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Need help with CB Radio!

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mopar18

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Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
7
Location
Missouri
Hi ya'll, I'm new here and new to CB radios. I bought a cobra 19 ultra III about a week ago( 40 dollar CB figured it'd be a good starter CB ) i got it all hooked up that day and it was receiving with no problems, listened to the CB chatter all that week, i didn't use the mic till two days ago cause i was waiting on my swr meter i ordered to get here, it got here about 3 days ago i tested the swr in a wide open parking lot and was getting 1.2 - 1.3 on channel 1, 1.2 on channel 40 and 1.1 on channel 20, i read that as long as it was below a 1.5 it'd be fine to use the mic or transmit so two days ago i was trying to get someone to respond just to see how it worked and i went to go talk into the mic or key the mic and the CB just went dead so i checked the 2amp inline fuse and it was blown, i figured id just go put another 2amp fuse in and it'd be fine but once i put the new fuse in and turned the power back on the CB it lighted up for a second and then then blew the fuse again and it just keeps blowing fuses every time. I'm hoping someone on here can tell me whats going on. I looked at the mother board and nothing looks burnt, i checked the wiring its hooked up right pos+ to pos+ and neg- to neg-. any help is greatly greatly appreciated!!! as I'm leaving for Florida in a couple weeks and would like to have my cb back up and working.
 

K4PIH

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Jul 7, 2014
Messages
16
Location
Springfield, Virginia
Help with CB

Sorry you are having a problem with the Cobra, did you buy it new? If it keeps blowing fuses and your DC wiring is correct, then it sounds like the final transistor may be shorted and when you key the radio it shunts the +DC directly to the ground. If that the case then it would be best to try and get your money back or jsut trash it and buy a better or new radio.
 

jhooten

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Mar 6, 2004
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1,735
Location
Paige, Republic of Texas
You can push the button to key it up to read the SWR and it does not blow the fuse but if you push the button and start talking the fuse blows. Is that what you are saying?
 

mopar18

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
7
Location
Missouri
not exactly, ill try to explain a bit better, (was trying to keep my post short, sorry should've explained further into detail ) what happened was me and buddy's were just trying to see if we could get a response just to make sure it was working ok and we talked into the mic like 4 - 5 times through out the day got a couple responses and it worked fine but on the 5th - 6th try, we keyed/talked through the mic and the CB just went dead like someone turned the CB off so i checked all the wiring to find it all good and then i remembered the inline fuse and that's when i found the fuse was blown and ever since then it just keeps blowing fuses, like ill put a brand new 2amp fuse in and try to power on the CB and it'll light up for a split second and then the fuse will blow again and of course cause the CB to go dead again. hopefully that helped ya out a bit more.
 

K4PIH

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Jul 7, 2014
Messages
16
Location
Springfield, Virginia
Need help with CB radio

Ok, so now when you just turn it on the fuse blows, no talking. Sounds like a few things.

1st, I know you said your power connections were OK but check them anyway to see if there is a short someplace in a wire. Did you use a 12v outlet in the car, or did you go direct to battery?

2nd, If the power is OK, then it must be an internal short someplace on the main board and I'm suspecting the final is shorted. Could happen on a new radio if the part was defective from the factory ... worked a few times then shorted. Not sure about the circuit, but it its a recent or new radio then the final transistor is likely in a module of some kind with a heat sink. Those you have to replace the whole module, not jsut the separate final transistor like the older radios,

3rd, Check to see if the coax to the antenna is shorted out someplace. I doubt that would cause it to blow a fuse without talking. You said the SWR was fine before.

You never said if it was new or used?
 

K4PIH

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Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
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Location
Springfield, Virginia
OK, just looked it up, model sounded familiar. I have the same one, bought new about 4 years ago and to tell you the truth, I am not impressed with the radio, Seems to be weak on the transmit and I have read that the model was plagued with issues. You must have bought it new or fairly new if it was $40. I paif $50 for mine. as a compassion, I had an old 23 channel Realistic Navaho base station that blew the new Cobra away. Generally base stations are just mobiles in a bigger box. I took the cobra and stuck it on a shelf in my basement as a backup an replaced it with an old Uniden 40 SSB, got to be 20 years old. I"ll look at my Cobra nd get back to you with some better options.
 

mopar18

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Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
7
Location
Missouri
yes you're correct on it being new, bought it from walmart, i know, definitively not the best place to buy a CB from but it was 40 bucks so i figured id give it a try. It was hooked straight to my battery. There was no short in the wiring, yesterday i even disconnected it from my battery and hooked it up to the cig/aux port and it was still blowing fuses. i might just try returning it and getting my money back like ya said and put it towards a better CB.
 

KE5MC

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,235
Location
Lewisville, TX
Thinking out loud... :roll:

Is 2A the correct size? Easy to misread a fuse and are the replacement really 2A?

Been years seen I had a CB rig. 27 watts to the radio from the power system seems a little on the light side. Quick peek on the internet and it looks like the 19 is a mobile radio as I wanted to make sure it running on 13.8 volts.

P.S. Are you to the point where just turning on the radio blows the fuse or do you still have to key up and talk.

snip...
...like ill put a brand new 2amp fuse in and try to power on the CB and it'll light up for a split second and then the fuse will blow again and of course cause the CB to go dead again. hopefully that helped ya out a bit more.
 

mopar18

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Jul 7, 2014
Messages
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Location
Missouri
It says 2amp on the inline fuse holder thing. And I bought a 2amp fuse. Yeah im to the point where I just turn the CB on and it blows the fuse
 

SouthernRoller

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Feb 13, 2013
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Crumpler,NC
I'm leaning toward the few being to small myself. I would at least try a 3A fuse and see if that makes a difference.
 

KE5MC

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Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,235
Location
Lewisville, TX
I hate to say it, but thats not a good sign. I would not expect in receive mode that a 2A fuse would be taken out.

It says 2amp on the inline fuse holder thing. And I bought a 2amp fuse. Yeah im to the point where I just turn the CB on and it blows the fuse
 

K4PIH

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Jul 7, 2014
Messages
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Location
Springfield, Virginia
Need help with CB radio

I think your best option is to take it back and get another one or trade up to a better one. Local truck stops on major highways are good places to find a selection at fair prices.
 

TheSpaceMann

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Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
1,333
With the radio being new just return it to any Walmart. Then get a replacement. I would if it were me. If you wait to long you'll be stuck with it.
Yep! Walmart takes just about anything back. Walmart has a good selection of CB radios on their website, so maybe he can return this one for an upgraded model.
 

RC286

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Joined
Oct 25, 2013
Messages
138
Location
Winnipeg MB
my dx959 will blow anything less than a 6A fuse or is it 5A I don't quite remember. I found this out when I pulled my old texas ranger and put in the 959. the ranger used a 4A fuse, I thought 4A would be enought as I was using the existing harness to reduce install time. Was on the rig, talked for about 5min and pop, fuse blew and radio went dead. I thought I had a defective radio at first. Checked the fuse, toast, changed to the one supplied and haven't had a problem.

2A is common on the compact radios with no lighting or fancies on them. I had a compact midland that used a 2A fuse.

The reverse polarity diode may have shorted out, that is a possibility. Hopefully you didn't cook the finals.

I would return it.

When you put in your new one, check the grounds on your antenna (not sure what kind you are using) if there is an intermittent ground issue, your SWR might look fine, but temporary loss of ground from say going over a bump or something could throw the SWR way out and pop the finals.

A little tid bit, Once I was in the old car on my 959 and saw my buddy behind me. We both belong to a local SSB dx group and always monitor 38LSB. So I called out a CQ to him. He politely informed me I was an idiot for keying up without my antenna on. Turns out I forgot to put the antenna on the quick release stud and didn't notice as I usually leave my antenna on, my finals survived.
 

mopar18

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
7
Location
Missouri
Yeah I'm just going to return it and be done with it. Are the cobras 29ltd or 29lx any good? If not what are some good CB radios? The antenna I have was probably a bit big for the 19 ultra but not sure, it was a $44 radioshack white fiberglass 48" whip with a mirror mount, I had a cheap magnet Antenna but it kept falling off.
 
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