Best Tube CB Radios- Regency Range Gain II & Cobra Cam 88

[oldgeezer]

I owned a lot of tube CB radios, including the Browning MK4, but not a Tram D201. I will not include the Browning as I owned it 20 years ago. My favorites are the Regency Range Gain II and Cobra Cam 88. The Regency Range Gain is same as the II version. I have a terrible noise from some electronics close by and it destroys most CB radios. But, The Regency has a variable noise blanker and it completely removes the powerful noise. My ham radio will not remove the noise- go figure. The Regency produces a 2 watt dead key and modulates to 10 watts. It drives an amp wonderfully with low power carrier and swings to over four times the carrier (dead key). The receiver is very good and better than the Cobra Cam 88, but sensitivity is same- I'll explain. The Cobra is good, but the Regency beats it by having way less background static (band noise hiss). But, I use a DNR (dynamic noise reduction) speaker on the Cobra so it does not matter. Without the DNR speaker, the Regency is seriously much more clear. Get the DNR speaker and the Cobra is as good if perhaps even a little more clear. So, I highly recommend the Regency Range Gain or Range Gain II. Problem is clean Regency CB radios are hard to find. I would not hesitate to buy one if you fine one.

The Cobra Cam 88 is also a very good tube CB radio. It dead keys 3 watts and modulates to 10 watts once the resistor is removed at the range expand switch. The only resistor attached to the switch, you cannot go wrong removing the wrong resistor. It makes more modulation with the switch off after the resistor is removed. The receiver is very good. Use a DNR speaker ($100 used) and the audio becomes clear like a FM radio. Yes, the speaker is that good. The speaker is a AM-Com that is very popular with ham radio operators. The Cobra does not have a noise limiter, but does not need it. It uses a narrow tuned RF receive amp and electronic noise does not come thru. I have the Knight KN-2565B that is the Cobra Cam 88 in the Knight case. I think the Knight is better looking vs the Cobra. but receiver performance is most important here.

So I highly recommend either radio with a slight preference for the Regency. The Cobra cannot really compete with the Regency receive unless using the DNR speaker. Then, the Cobra is a little more clear over the Regency. I would never sell either radio. Honorable mention is the Courier 23+. It just could not handle the noise issue I have, but is a great receiver. On strong signals the noise fell far into the background though. It has a superior cascade 6BS8 RF amp in the receiver vs the Cobra receiver.

[crambone]

Just picked up a cam88 but needs some work. Need to find sams photofact or schematic for it.

[oldgeezer]

No published schematic ever found on the internet. You need to buy Sams photofact. Good luck.

[TheStonerGuy]

Aug 6, 2019 16:30:25 GMT -5 oldgeezer said:

I owned a lot of tube CB radios, including the Browning MK4, but not a Tram D201. I will not include the Browning as I owned it 20 years ago. My favorites are the Regency Range Gain II and Cobra Cam 88. The Regency Range Gain is same as the II version. I have a terrible noise from some electronics close by and it destroys most CB radios. But, The Regency has a variable noise blanker and it completely removes the powerful noise. My ham radio will not remove the noise- go figure. The Regency produces a 2 watt dead key and modulates to 10 watts. It drives an amp wonderfully with low power carrier and swings to over four times the carrier (dead key). The receiver is very good and better than the Cobra Cam 88, but sensitivity is same- I'll explain. The Cobra is good, but the Regency beats it by having way less background static (band noise hiss). But, I use a DNR (dynamic noise reduction) speaker on the Cobra so it does not matter. Without the DNR speaker, the Regency is seriously much more clear. Get the DNR speaker and the Cobra is as good if perhaps even a little more clear. So, I highly recommend the Regency Range Gain or Range Gain II. Problem is clean Regency CB radios are hard to find. I would not hesitate to buy one if you fine one.

The Cobra Cam 88 is also a very good tube CB radio. It dead keys 3 watts and modulates to 10 watts once the resistor is removed at the range expand switch. The only resistor attached to the switch, you cannot go wrong removing the wrong resistor. It makes more modulation with the switch off after the resistor is removed. The receiver is very good. Use a DNR speaker ($100 used) and the audio becomes clear like a FM radio. Yes, the speaker is that good. The speaker is a AM-Com that is very popular with ham radio operators. The Cobra does not have a noise limiter, but does not need it. It uses a narrow tuned RF receive amp and electronic noise does not come thru. I have the Knight KN-2565B that is the Cobra Cam 88 in the Knight case. I think the Knight is better looking vs the Cobra. but receiver performance is most important here.

So I highly recommend either radio with a slight preference for the Regency. The Cobra cannot really compete with the Regency receive unless using the DNR speaker. Then, the Cobra is a little more clear over the Regency. I would never sell either radio. Honorable mention is the Courier 23+. It just could not handle the noise issue I have, but is a great receiver. On strong signals the noise fell far into the background though. It has a superior cascade 6BS8 RF amp in the receiver vs the Cobra receiver.

The loudest AM tube CB I ever owned was the 3pc Demco "Super" Satelite. Separate TX/RX with external speaker that had a two tube audio amplifier for the transmit audio inside.  It was so loud everyone thought I was running a linear

[Sandbagger]

Oct 16, 2019 12:58:22 GMT -5 TheStonerGuy said:

Aug 6, 2019 16:30:25 GMT -5 oldgeezer said:

I owned a lot of tube CB radios, including the Browning MK4, but not a Tram D201. I will not include the Browning as I owned it 20 years ago. My favorites are the Regency Range Gain II and Cobra Cam 88. The Regency Range Gain is same as the II version. I have a terrible noise from some electronics close by and it destroys most CB radios. But, The Regency has a variable noise blanker and it completely removes the powerful noise. My ham radio will not remove the noise- go figure. The Regency produces a 2 watt dead key and modulates to 10 watts. It drives an amp wonderfully with low power carrier and swings to over four times the carrier (dead key). The receiver is very good and better than the Cobra Cam 88, but sensitivity is same- I'll explain. The Cobra is good, but the Regency beats it by having way less background static (band noise hiss). But, I use a DNR (dynamic noise reduction) speaker on the Cobra so it does not matter. Without the DNR speaker, the Regency is seriously much more clear. Get the DNR speaker and the Cobra is as good if perhaps even a little more clear. So, I highly recommend the Regency Range Gain or Range Gain II. Problem is clean Regency CB radios are hard to find. I would not hesitate to buy one if you fine one.

The Cobra Cam 88 is also a very good tube CB radio. It dead keys 3 watts and modulates to 10 watts once the resistor is removed at the range expand switch. The only resistor attached to the switch, you cannot go wrong removing the wrong resistor. It makes more modulation with the switch off after the resistor is removed. The receiver is very good. Use a DNR speaker ($100 used) and the audio becomes clear like a FM radio. Yes, the speaker is that good. The speaker is a AM-Com that is very popular with ham radio operators. The Cobra does not have a noise limiter, but does not need it. It uses a narrow tuned RF receive amp and electronic noise does not come thru. I have the Knight KN-2565B that is the Cobra Cam 88 in the Knight case. I think the Knight is better looking vs the Cobra. but receiver performance is most important here.

So I highly recommend either radio with a slight preference for the Regency. The Cobra cannot really compete with the Regency receive unless using the DNR speaker. Then, the Cobra is a little more clear over the Regency. I would never sell either radio. Honorable mention is the Courier 23+. It just could not handle the noise issue I have, but is a great receiver. On strong signals the noise fell far into the background though. It has a superior cascade 6BS8 RF amp in the receiver vs the Cobra receiver.

The loudest AM tube CB I ever owned was the 3pc Demco "Super" Satelite. Separate TX/RX with external speaker that had a two tube audio amplifier for the transmit audio inside.  It was so loud everyone thought I was running a linear

One of our locals, Spitfire 441, has one, and he loves it. In fact, if he shows up for the the roundup tonight, there's a good chance he'll be running it.