-
You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
Cobra 150GTL 10 Meter Radio
- Thread starter NorthStar
- Start date
Features 10 KHz control
15W RF power
20W dual finals
Full-featured 32.8-ft AM/FM radio
4 bands
SWR calibration system
Variable power
Antenna warning indicator
NightWatch? illumination
Talk-back & Echo controls
Large, full-function analog meter
Frequency counter input
Don't know if this qualifies as "soon" or not, but here's some "more" info........
"High" side feeds juice straight to the modulation transformer. It's an enourmous thing with a 20-Watt audio power chip feeding into it. Swings its ass off at "High", around 55 Watts, but at a carrier power of about 15 Watts. No good for your "DM" 5-pill "nitrous-oxide" box. Might do okay driving eight or sixteen directly, but a wattmeter-worshipper will be severely disappointed by that setup.
"Low" side has a trimpot, turns only up to 4 Watts carrier, and about 25 Watts peak. Bummer.
Turn the carrier any lower, and the swing turns down with it in proportion. 1 Watt carrier will swing 25 Watts or so.
Not that bad, but only about half the PEP you see on "High".
"High" side is NOT, i repeat, * N O T * variable. The High-side switch jumps AROUND the carrier-control transistor altogether.
And as if this weren't enough, the unit I'm looking at has a bum TDA2005 audio power chip. The thing cuts in and out, dropping to half swing and back to full. Go figure. Infant mortality, I guess.
Just ordered the last ten of that chip from my favorite supplier. Hope I won't need too many of them once this radio starts to show up in large numbers.
In all fairness, the bum audio-power chip is likely to be a fluke. On the other hand, if I start hearing from other new owners of this radio that they have the same problem, there's not a fart's chance chance in a whirlwind that I'll go into the parts business and start selling chips. Not this summer, at least.
If you simply 'borrow' the SWR cal knob and wire it into the "Low" side carrier-control circuit, you'll sacrifice half or more of the swing you'll see on "High" side.
The real race is on now to come up with a viable variable-key, one that lets it swing nearly what it will on High side.
Bummer.
Now I gotta decide. Do I dip the pc board in black glop and sell it that way? Or wait until somebody else does, and put up the full schemo and parts list on the web?
Decisions, decisions.
73
"High" side feeds juice straight to the modulation transformer. It's an enourmous thing with a 20-Watt audio power chip feeding into it. Swings its ass off at "High", around 55 Watts, but at a carrier power of about 15 Watts. No good for your "DM" 5-pill "nitrous-oxide" box. Might do okay driving eight or sixteen directly, but a wattmeter-worshipper will be severely disappointed by that setup.
"Low" side has a trimpot, turns only up to 4 Watts carrier, and about 25 Watts peak. Bummer.
Turn the carrier any lower, and the swing turns down with it in proportion. 1 Watt carrier will swing 25 Watts or so.
Not that bad, but only about half the PEP you see on "High".
"High" side is NOT, i repeat, * N O T * variable. The High-side switch jumps AROUND the carrier-control transistor altogether.
And as if this weren't enough, the unit I'm looking at has a bum TDA2005 audio power chip. The thing cuts in and out, dropping to half swing and back to full. Go figure. Infant mortality, I guess.
Just ordered the last ten of that chip from my favorite supplier. Hope I won't need too many of them once this radio starts to show up in large numbers.
In all fairness, the bum audio-power chip is likely to be a fluke. On the other hand, if I start hearing from other new owners of this radio that they have the same problem, there's not a fart's chance chance in a whirlwind that I'll go into the parts business and start selling chips. Not this summer, at least.
If you simply 'borrow' the SWR cal knob and wire it into the "Low" side carrier-control circuit, you'll sacrifice half or more of the swing you'll see on "High" side.
The real race is on now to come up with a viable variable-key, one that lets it swing nearly what it will on High side.
Bummer.
Now I gotta decide. Do I dip the pc board in black glop and sell it that way? Or wait until somebody else does, and put up the full schemo and parts list on the web?
Decisions, decisions.
73
Nomad,
Good Info. I am hearing guys getting 60+ watts from 15 watt dead key on high. I looked thru the parts list and schematic. Hoping to see one up close soon. These are being assembled by a small Factory. But I dunno who manufactured the boards for these radios seems for some reason Giant did not end up building them.
Good Info. I am hearing guys getting 60+ watts from 15 watt dead key on high. I looked thru the parts list and schematic. Hoping to see one up close soon. These are being assembled by a small Factory. But I dunno who manufactured the boards for these radios seems for some reason Giant did not end up building them.
If you check into www.sytc.net you'll see some VERY familiar-looking radios on their home page. Magnum, Titan, RatShack, and more. Thought they used the name "Dragon", or maybe "Maycom"? Or maybe I'm mixing them up with somebody else? Not my specialty, really.
HINT: Visit Microsoft Windows Update first, and install BOTH Korean display fonts AND Korean language input method updates. This seems to be far less kaboom-prone than the "Install-On-Demand" method. You'll get prompted to install them that way when sytc.net's home page begins to load. Much safer to respond NO to Install-on-demand, then visit MWU, and THEN visit sytc.net. After the machine has rebooted, of course.
Maybe I should post some pics while this radio is waiting for that audio chip to arrive? Sure won't see the parts it needs before Monday, at the earliest.
73
HINT: Visit Microsoft Windows Update first, and install BOTH Korean display fonts AND Korean language input method updates. This seems to be far less kaboom-prone than the "Install-On-Demand" method. You'll get prompted to install them that way when sytc.net's home page begins to load. Much safer to respond NO to Install-on-demand, then visit MWU, and THEN visit sytc.net. After the machine has rebooted, of course.
Maybe I should post some pics while this radio is waiting for that audio chip to arrive? Sure won't see the parts it needs before Monday, at the earliest.
73
Coppers has them and a member just received one. Tech 808 on the forum will be doing a review very soon, I cant wait for the Cobra 200 myself, just might get one.
Copper is about the cheapest around and will beat any lagit price too.
AP
Copper is about the cheapest around and will beat any lagit price too.
AP
Ooooh.. I wonder if he'll mention that there is NO VARIABLE KEY ?
So, just what were they thinking at Cobra, anyway?
15 to 18 Watts carrier on High side. Lotsa swing. 55-60 Watts is a lot.
3 or 4 Watts carrier Low side. Half or less the swing you get on High side.
I'll post some pics of the inside, when I get a chance. Still working up the "swing" adapter for putting variable on the SWR cal knob.
At least clipping the AMC is easy. Just lift one leg of Q64. No need to rip it completely out. Easier to put back, once you have a chance to decide later.
Film at 11.
No place to put NPC, no PPC, PDQ, heck even a "Top-Gun Modulator" won't fit in there. No place to connect it.
73
So, just what were they thinking at Cobra, anyway?
15 to 18 Watts carrier on High side. Lotsa swing. 55-60 Watts is a lot.
3 or 4 Watts carrier Low side. Half or less the swing you get on High side.
I'll post some pics of the inside, when I get a chance. Still working up the "swing" adapter for putting variable on the SWR cal knob.
At least clipping the AMC is easy. Just lift one leg of Q64. No need to rip it completely out. Easier to put back, once you have a chance to decide later.
Film at 11.
No place to put NPC, no PPC, PDQ, heck even a "Top-Gun Modulator" won't fit in there. No place to connect it.
73