Cobra 29ltd low meter reading?

[Barry Webb]

Hi every one this is my first time on here so please be kind.
I have not had a cb radio for many years and have just got back into it my problem is I have a cobra 29ltd fm rig and when I key the mike the power meter only moves up a bit and sometimes even moves down.
I can remember that when you keyed the mike the power meter moved very fast to the end of the scale is this still the case.
I got the radio from eBay and the guy said it was all good.
Any ideas.
Barry.

 

[CTStallion]

Make sure your switch is in the S/RF position, and not either the CAL or the SWR position.

 

[Barry Webb]

Hi thanks for your reply I have the switch in the s/rf position when I key the mike the meter moves to about 3. and sometimes it moves over to the left.
Just wondered if that normal.

 

[RatsoW8]

Hi thanks for your reply I have the switch in the s/rf position when I key the mike the meter moves to about 3. and sometimes it moves over to the left.
Just wondered if that normal.

If you give us more info we can probably help you. Is it mobile or base, what antenna are you using if any at all, do you have a watt/swr meter in line? What is the swr reading and output showing on the meter? The $2 meter on the a Cobra is a poor indicator of whether the radio is working properly or not. Answering these questions is a start but just saying the meter goes to three or backwards gives us nothing to go on.

Your turn

 

[GnG8d]

I have a cobra 29ltd fm rig and when I key the mike the power meter only moves up a bit and sometimes even moves down..

Try AM instead of FM

 

[9C1Driver]

I think what is going on is since FM generates a lot of heat your radio was tuned with a lower carrier level. FM is all carrier, there is no swing on the meter when you talk in this mode. So if the S meter on receive is at say an S7 when you key the mic the needle will actually drop to the left to show say a 3 watt carrier in FM mode. If you were to have the cover off and had a plastic tool on the FM VR pot you could key the mic and adjust the pot. When doing this you would see the needle move further to the right with a higher dead key level. I would do some research on what the proper FM carrier should be for that radio before you increase it.

 

[sonoma]

from what I am reading this is a euro radio since it only has FM. there is a mod to give it AM and FM if this is a true euro 29ltd. as 9c1driver stated sounds more like the problem you are having. fm mode does not swing the meter as AM does. if the radio puts out 3 watts that is all the meter will show and not move as you talk into it.
unit399 just posted the am mod for the euro radio a couple days ago. if you search you should find it.

just took a few minutes and found it for you. what country are you in?

http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-radio-modifications/165610-cobra-uk-29-ltd-st-mod.html

 

[Barry Webb]

Thanks for all your replys iam using a maas 100 little mag mobile aerial now I understand what was going on the meter was saying 3 watts when I keyed the mike which I believe was correct. But the problem now is when I key the mike the meter moves to the left and when I plug in a SWR meter there is no read out at all the meter stays at 0 and does not move.
Barry.

 

[RatsoW8]

It's broken

:headbang

 

[Barry Webb]

Hello all I should have said I am in the UK England Cornwall.