Modded Cobra

[Robalo]

here super jopix 2000

SUPER JOPIX 2000, Ampliación de 25.3 a 29.7MHz - Radioaficion.com

 

[mechanic]

I've seen this rig before but a BIG thanks for all the additional links! great stuff!
This is where radios should have evolved!

Here is another one... I wonder if it had stuff in common?

mechanic

 

[Cityboy]

I wondered, the radio looks alot like a Galaxy 88. Was there maybe some connection with the 2 companies to produce this particular radio?

 

[ericcson]

cobra mk 5

3's and 8's,
I recently was speaking to an oldtimer in Philly about my 148GTL-DX. He started to tell me about a conversion done by someone named John known as the Jen- ??? who had passed away. He said the mods included a freq. counter, increased output and extras, also a black face.
Anyone here know about this modded Cobra ???

john nugent was his name from plaistow london uk

JENTEC
COBSCAN
SUPERSCAN
TRANSCEIVER MKV​

The COBRA TRANSCEIVER MKV (MK5)
was not a Cobra Factory production model.

The COBRA TRANSCEIVER MKV was a "Concept-Transceiver"
literally years ahead of any 10/11 meter radio of it's Genre. ​

The Transceiver MKV was crafted into creation by a
true Genius called
Mr. John Nugent ​

Amateur Radio Callsign G1LFY.

John traded under the Business name
JENTEC

JENTEC was an acronym for "John E. Nugent TEChnology".
John lived in a town called Plaistow, located in the east part of London, England. John made only 280?* MKV's and today they are VERY rare and good examples almost impossible to find.

​

The Cobra 148 GTL-DX had the PLL stage components removed from the main PB010 PCB. The Channel Selector complete with Channel Indicator LEDs and TX/RX LED were removed. The Channel Indicator LEDs location on the front panel was expanded to house the MKV Frequency Counter PCB John then designed a 5-Digit Frequency Counter and TX/RX LED PCB and furnished it with a Digital Incremental Encoder for the Channel Selector that has an unrivalled performance and unique feel make it a pleasure to operate. The Digital Incremental Encoder has a very smooth feel to each turn of the control. Unlike the standard 148 Channel Selector with 40 positions the MKV Encoder has 50 thus expanding the tuning range by 25%.JENTEC MOTHERBOARD

John's next task was making the "Main-Brain" and essentially what made the MKV unique from any other Transceiver. Fully-Digital, several different versions of the "JENTEC COBSCAN PCB" were produced by John Nugent, each PCB was an improvement on the previous version, see below.

The below JENTEC COBSCAN PCB was actually the first PCB made and was only fitted in the Cobra Transceiver MKIIII (MK4), notice the 4Mhz Microprocessor and row of ten variable potentiometers used for alignment.




The next Version of the JENTEC COBSCAN PCB is shown below.​

John called this the MKIIII 060489 (MK4) dated 6th April 1989, updated now with an 8Mhz Microprocessor. John also called his Software written into the Microprocessor the "SCAN 50" Series. Several versions of SCAN software were released, SCAN 52, SCAN 58 etc. The below Processor was programmed with the SCAN 58 Software on the 28th February 1991.

Following the success of the two previous versions, John made the final PCB shown below, this is the JENTEC COBSCAN 060393 MKV dated 6th March 1993. This PCB utillised surface mount components SMT, has double-sided print and was a third smaller than the previous designs. The below Processor was programmed on the 10th February 1996.

MKV EPROMS
SCAN 5 SERIES SOFTWARE​

The dates written on the Microprocessors were by John Nugent himself. Inside the MKV John also attached an individual Serial number to the Transceivers he modified. The dates and information on the Microprocessors show the development, over time, of the SCAN 5 Series Software. The below 4Mhz Microprocessor is utilising the SCAN 52 version of the software on 11 October 1990.​

In only 4 months (October 1990 to Febuary 1991) John had developed the SCAN 52 software into the SCAN 58 revision and upgraded from a 4Mhz Microprocesor to an 8Mhz Processor.

MKV SPEC​

The Cobra Transceiver MK5 boasted a host of features, many unavailable to any 10/11 meter Transceiver at the time. Here is the full list of features:​

Volume​

Squelch​

Mic Gain​

RF Gain​

Variable Power​

26-30Mhz using 4 position Band Switch​

CW.FM.AM.USB.LSB​

1Kc RX/TX Clarifier​

Scan Facility, UP/Down, could stop on a busy channel if using squelch​

Timed Scan resume​

Astatic Teardrop with UP/Down buttons could Scan/Change Frequency UP/Down​

10Kc - 1Kc channel steps​

Repeater shift​

+/- 100Kc Repeater offset​

S/RF and Power S-Meter indication​

5-Digit Frequency Counter (Red or Green)​

TX/RX LED​

Big Heatsink on rear panel​

Zero-40 watts AM/FM variable​

Zero-40 watts SSB​

PB010 Cobra Chassis​

John Nugent tragically died in 1997, his contribution to CB/Amateur Radio has been incalculable.

*Interestingly, John only modified 148's sent to him personally. John didn't buy 500* MK2 148's and mod them, counter to popular belief. Only operators/148 owners who knew of John and how to contact him, as he didn't advertise, were the lucky few who owned a MKV, purely by word of mouth. Interesting most MKV's we service are the 010AA chassis.​

John later sold MKV "JENTEC COBSCAN Kits" so you could 'make your own MKV'.​

Technicians have Mastered the "JENTEC COBSCAN" Transceivers made by John.
​

 

[Robb]

$870 for a radio?
Ohhh; too expensive for me. That much radio could buy a few radios @ $275 each - really decent ones too.

It may have that much worth to a collector.

 

[26AC148]

LIKE THIS ONE !

 

[Queball]

Here is the my MKV. Warming up for some DX.

 

[Retro CB Guy]

Here is the my MKV. Warming up for some DX.

Be good to it bro, nice I'm a fan !!!

73's Retro

 

[Recon]

I found it and here it is http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/cobra_trxmkv.htm
it's known as a cobra mkv.
Now the hunt is on

Very impressive! What are the mode controls used for?

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

A possible Jentec?

 

[AudioShockwav]

Jentec was well known in the UK, while we here in the US were cutting traces and pulling the pins up or down on pll ic's they were burning EPROMs for custom radios.

Old thread here.

https://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/cobra-transceiver-mk-v-jentec.39104/

Most of the links are dead and pictures lost.
I dont know if cobraworxshop exists anymore but there was info on there web site years ago.

73
Jeff