COBRA CB RADIO 75WXST INFORMATION - Montana Owners Club

Hemlockusa · 12-22-2006, 01:50 PM

Corba has came out with a CB model that has everything including the speaker in the mic head. the control is mounted under the dash or seat out of the way.

I am wondering if any of our members have had any experience with this radio???
I would like to get one if indeed it is a decent unit. It would take up a lot less space in the Cab of the truck. Any info would be appreciate. thank you safe travels John

noneck · 12-22-2006, 02:00 PM

Yes sir! I bought it over a year ago and find it adequate for my needs. Routed a dual coax to two Firestik antenna's.

The Firestik's

Hemlockusa · 12-22-2006, 03:08 PM

THANK YOU NONECK. Now that I have validation, I will order it... I have a great Midland but with everything else including Daisy May on the jump seat that Cobra will fit a heck of a lot better. NONECK hope to see you MAY 07 in BRANSON, MO.. Safe Travels John

noneck · 12-22-2006, 03:35 PM

BTW, That little box has an external speaker jack and I have a Radio Shack speaker mounted under dash on center hump. I too had no real good spot to put my big cobra CB so ended up mail ordering this unit. Initially, had issues with transmit/receive power but after purchasing the adjustable Firestix and a SWR meter...all those issues are solved. Haaa, Brandson MO, maybe some year. Been sticking to east coast as I'm still stuck working... considering the PA mini rally. IBM keeps taking away my retirement savings, maybe someday I'll see ya as a workcamper

Thanks,
Chuck

Chip · 12-22-2006, 03:53 PM

I just had one delivered and will be installing it before spring. It had great reviews.

Emmel · 12-22-2006, 04:59 PM

Good to know, my 10 year old Cobra just bit the dirt last week. I changed antennas thinking that was the problem,not! I have seen the one CW sells and had been thinking of one like you described, made my mind up that quick! See ya in Branson!

Ozz · 12-22-2006, 05:09 PM

Got one John, works, but need to talk to Noneck about the aunt tana....

c5racer · 12-22-2006, 05:20 PM

The most important part of a CB system is the antenna.

H. John Kohl · 12-23-2006, 01:34 AM

You already have good reports. I have one too.

Hemlockusa · 12-23-2006, 02:10 AM

OK, with all you GREAT EXPERTS CHECKING IN. it can't be wrong... Let's see MAXIS has just been shipped from WES now I just did a buy now on e bay for the CB $80.00 seemed like a good price. I will have a VERY MERRY... My problem is I am having a SUN ROOM built for Christa - She may not want to leave RVing after that what to do, what to do..... I have to look at my antenna according everyone. THANKS AGAIN Safe Travels John

BillE · 12-23-2006, 02:37 AM

Add me in there also. It may not have the 'ummph' of a full sized unit, but seems to work well. I'm running a 4' Firestick.

The one thing I did do to it was to glue a 'rubber bumper' (like those that are on cabinet doors tokeep from slamming)on the PTT button. The flat on the unit is kinda hard to push easily. That make sense?

Bill

Bob Pasternak · 12-23-2006, 03:22 AM

I too, have one of the Cobras but have just gotten it installed. I put a Larson mag mount ant. on the roof. Now, contrary to c5racer, I think a good ground is the most important part of the system, and the first thing I noticed on this unit was the small ground wire. If you do not mount the box on a grounded surface, you'd be well advised to run a wire from it to a GOOD ground. What I did was drill a hole in the bracket that holds my driver's seat to the floor and bolt the box to it.

noneck · 12-23-2006, 04:00 AM

Ok, Not an "expert" here which means others are free to educate us. I've struggled for years trying to make my CB Trans/Receive work well. I read some of how it really doesn't matter which CB you have as the FCC regulates your Transmit power at 4watts. Now that I have a fancy Monty...I wanted to make the CB as good as it could be...not sure how these relate other than a guy thing for an excuse for more power, aaarrrgggghhhh, arrrrggghhhh!
I bought most of my parts at local Pilot Truck Stop, Truckers tend to drive this market and the right parts are going to be found at the truck stops. I got a Co-phased coax (my own personal preference to ballance the "look" of my F250) and I have heard they should be more than 4ft apart...mine are NOT.
I bought two heavey duty antenna base mounts, drilled the bed rail just behind cab and inside right next to where the metal transitions to single layer.
I bought two Firestik II FS Series (they are tunable).
I bought my own Radio Shack SWR meter, been borrowing for years, wanted my own so I could play and not give up till my tuning was perfect. Devoted alot of time to tuning, sitting in driveway near garage (found out this was bad), sitting in open (decided this is not when I really need to be best), and finally sitting hooked to the Monty (this was when I want the darn thing to be really best in performance).
Short answer on tuning, when on channel 40 and SWR is high, shorten antenna length, when on channel 1 and SWR is high, lengthen antenna length. This will make channel 20 best tuned channel...mine is good though whole band after working this procedure. Here's some pic's of parts...sorry I'm a picture guy!
Co-phased coax cable, has to be high quality

Heavey duty mount

Excellent antenna's...I have 2 of the 4ft'ers

Radio Shack SWR Meter

How it looks....

Ozz · 12-23-2006, 04:33 AM

Noneck, you de man!
Thanks, I am printing the page out, for equipment duplication.
My glass mounted antenna is just short of two tin cans and a short string.
Ozz

noneck · 12-23-2006, 05:11 AM

I routed the coax from little remote box inside dash, under carpet following hump to come out behind rear seat where carpet ends. I then sent one out each of the flapper doors (I suspect on reading this others will say..don't do this as they are really meant to manage cabin pressure and I just messed them up!) Anyway they then just go up to the antenna mounts, bit tight on the contour that the end of the bed is formed into its rolled angle edge but got it all nice and snug.
Locating the whips just inboard of the double plating allows them to not be a contact point for nose of Monty when backing into tight spots, I just am really careful of not touching cab and means once in a blue moon I have to make an extra jog to complete the parking maneuver and makes me less manly...hahaha
Takecare and merry xmas to you and Sue
Chuck

Sweetfire · 12-23-2006, 05:36 AM

Here's one with 7 watts output. FCC doesn't enforce regs. very well.

http://www.quadratec.com/products/96080_90.htm

H. John Kohl · 12-23-2006, 05:47 AM

Ozz as you have learned the glass mount has minimum performance.
As stated a good ground for the antenna is critical for performance. Also the higher the antenna the better performance. You will find the Montana will block some of the signal. 4 watts is the legal power output, however, as we know the truckers use a lot more power. My mode of operation is to hear what is going on in traffic and talk to truckers close to me. With this operation my set up works well.
Antenna theory is a full topic in itself in the ham radio community. Dual antennas do help give you a little more fore and aft direction. However, as said it is mostly for uniformity if they are not separated enough. Tuning them is a lot more fun because they do interact with each other.
The tuning directions are correct. SWRs will be in a U shape. So you want the lowest portion in the middle or closest to your primary operating frequency. The performance and characteristics of the antenna will dictate how sharp or shallow the shape of the U.

H. John Kohl · 12-23-2006, 05:50 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Sweetfire

Here's one with 7 watts output. FCC doesn't enforce regs. very well.

http://www.quadratec.com/products/96080_90.htm

Sweetfire, I looked at the add and it states 7 watts of audio output. That is different than RF output. The FCC does track the RF close.

Ozz · 12-23-2006, 07:16 AM

Thanks guys, daily, I learn what little I know about things. Good to have a well rounded Forum membership.

Hemlockusa · 12-23-2006, 08:22 AM

Santa said the sled was full, I have to depend on UPS and it should arrive in four days... Looking forward to going down everyone's list and have this thing PERFECT. So maybe if you don't flash you lights you can at least tell me hello.. And all this so Daisy May has room on the jump seat, God what we don't do for pets. ha ha Safe Travesl and see you in BRANSON John

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