Cobra Electronics 29 LTD CHR 40-Channels Base CB Radio

The Cobra 29 LTD has, literally, always been The Trucker's Choice in Mobile CB Radios - and this Trucker has owned several over his career. The 29 LTD is a heavy-duty unit, built to take the punishment of the trucking environment. It is not a Base unit, as it comes out of the box, although many people do couple a power supply with it and use it as a base station.

The 29 LTD has been around since the 1970's, in various incarnations - originally known as just the 29, and later 29 LTD. Other variations on the basic radio usually involve additional features, and added letters in the model designation - such as WX for Weather Radio reception, NW for NightWatch (backlit faceplate), and ST for SoundTracker (static reduction technology) - with the ultimate model being the 29 LTD WX NW ST (both a mouth full and a faceplate full) combining all these technologies.

One key to the 29 LTD's continuing success, is the space available inside the case for aftermarket add-ons, of which there are plenty (available at CB shops across the country). Among the most popular are an Echo/Reverb board (commonly called a Connex Board) which allows adjustable improvements in the sound of your voice - and Talkback, allowing you to hear your output level through the speaker, much like the feedback you get in the earpiece of a traditional telephone.

In addition to those two add-ons, I recommend a premium Noise-Cancelling Microphone, such as the Telex/Turner Road King 56 (another Trucker's Favorite) - and a high-quality Extension Speaker, such as the Barjan PROnouncer, or Cobra's own S100/S300/S500 series. (The S500 allows you to have the Talkback feature without having internal work done on the radio).

It is possible, with the 29 LTD as a starting point, to spend a fortune on add-ons and modifications - some legal and some illegal. Having tried many of those myself over the years, I do NOT recommend many of them, especially the illegal power boost mods that many CB shops peddle. The package that I have laid out - 29 LTD, Echo/Reverb board, Talkback, Telex mic, and good Extension Speaker, plus a good quality Antenna and Coax - will set you back a total of $200-$250, and makes a solid performing package that will serve you well for many years to come.

I bought a Cobra 29 LTD CB after much research. When I discovered that it was reasonable priced and the most popular CB among truckers I started looking for one to buy. Once I got it and was able to start using it I discovered what I did and did not like about the radio. One huge bonus for me was the built in SWR meter and adjustment. I was not looking forward to buying an additional meter to try to adjust the SWR or make adjustments to my antenna. When I hooked the radio up it was a piece of cake to get the SWR down to almost nothing. The SWR meter is not the only bonus; the radio is loaded with all the features you could possibly need. It has the usual squelch, volume, channel, and gain adjustment but adds on accessories like a dimmer switch for the display at night, a channel nine switch for use in an emergency, and a microphone volume adjustment. I know a few truckers and asked them about typical CB performance so I was pleasantly surprised when I was picking up traffic from a few miles away with only a 3 foot whip antenna. This may be due more to my personal situation and the particular radio but it made me happy! The only downside of the radio is it's size. It was nearly too big to fit in my small vehicle and if room is a problem you way want to look for a smaller radio that can be tucked in a tiny nook. Overall I love this radio!

I have used cobra radioes for around 5 years exclusively. I have used cb radioes for around 15 years. The 29LTD does not have weather channels but the 29LTD WX does. It will have WX on the front of the radio if it has weather channels. The WX feachure is the most useful thing on a CB radio. The other day our electric went out and it was storming bad so I was able to go out to my car and get emergency weather info, luckley there were no tornadoes in the area and we do not live near flood areas. However if there were the WX service would have told me. The weather channels are provided by the National Weather Service and is updated constantly. During one bad storm my brother in law called me on the phone and said there were tornadoes in the area. I did not believe him so I went to my truck and listened to the weather channel and sure enough they said there were tornadoes in my area and to seek shelter imediatly. As far as the Cobra cb radioes go the 29 and 25 models are the best for power and modulation. I have repaired and used many different radioes and the cobras will do as much or more than radioes costing much more. I love cobra 29 and 25 model radioes.

I work on and repair radios on a daily basis in my shop so I know radios inside and out. The Cobra 29 line of radios are excellent radios. Just remember that the radio is only half of your system. The antenna you use is just as important if not more important than the radio. Also antenna placement on the vehicle is critical. Purchase a good antenna like a Wilson or K40 and mount it as high on the vehicle and without obstructions as you can. The trunk of a car is fine. The top of the cab of a truck is great. Magnet mount antennas work fine. Mounting an antenna on a truck on the bedrail close to the cab is BAD. The metal on the cab will affect the radiation pattern of the signal and cause Standing Wave. The SWR meter on the radio is just as good to set your antenna as buying a seperate SWR meter except maybe for some of the professional meters costing $300.00 or more.
You may have heard about "modifications" that can be made to the radio. The radio will talk and receive fine right out of the box. There are a few modifications that are worth the effort but beware as there are a lot of radio shops that do what they call "peak and tune" and charge from $30 to $60 for basically nothing but removing the screws from the covers and putting them back in again. The radio is already tuned from the factory. Unless you replace the final transistor and many other components, any tuning on the radio as it comes from the factory is a waste. There is only one modification I suggest which will increase the modulation factor and make the user louder on the other end. Also, if you ever decide to add an inline linear amplifier, your radio will be set up to modulate the amplifier properly.
You only need to purchase two components: one 150 ohm 1/2 watt resistor and one 220 uf electrolytic capacitor. Both are available at any Radio Shack.
You should be a good hand at soldering and know how to find components on a printed circuit board. If you don't qualify on either of these two accounts, pass this off to a friend that can.
First, unsolder JP36 which is in the back left of the radio near the final transistor. JP36 is only a "jumper" wire and not an electronic component. Just unsolder the wire and make sure the holes where the wire was removed are open. In the holes where you removed the wire is where you place the electrolytic capacitor. VERY IMPORTANT: The capacitor has a negative lead and a positive lead. The NEGATIVE lead must be placed in the hole farthest to the back of the radio. The negative lead is usually identified by a black arrow or stripe printed on the side of the capacitor. The capacitor should be placed as far down toward the printed circuit board as possible. You may have to gently bend some adjacent parts out of the way slightly to get the capacitor as low as possible. Bend the leads on the other side of the board so the capacitor does not fall out. Turn the board over to the solder side. Solder the capacitor in place but do not cut the leads as yet. The 150 ohm resistor should now be connected to the leads of the capacitor on the solder side of the board and be soldered as close to the board as possible. Be sure not to allow solder to contact any other trace than that from which the jumper was removed. Put the covers back on the radio and enjoy. If you have completed the mod properly, you will get good reports from others you talk to. The radio will also drive a linear amplifier properly if one is connected. Be aware a linear is illegal.

I purchased the Dale Earnhardt 29ltd classic as a collectors item. The Cobra 29 is a good general cb radio for the average person and truck driver and has been popular for many years with both. I dont like to use it in my truck because there are many other radios that have better recieve and transmit qualities than the 29.