Cobra 2000GTL Carbon dating

[43Echo695]

By chance I have acquired a Cobra 2000GTL. The radio is in outstanding condition, a lucky find.

Being curious about the build date, I emailed Cobra with the serial number. This was their response:

We can not tell by the serial number when that radio was manufactured, we started manufacturing the 2000 GTL in 1978.

This surprised me. A similar serial number enquiry to Yaesu yielded a month/year build date easily enough.

A little research on the net makes me think it's a 1989 build, but I'm no Cobra expert, this is my first! Can anyone here help?

The serial number is 9301 #### Made in Taiwan. PM me if the last 4 digits are significant.

Many thanks,

73's

 

[vo1ks]

Look at the components for date codes. Quite often ICs and transistors will have a manufacturing date included along with the part number. For instance, 8214 could mean 1982, week 14.

 

[TonyV225]

Looking at your serial number one would think 1993 and January being the month but I dont think Dynascan was still making them in 1993.

 

[43Echo695]

OK thanks.

I read somewhere that the first digit in the serial number of Taiwanese made 2000's meant the year of manufacture.

Mine starting with '9' led me to think it was 1989, or 1979.

I'm still surprised that Cobra themselves couldn't tell me.

The original owners full name and apparently official callsign are etched under the covers.

Next time I have the covers off I'll note them down and out of curiosity maybe see if anyone on the forum remembers him.

73's

 

[montecarlossfan]

I have one here made in 1994, it is stamped on the back serial number plate jan 1994 made in phillipines

 

[jessejamesdallas]

Mine is stamped July 1990...also made in the Philippines...