Cobra 200 thoughts

[Radio Tech]

Do not know why put this is the forth unit in for repair in a month.
It is an older version Cobra. None of the updates have been done.

Problem:
Radio keyed up 3 times according to owner. He just bought it from ebay.
I got the unit and saw no power on finals. No signal on spectrum either. Then out of no where the radio keyed. After about 3 or 4 keys it would drop out when modulated. Then back to no signal at all.

Any of you remember the updates that Cobra did to stop some of these problems? I remember reading about this when they first came out.

 

[Quiksilver]

Any of you remember the updates that Cobra did to stop some of these problems?

Buy a different brand radio!

Sorry...Just had too. All I've heard about the Cobra 200 is it's a problematic radio.

 

[jazzsinger]

Do not know why put this is the forth unit in for repair in a month.
It is an older version Cobra. None of the updates have been done.

Problem:
Radio keyed up 3 times according to owner. He just bought it from ebay.
I got the unit and saw no power on finals. No signal on spectrum either. Then out of no where the radio keyed. After about 3 or 4 keys it would drop out when modulated. Then back to no signal at all.

Any of you remember the updates that Cobra did to stop some of these problems? I remember reading about this when they first came out.

try cb tricks,the technical service bulletins are there.

 

[TonyV225]

Those radios are nightmares mine was sent out to 2 different places a few times then to Cobra a few times finally the head tech (Brian) at cobras service center had Cobra cut me a check for the purchase price and I lost out in over $100.00 in shipping fees I now have put Cobra at the bottom of the barrel.

They were good in past years but really went southward in recent years and this Cobra 200 pushed them right over the edge. I had a few problems with the 200 main one being the power dropping off after about 2 hours use after getting it back each time then out it went again. It really sucked because I absolutely wanted that radio to work I loved it the way it was laid out. I was going to let it run half throttle and keep it the way it was but I was knees deep into the thing with purchase / shipping ETC

 

[Radio Tech]

Buy a different radio? I agree, but it is not mine.

Cbtricks has a few of the updates posted. Audio, selectivity, and aj channel rejection, front end overload.
The rf power updates are not. I know Cobra had a fix for it but I have not seen it posted. I have tried to stay away from these rigs.

Tony, I think that problem of the 2 hour drop off is related to this one. It is just at the 2 minute mark now. I am really leaning towards the driver (mosFet) being the issue with this. Time to build a decent mosFet tester.

 

[jazzsinger]

In most of these radio's i've heard of problems in,it was the driver that was dodgy,although in saying that generally speaking the whole radio is dodgy.one to avoid.

I had one out of the box for 10 mins,rewrapped it and sent it back,a bigger heap of sh!te I haven't came across in 3 decades of radio,and thats saying something.

i found many faults in 10 mins,the shop that sold it's tech found even more than i did,but then after seeing the receiver on it i was terrified to key the mike.

 

[TonyV225]

I am thinking it was a resistor or transistor driver perhaps that kept letting go which there obviously was another problem leading to this or causing it.
What a shame

 

[Radio Tech]

I have two guys that loves the things. But both have the factory updates. This one has none of the updates.

I really see what every one is talking about..

 

[Wire Weasel]

Yeah I've also heard many problems with the 158's & 200's. ?? With SO many other good radios out there to choose from.....why bother with these things?

Good luck

 

[WR0220]

Check the RD16HHF1 transistor in the output stage...

 

[Radio Tech]

Check the RD16HHF1 transistor in the output stage...

Thanks, will do.

 

[Dr_DX]

See here:

http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-band-cb-radios/29010-any-mod-rd16hhf1-cobra-200-gtl.html

 

[Weevic]

The cobra radio might have it`s faults on earlier models ,but I own two of the cobra 200s and also a cobra 148gtl-dx. I use the cobra 200 on a daily basis on low power and have worked half the world. The audio is a little think for most people, but the RX on the radio is awesome!! I hear all the bad things about this radio,but I own two of them and won`t part with them... To me they are good radios... Sometimes radios on ebay are a problem because you are buying other peoples problems...

Sometimes it`s best to buy a radio spanking brand new... Mine are working perfectly and I use them daily..

 

[TonyV225]

You like a few others Ive talk to or heard of are of the lucky group of ownerss.

Brian the head The head tech at Cobra told me that these radios were being discontinued so he had no replacements at the present time before they cut me a check for a refund of only the purchse price minus the shipping charges the 5-6 times it was sent out to warranty centers Cobra themselves had it the last 2 times.

You are very lucky

 

[Robb]

I steered away from buying this Cobra after reading a lot of reviews on it. I bought the Magnum OmegaForce S45 instead. I can't give you any tips on this - I wouldn't presume. I do know that some of the people that have them didn't have a problem. But there are more than a few that had major issues and failures with this radio.
Hope you can fix it - and those fixes hold...