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Nightwatch

G

gohusan

Member
Jun 6, 2005
46
0
16
Somewhere Near Chicago, IL
www.uchan74.hi5.com
Does anyone know how to get the nightwatch feature on the Cobra 29 nw wx radios to work. the new one I keep reading says that you get the illuminate panels.

cobra_29_nw_wx.jpg


I bought mine used on E-bay. What do I have to move or replace in order to get the thing working again? :?: :?: :?:

P.S. whats the button to turn it on? :?: :?: :?:
 

Either take it to a shop and ask or hook it up to a meter and key the radio while turning the knob. It the power fluctuates, you have variable dead key on that knob. Which is good if you plan on running an amp.
 
if it clicks or has dents when you turn it it may have extra channels .
 
The display pannel actually doesn't glow if thats what you thought it did. What it will do is make the green lettering on the radio easy to see at night.
The whole front pannel doesn't illuminate..... when you adjust the Dim... it will make the meter light and channel display bright and dim as well as the green lettering.

The green lettering is the only part that thats illumunated somewhat. I have one in front of me on my bench.... if you turn up and down the Dim and put your hands over the front of the radio to shade it from the light you should be able to see the green lettering get brighter.. Thats the only part that will illuminate. You should be able to see it very easily in the dark.

If your not getting any illumination of of the lettering then you have a problem..... and it would be an easy fix.... its just lights so it will be easy for anyone or any tech to do.
Take care
 
Yes of course I'm referring to the green lettering in the faceplate. :roll: I moved the dimmer switch up/down and had the meter & the Channel display change, But the green letters never turn on; let alone get brighter. That's my problem; How do I fix that. Could it be an inverter problem Like I read in another post or could it be something more simpler. :?:

P.S. Master chief, :| I have know idea what you are talking about this waiting on something :?: I think you have me mixed up with someone else. :?
 
unlike the Uniden series Elites that fire up each knob on the radio , the Cobra are a dimmer type situation , I think what Bush meant was either under the face plate or on the chassie side behide the face plate you should find some lights (L.E.D.s) that might have shorted out ? Good chance changing those would fix your problem. IM guessing here ? but thats' what it sounds like to me. Good luck to you gohusan
 
Actually I stumbled on too a web-page that shed some light on the subject. :eek: Here's the link to the site if anybody else is having problem's with the same thing:

http://www.fixya.com/support/t132441-no_front_panel_lighting

If the link doesn't work here's what it said.

QUOTE from guest

Q. The dimmer works properly in adjusting the lighting of the channel display and signal meter. But the front panel does not light up. Is this a simple fix such as a bulb replacement?

A. The "nightwatch" lighting uses an EL or electroluminescent material that does degrade with age. If the radio is old, then it may be lighting very dimly (check in a dark room with the dimmer at full bright). The material is connected by a ribbon to a special high voltage pulsed power supply that runs at about 500 volt. If the power supply is working then a new face would be in order or a new radio. If the power supply is not working it may be repairable but requires working with surface mount components. Either way, it is NOT a simple light bulb fix. I have successfully repaired and do stock the smc components to repair but cannot get the faces through cobra ($$$).
More info? Contact through www.cbshop.info
 
Actually no.... I don't know the guy who posted the origonal message besides the fact that he is somewhat new. He origonal post says " the new one I keep reading says you get the illumate panels". I had to wonder (since I don't know this guy) if he thought the whole front panel would illumanate like other radios out there. You never know exactly what people are thinking, so in case ( since he is new to the forum, not nessarily cb) he thought the radios whole front would illumanate something like those glowing cobra 20's (and other radios) I just wanted to make sure he knew it was just the lettering.

I believe the stuff that wears out is a greenish coating under the front bezel... the bezel has 2 conductor ribbon wire running to it.... .
What the "greenish material" under the bezel is just a glow in the dark type sticker. Its the same stuff thats on compasses and stuff. Same type of thing thats in glow in the dark Silly putty. You put a flashlight on the stuff to charge it up.... after a while you remove the light and it will glow green for a short period of time and evetually need to be "charged again" with a flashlight. They use it on all types of stuff
If this is the material that wears out over time it MIGHT be possible to regain some of the glowing properties back by replacing it with some glow in the dark tape .... or perhaps you could touch it up with glow in the dark paint. Craft stores have alot of this stuff.... the paint might help revive the glow properties to it. Might be worth trying to recover the front "under bezel" coating of glow crap with a glow sticker material.
Its just an idea....
The power supply is a small metal box on the side of the chassis... I would think that it would be more of a power problem than illumination fade....but it could happen.
. Nobody up here would spend the money to get something like that fixed so I haven't worked on that part of a radio alot.

I've never run into the problem of these fading so bad that they cannot be seen.... not to say that it won't happen.
Any tech can furgure this out and repair it.... if you really thinks its worth it to get it fixed.
Looks like you already have someone thats willing to do it.
Your in good hands.


No criticism to you..... you never know what someone has in mind.... just wanted to make sure you knew what NW was all about..... sounds like you know what your doing.
Take care




Switch Kit said:
unlike the Uniden series Elites that fire up each knob on the radio , the Cobra are a dimmer type situation , I think what Bush meant was either under the face plate or on the chassie side behide the face plate you should find some lights (L.E.D.s) that might have shorted out ? Good chance changing those would fix your problem. IM guessing here ? but thats' what it sounds like to me. Good luck to you gohusan
Click to expand...
 

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