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OK whats up with the wax

secret squirrel

Lustrous Potentate
Oct 5, 2008
657
1,451
153
Washington, PA
Ok, picked up a Cobra 29 LX 2014, from a local trucking company that sold half their fleet of water tankers. Pulled that CBs before letting them go, they had a stack to sell. I opened it up and it looks like some went crazy with wax and hot glue. I understand wax on the top of the adjustable pots to seal them, but hot glue. Owner told me the were peaked and tuned by a local shop since closed. I had viewed the techs work before, but nothing like this. Is this typical of new Cobras, or was I probably lied to on who did the tune job.
 

Thx, I have to admit last radio I bought was a baby Stryker 89MC v2 that Bob at Bob’s CB sold me himself 5 years ago. That’s my only experience with a China made radio personally. I am pretty much into 1970s 1980s style. Only knowledge about extra glue and wax comes from posts on this forum and watching Tim Trent discussing his custom cleaning procedures.
 
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There are two sides to every coin.

I gave a relative a radio for their birthday - all tuned up and even had their noise toys installed they wanted off another radio...

So about 2 months mater he comes back and says "the noise toys don't work anymore"...

So I took it apart and noticed the radio was "brand new" even the board was clean no toys stock radio - so I took it back to him and said, "Did you ever think to check and remember if you even ever got your radio out of the truck?"

I did the mods and noise toys so they'd use the front panel switches - apparently he didn't realize that being a slip seater driver, they'd (whomever else drove the truck) take the radio and leave behind a brand new one that was the same make and model - since the Radio I gave him was new, the appearance was the same - operation wasn't, but operated the same otherwise.

The drivers that use the company's trucks - be they slip seat or dedicated run, the company needs to make everything equal and operational - yet "Toxic".

So when someone whom wants to take a radio as a parting gift from the shop upon dismissal - well, let them clean out everything and then the losses are less having them take the cheap or otherwise purposely- deprecated stuff with them.

So I lost out on a birthday gift, but learned a good strong lesson about things that are run the way they are - not just how Companys' take care of their Fleet, but why it is done they way they do.
 
Hmm, actually - it is a horrible answer to your question - but I had to describe a part of life I lived too...

When one is a company driver, or trucker for hire - they get a job with a truck and told where to go to pick it up and where to go to drop it off.

You get the basic juxtaposition of that - but what does that have to do with the answer to the question you raised...

The company you work for gives you a set of rules to play their game by. One of the main ones is their fleet is owned by them, not you - you don't put anything on it or in it unless you are willing to leave it behind and lose it.

So many "move in" with a luggage carry-on and a boombox holding their radio equipment - the truck - if it has a provision for CB - will offer antennas they consider "useable" for the purpose intended.

They also know that if you use a CB - you also are expected to know how to operate it.

You have to put your stuff in the truck in a way that it will work with their equipment.

Some companies only offer a cigarette lighter plug and the coax laying coiled up either in the overhead console or laying on the floor.

Some companies will even give you a radio to use - see the "Rules" paragraph above - it belongs to them not you.

So in light of what has been done to the radio - the company - if they supply them, has the final say in the matter.

They also want "fairness" - it's their LOGO on the trucks - you drive for them. IF you roll it, smash it, or crash it and it gets the 8 o'clock morning news and the overhead helicopter - well, you know you'll be staying right where you're at - so enjoy your morning Wheaties breakfast and find something else to do. The Fairness part means they don't want anything you did, embarrassing them during any sort of investigation - being pulled over or even a moving infraction of speeding - your license - their truck, you get the points. (For those whom may say, well the shop didn't tighten up the air line fitting - causing my trailers tires to lock up and I crashed because of it - the burden of proof is on you - your truck your pre-trip - your life - your responsibility.)

So if you took out their radio and put in your Hi-Po miracle and you get pulled over or noticed by other drivers - they may take you to the task of putting your money where your mouth is. Meaning they may bother to call the company and ask why they have a driver out here harassing us while we're trying to do our jobs? IF the company monitors channels even in the yard and hear this kind of poor conduct - they may not ask you to return the next day or ever. Many companies use their drivers as a sign of quality, productivity and performance - if you're out there embarrassing the company by name or by intentionally interfering and angering other drivers - someone's going to know about it

What does this have to do with those radios - a lot. That is the "Fairness part" they are bolted in secured and mostly foolproof, but there will always be one or several that are taken to the task of removing the hapless innocent radio - opening those radios' up and doing things to them to make them - "non-stock".. So the company every now and then has to upgrade/update their line of trucks with newer equipment - so goes the radio. I've seen then "glued" the mic to the radio as well as weld cases shut. This generates a discourse amongst the team members a.k.a - slip seaters to start looking elsewhere and find jobs allowing them the opportunities this company is NOT letting them have. So - the moral of the story as well as the morale of the company - forces the company to install cheaper and more basic function radios as part of their requirement to do the jobs the yard needs done. The company operates this way to also lessen their losses from the clowns that want to leave a bad taste in the mouths of others whom will be driving the truck after they leave.

Brings up the old cliché...

upload_2020-7-8_18-13-48.png

Kinda' brings a tear to ones' eyes...*sniff*...
 
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HA, the trend these days with medium to large fleets (a few hundred tractors to 10,000+) is fast turnover. 3-4 years at the outside . 300-400k miles is a depreciation point with warranty remaining (to some degree) for the next owner. Buh-bye.

You may recall that the model year is nearly a full year ahead of the calendar. I’m in a 2020 built 8/19. I’d be surprised there were any 2017s left in this fleet.

The dynamic you described changed somewhat. A tractor “beat up” by one or more drivers doesn't cause much concern compared to before. Rules still in place, but the “fatigue” problems of a tractor 5-6 years old and 700k miles are gone.

And
I haven’t heard of a company installing CBs for ages. Not saying a local haul fleet doesn’t. End dumps, and the like.

The foreigners aren’t bright enough. And are a mess. The ghetto kids same way. Fewer Americans at this every week. Cell phones took away the idle time interest. Those days with maybe hour or more stuck somewhere. The opportunity to speak with others.

On reflection I’m SURE those lonely moments got the wheels rolling.

Damned cell phones are like TV. Energy-drains.

.
 
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How I should describe it is, you get what the company thinks you deserve...

I was being kind...

And I haven’t heard of a company installing CBs for ages. Not saying a local haul fleet doesn’t. End dumps, and the like.

As a slipseater myself near the end of that era in my life, I found many trucks to have "junk" left behind to fill the gaps in the console and mostly to hide wires that would otherwise be dangling in front of the drivers view.

So, in a way - you're right about the less concerned about the age, but still the company ego seems to show up when the driver whom - thru no fault of their own - gets thwacked or forked by a hi-lo driver temp that spent his first day loading your truck and now you have a trailer that's now toasted...

The matter never goes well for the driver - so I left before they could put their forks in me and call it done.

Not worth losing a CDL rating for bad karma and dispatch dumps...
 

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