Cobra 148 Need Help!!!

Just got a Malaysian made 148. The ground(Neg) side was grounded. I guess someone hooked it up backwards. clipped all the safety green protection capasitors and still didnt work. I think the neg connection from the neg pin to the board got burnt or disconnected in some way. So I jumped a wire from the one of the metal cans with solder on it to the Neg pin and it powered up. So I got the wife to talk on the radio on the base and I drove to the dump. It sounded scratchy on AM and cant even make out what she was saying. I think this was used on a boat too as the green lining on the solder side of the board was corroded and was pealing off. I would like to try and fix it but I figured Id ask around for help before jumping right into it and cause more damage. If not, I might have to send it in for repaire.

Ill try to get some pix of it and maybe even a Video of how it sounds. Thanx. James....

Thanx Tony guess Ill send it in for repaire.... James....

TonyV225 said:

sounds like it desperately needs an allignment and a good going over. I wouldnt run that without replacing the protection rectifier diodes if your not sure what happen to begin with this could be a real hazzard I wouldnt go tweaking until thats all replaced because if you have an oops or short something you will cause more damage than what the radios even worth spending on as far as fixing.

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Thats the first thing I did. snip it nothing. snipped the green ones then it worked. Had to run a diffrent ground to the pin thou...

Thanx guys. Aloha jim. Off to the doc it goes....

74IN said:

The reverse polarity diode is probably shot.

Grounding by other means probably will make things act haywire.

Look at the board near the power connector and there will be a diode that might look bad. It should be oriented parallel to the back of the radio.

You can clip it and things will work OK, but any time you eff up again will ruin the radio.

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TonyV225 said:

sounds like it desperately needs an allignment and a good going over. I wouldnt run that without replacing the protection rectifier diodes if your not sure what happen to begin with this could be a real hazzard I wouldnt go tweaking until thats all replaced because if you have an oops or short something you will cause more damage than what the radios even worth spending on as far as fixing.

Click to expand...

Oh Hell. Took the bottom cover off plugged it in gave it one sweet whistel in the mike and bzzzttpoofblnik!!! Blew D44. I was wondering what was lighting up on the board I unkeyed too late, melted the leg end of the diode.

Off to the Hospital she goes!!!!