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Post by aircargoo on May 22, 2009 7:37:54 GMT -5
tuned and peaked yesterday..... cb shop said he got it close to 24 watts...  he wouldnt do mosfet finals... >:(dont know why.....but is it possiable to gain that much more from 4 watts(stock) with JUST the tune & peak without replacing anything?  txs |
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Post by BionicChicken on May 22, 2009 7:50:52 GMT -5
What kind of radio is it? Some will do this.........some will not. It really depends on the wattmeter being used.
BC
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Post by aircargoo on May 22, 2009 8:33:35 GMT -5
its a cobra...a 29 nw st....lil wil magnet... there IS a distance change,got radio check b4 and distance was further...driver had said my modulation was clean....i was hearing him low thou but clear and understandable. cb shop said CLOSE to 24 watts...align,ect....as far as his equipment.... his table (workbench) lQQked like there was work on it. shop looked nice...he looked like the type of person 2 use good equip. but he was to young to be a OLD SCHOOL cb tech....you know what i mean...he wasnt like 45-55 yrs old...guy looked early 30's...since he wouldnt do mosfet final...it discouraged me alot....thats y all the posts.....lol  |
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Post by Tombstone (R.I.P.) on May 22, 2009 10:03:53 GMT -5
Is that dead key watts? Maybe your tech guy meant a modulated forward swing wattage reading.
Tombstone
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss 
Posts: 6,250 
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Post by Sandbagger on May 22, 2009 15:21:15 GMT -5
This is one of those "little white lie" deceptions shops use to make someone think they got a really good deal on a peak job. Almost everyone knows a stock radio is rated at 4 watts (carrier). Then the shop will peak it and claim 24 watts (which is the peak power reading). It's an apples to oranges comparison, since a 24 watt peak should equal a 6 watt carrier. But it sounds better to say you went from 4 watts to 24 watts than 4 watts to 6 watts...... |
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Post by maddog on May 22, 2009 21:31:08 GMT -5
I've never seen a cobra 29 do more than 12-13 watts peak swing by just tweeking with a screwdriver.It may do 20 watts by replacing parts.A unident grant xl will only do about 18 watts(on my my meter) fully peaked and tuned.
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
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Post by Sandbagger on May 23, 2009 8:10:47 GMT -5
I've never seen a cobra 29 do more than 12-13 watts peak swing by just tweeking with a screwdriver.It may do 20 watts by replacing parts.A unident grant xl will only do about 18 watts(on my my meter) fully peaked and tuned. A standard 100% modulated 4 watt radio will have a peak power of 16 watts. The thing is you need a high quality peak reading meter to see it. I've seen Cobra 29's do 20 - 25 watts peak. Granted, the modulation limiters are cut, and the audio amp is well into distortion, and the modulation looks more like a squarewave than a proper sinewave. But it will do it. My problem is the deception of comparing the dead carrier wattage before, and the Peak power reading after, making it seem that the radio was peaked from 4 watts to 25 watts. It would be a worthwhile tune up if those 25 watts were actually dead carrier watts. Of course, if the radio was still making 100% modulation at 25 watts of carrier, it would need to make 100 watts of peak power...... And there is NO WAY you're going to get that from a Cobra 29........ |
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Post by thejerk on May 28, 2009 14:15:15 GMT -5
its a cobra...a 29 nw st....lil wil magnet... The radio, depending on age, might already have the mosfet in it...most of the newer cobras and unidens have mosfets IIRC. Some techs like them, others don't. I have a DX959 with OE mosfets, it does everything my 29 and 78 with factory 1969 finals do... 24 watts is more "believable" than someone claiming 50 watts out of a single final Cobra 29...typically, most techs I've been around will claim around 25 watts from a stockish 29 with a peak and tune. Whether its a loose meter or on frequency is another story. If you are getting good reports, I wouldn't get hung up on the numbers...I have seen it several times where someone pushing 500 watts will get squashed by someone doing a little over 200 watts...it depends on the meter and how many of your watts are on the frequency you're using... |
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Post by aircargoo on May 28, 2009 15:20:03 GMT -5
yes i do get good reports back on the air....seems i can comunicate as far as I-80 and 95 n. merge from my point(newark,n.j.) towards washington bridge.
considering how much traffic is on cb's up here on certain channels its pretty good.
i "might" be doing a 10 mile radius now...easier.
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Post by doctor on May 29, 2009 9:50:25 GMT -5
If you put a better antenna on it, it will improve your transmission and reception...
A Wilson mag mount 1000 will get you the extra boost.
If you take your antenna coax, and a foot or two from the radio wind a loop 4 turns and secure with tie wraps in a 4 to 5 inch circle, you will see less noise, a quieter receiver and should see a flat swr and a big difference.
ALWAYS remember there are 2 meters for the customer..the sales meter and the technicians meter..obviously you will only see the sales meter for all the NEW readings.
DOCTOR/795
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Post by zman on Jun 1, 2009 21:46:37 GMT -5
Hmm the most my creaky old 1979 Cobra 148 GTL will do is about 16 watts +or- pep on AM from a 4 watt carrier and about 20 +or- on SSB, but everyone i have talked to said it sounds great. I dont believe in butchering up radios to get more power out though. Now my old Cobra 142 GTL will scream on Am and SSB. I dont know what the original owner did to it but the modulation on AM and SSB is just wild.
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**GRUMPY**
Administrator/The Boss
Classic Radio Operator Olde Timer 8220 [/color][/center]
"The King of Ping"
Posts: 4,342
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Post by **GRUMPY** on Jun 3, 2009 22:16:50 GMT -5
tuned and peaked yesterday..... cb shop said he got it close to 24 watts... he wouldnt do mosfet finals... >:(dont know why.....but is it possiable to gain that much more from 4 watts(stock) with JUST the tune & peak without replacing anything? txs |
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Post by thejerk on Jun 4, 2009 14:53:52 GMT -5
Hmm the most my creaky old 1979 Cobra 148 GTL will do is about 16 watts +or- pep on AM from a 4 watt carrier and about 20 +or- on SSB, but everyone i have talked to said it sounds great. Neither of my Uniden Grants will show numbers like a Cobra29 or Uniden76...something about that chassis. The SSB versions typically show less watts than their AM counterparts. They (148/Grant) have great audio, but they don't show the feel good watts the AM counterparts show. Someone once said that most meters are used incorrectly anyway (operator/technician error)...AM should only be measured using RMS or average, and SSB should only be measured using PEP...reading AM on a PEP meter isn't really accurate. I know my RatShak meter indicates this in its literature...but its the only one I have ever seen spell that out, so it might be RS-meter specific. Again, as long as it gets good reports, don't get hung up on the watts...10 miles in that part of New Jersey on a barefoot radio is not bad at all. Typically you need to be packing heat to get to be heard around that neighborhood. |
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Post by maddog on Jun 5, 2009 21:27:39 GMT -5
20 watts is about all i see out of any of the mobile radios i have (s9,delta force 2950,33 etc..).The s9 has never been tweeked,But the rest have been and 20 watts is all they will do.(depending on what meter you are using of course.)
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Post by bootymonster on Aug 28, 2009 1:09:46 GMT -5
keep in mind the tech most likely use a dummy load to do the tune and antenna systems can show different values than what a dummy load does . 24 watts does seem a bit high though and as others said meters can vary a lot too .
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