaner talkback,
solder a .1uf capacitor in series with a resistor
(5k on up) from pin 4 of the audio chip to J25
(small wire jumper in front of TR32 on parts
side of board, near the mic socket). If you use a
resistor higher than 10k, you can skip the
capacitor, unless you desire a higher tone for
the talkback. Experiment a bit for best
resuslts. If desired, you can replace R238 with
a rectifier diode, with its banded end pointed
towards the mic-jack side of the radio. NOTE:
this can increase the possibility of feedback in
hot operating conditions, but adds alot of
room in the modulation for lower-output mics
like the Astatic 636L. If feedback occurs after
warm-up, nake sure the AM regulator is
securely mounted and completely FLUSH
against the chassis.
AMC Mod: Change C133 (center of the board,
about 2-2.5 inches from back edge, next to TR
34) from 10uf to 4.7 uf. This makes the AMC
action much snappier, and gives better
average loudness.
Galaxy 88 (old)
Frequency Counter Noise: (applies to all older
model galaxies with large counter module)
solder a .01uf capacitor from pin 8 of the
TC5032 IC to the nearest ground point. Should
eliminate the problem.
95T
RF Gain Mod: Locate R72 just behind L5 (first
receive coil, the one without a metal can on it),
and run a wire from the right end of it through
a 1k pot to ground. Its that simple. For the RF
gain to work, the radio's 40-db pad must be
engaged. If you use more than a 1k pot, I
recommend running the POT in parallel with a
2.5k resistor to keep the gain from dropping
too fast with a small pot movement. If you
have a 2k or 2.5k pot, that works even better.
General Galaxy Tips
77-99 SSB models AM/FM receive problem: If
AM/FM receive out, or intermittent, check D4
Half-channels (+5khz): Cut front trace of
crystal X2 and solder 56-68PF cap across cut.
Use switch across cut to switch between
normal and half-channels.

Midland
Midland Power Max (old version)
Supertune: Replace final with 2SC1969, short
D205, short R314 and R316, and add 68pf
across C318 and C320. Retune for max power.
DO NOT cut mod limiter, use Modulation
Control Pot to set mod level. NOTE: The new
Power Max version doesnt supertune well.
Procedure NOT RECOMMENDED for the new
version!
President
Washington Base - newer model
Extra Channels: Replace the 11.1125 mhz
crystal with a 11.3258 crystal. Locate the
MB8719 chip (usually right behind the channel
selector). Isolate pin 10 from ground (Cut the
trace). Wire a switch from Pin 10 to
ground(SW-2 on the chart), and another from
pin 11 to pin 12 (SW-1 on chart). You may need
to re-align the frequencies a bit. Supertune:
Many of you have asked about supertunes for
these radio. I do not recommend extensively
modifying the Washington, due to the type of
modulation circuit used. I have found that the
best over-all sound and performance comes
with nothing more than a standard tune-up,
with the AMC circuit left intact. However,
there are a few mods that will yield better
over-all PEP and still keep decent quality
sound. Change C90 to a 3.3uf or 4.7uf.
RemoveC119, and run a 1000uf cap from
negative side of C119's position to the base of
TR34, with the positive side of the 1000uf cap
going to the base of TR34. Remove R186. For
AMC changes, place 5k variable resistor from
base of TR33 to ground. You can also try
removing R125 and increasing the value of
R102. Change C90 to 10uf.

RCI
2950
Supertune: add 330pf caps across C261, 262,
and 270, and retune for best output. Simple,
Huh!
2970
Make Amp Switchable: Locate the black and
brown wires going to a plug next to the
upright circuit board in front of the final and
driver. Cut the brown wire and insert a switch.
2950/70
Close-Range Receive Improvement: Change
R49 (near IC 1) from 100k to 33k. This will keep
very close signals from overdriving the front
end of the radio. If you still have some
problems after this modification, Change R78
from 2.2k to 6.8k. This will reduce the
sensitivity of the receiver, and may also help
cut back some of the noise level.
Talkback: Cut one end of D78. To make
talkback clearer-sounding, clip D115
(eliminates the PA option, however). You may
also replace D115 with a .001 capacitor (some
degradation of PA system output).

Superstar
121
Modulation boost: Change R142 and R174 to
10k ohms. Clip D80 for talkback, and run 1meg
resistor from pin 4 of audio chip to pin 1 of IC4.
3000
Roger Beep Switch: Cut J21 near mic socket
and insert switch.
3900
Roger Beep Switch: Insert switch in-line with
C134. To change length of beep, play with
value of C134.

Uniden
PC 66, 68, 76, 78
Supertunes: Refer to Cobra tips for PC 76/78
and 66/68 (Cobra 29 and 25 respectively), with
one exception: DO NOT remove any capacitors
in 76/78 as is done with the Cobra models!
BC680
AMC modification:
1. CAREFULLY cut the trace between D240
and D241. Its a very narrow trace, so be
CAREFUL!
 2. Solder a 10k - 15k resistor between the
diodes, basically jumping it across the cut
you just made.
3. CAREFULLY remove C291 (next to
D240), and replace it with a 4.7uf 25v cap.
This is a double-sided board and easily
damaged so be CAREFUL!

Miscellaneous Tips
Supertunes: There are a couple general items
that you can do to get extra power out of
almost any radio. First, replace the stock final
with a 2SC1969 transistor. Second, locate the
resistor bringing the driver signal to the base
of the final, and solder a jumper across it.
Third, locate the diode running from the Audio
output transformer to the final/driver supply
chokes, and solder a jumper across it. These
mods generally do not apply to sideband
radios, most of which already use a 1969 unit.
Some readjustment will be needed, and some
radios may be able to be further increased by
changing various capacitor values in the final
and driver circuits. Experiment CAREFULLY!

Clean Modulation: All radios come from the

factory with a "modulation limiter" or "amc"
circuit. The purpose of this circuit is to keep the
radio from over-modulating. which causes
bleed over, and gives the radio a "blaring"
sound. Many shops remove this limiter to
obtain a high "swing" on a power meter. If this
circuit has been disabled (usually by cutting a
diode or resistor), you can regain crystal clear
transmit audio by re-enabling it. Once
enabled, adjust the modulation control
trimmer for just over 100% modulation. Use a
good oscilloscope to judge this, or if none is
available, use a good modulation meter. If the
radio does not have a modulation control
trimmer on the board, you can insert a resistor
inline with the diode (or other resistor) that
was cut. Select a value that yields just over
100% modulation.
Excess noise in trucks with electric/electronic
fuel injectors: Purchase Radio Shack part
number 273-105, and put one on each injector
wire, both hot and ground. This trick will also
work with many other noise sources in the
vehicle, such as blower motors, wiper motors,
etc. Examples of this type of injector noise
problem occur very often in trucks with the
N11/N14 Cummins motors.
R-Model Mack Trucks: Occasional ground
problems with antenna systems. Use the
Wilson "Silver Load" antenna, 4-footer, with
18 feet of RG-8X coax, and tie the antenna's
false-ground lead to one of the antenna mount
bolts. You'll need to crawl up and down a
ladder (or the truck itself) to adjust the
antenna, but the results are worth the hassle.

New-Model Freightliners and Volvos (With

antennas located in the plastic mirror
housings): Setting up a reliable antenna
system is fairly simple with these. You can set
the truck up for either single or dual antennas.
Remove the front mirror housing by removing
the two retaining screws. Locate the existing
antenna mount and coax. Unscrew the factory
coax. Screw in your own 18' coax into the
factory mounting stud. Screw in your choice of
antenna into the top of the stud, finger-tght
only, and set the swr's as you normally would.
Once that is done, remove the antenna, route
the new coax down to the bottom of the
mirror housing, and replace the housing cover.
There is a small notch at the bottom of the
cover that will allow the coax to fit through.
Once the mirror is back together, re-install the
antenna, and tighten as normal with 2
wrenches (one to turn the antenna, one to
hold the top of the mount stud from turning).
Repeat the process for two antennas. The coax
may be routed between the door and door
frame, or you may route it anywhere you wish
as long as it is not severely pinched, coiled, or
tightly bundled.
D-104 Desk Mics: Fuzzy audio and distortion,
new battery does not fix. Check .1uf coupling
cap between mic amp stages. Applies to mics
using older 2-transistor preamp board (UG8, T-
UG8, etc)
CRE 8900 Conversion: Make sure radio is off.
Hold "func" and "emg" key while turning radio
on. Display should say band 1. Let go of keys,
turn channel selector to show "2band", then
hold "func" for 3 seconds. The display will
show "rES" then "rEnd. Power the radio off
and back on. This puts the radio into multi-
band (11-meter) mode. Follow the above
procedure to reset to 10-meter mode, but
select "1band" instead of "2band".