My Soon-To-Be Setup

madmoneymike5 · Mar 9, 2012

Now that I've gone a little while with my radio working as it should stock, I have begun purchasing my "upgrades". Here's what it will be.

Cobra 29LX (Stock, not peaked/tuned as it puts out just perfect numbers just as is)
Astatic 636L
RM KL-203P
Francis 4' Antenna
Barjan 12W Noise Cancelling, Talkback Ext Speaker

I intend to do this install myself, sans tinkering with the radio internals as per #1 and #2 below.

I'm curious about a couple things:
1) I've read the KL-203P should be run with a 1-2W deadkey. I've also been told privately that they can be run without doing so. I'm torn. I really don't want anyone messing with the internals of my radio because it is so difficult to find someone with a good reputation, yet I don't want to damage anything or end up sounding like crap.
2) If I get an overwhelming response saying to deadkey the radio, I will but would like to know of any reputable shops between Atlanta, GA and the Georgia-Florida border on I-75.
3) What wires and connectors will I need to connect the amp to my radio? Please be specific with "model numbers".
4) Overall opinions on this setup? My goal isn't to reach around the world like Jessie James and his 3 alternators on his suburban (OMG!). Instead, I just want to increase my range (receive and transmit) by double or so. I'm at 3-ish miles right now.
5) Similarly to my first couple questions, should I worry about swing? Again, prefer to keep radio internals unaltered.
6) Power supply for the amp: No wiring directly to the battery allowed. It will be located somewhere in the ####pit of the truck. Would prefer to plug it into a cigarette lighter. Is this possible? If not, what are my options?

Thanks!

rollingradios · Mar 9, 2012

Here's the deal on the stock radio into the 203:

4w in will be 60 or so out. Talk power on the stock radio is about 50% modulation and 10w peak power. This means that the 203 will peak around 80w. That ratio of carrier to peak (dead key vs talking power) is too close together which will make you sound extremely muffled as if a sock's in your mouth and the amp will run hot.

You can do it yourself (if you have good soldering skills) or have someone install a "swing kit". This basically suppresses the radio's carrier yet maintains peak talk power to a degree. If you do this and nothing else, it will drop the carrier where you need it, increase your modulation to 90% or so and retain radio's limiting system. Radio will now peak at about 18w, 203 would then key about 20-30 and peak about 100-110. This is done by removing jp36 in the radio. Two solder points need to have solder removed. Replace it with a 47uf 16-50v electrolytic capacitor with the negative side toward rear of radio. Then take a 120 ohm 1/4w resistor, bridge it across the two points where you soldered in the capacitor. Clip the excess leads from the capacitor and resistor so it appears the same as all the other leads coming through the board.

Do nothing else to the radio. If a shop does this, fine tuning can be done in the power section and the AMC (limiting adjustment) can be set for 100%.

You then need a 3' coax rg8x or *mini 8* to go from the amp to the radio. Your antenna coax should be 18' rg8x or *mini 8*, that will go from antenna to the *ant* connection on the amp.

The power and ground of the amp can be run from the same source as the radio, but would do a little better if amp ran to a different 15a source. Also change the fuse in the radio's power cord to a 5a fuse.

Skip the barjan and fork a little more for the Cobra hgs500 speaker.

That setup should do you well.

delta5 · Mar 9, 2012

"swing" kit... LOL

rollingradios · Mar 9, 2012

Yep I suppose the politically correct statement could be "carrier suppression modification" for those that cringe at *swing kit*.

555 BigHorn Mobile · Mar 9, 2012

Wow those were alot of big words
i guess im not a smert as one of them hammies
you got to have one of them tickets to be able to talk like that

rollingradios · Mar 9, 2012

That rite thar is funny. I don't car who you are

madmoneymike5 · Mar 9, 2012

rollingradios said: ↑

Here's the deal on the stock radio into the 203:

4w in will be 60 or so out. Talk power on the stock radio is about 50% modulation and 10w peak power. This means that the 203 will peak around 80w. That ratio of carrier to peak (dead key vs talking power) is too close together which will make you sound extremely muffled as if a sock's in your mouth and the amp will run hot.

You can do it yourself (if you have good soldering skills) or have someone install a "swing kit". This basically suppresses the radio's carrier yet maintains peak talk power to a degree. If you do this and nothing else, it will drop the carrier where you need it, increase your modulation to 90% or so and retain radio's limiting system. Radio will now peak at about 18w, 203 would then key about 20-30 and peak about 100-110. This is done by removing jp36 in the radio. Two solder points need to have solder removed. Replace it with a 47uf 16-50v electrolytic capacitor with the negative side toward rear of radio. Then take a 120 ohm 1/4w resistor, bridge it across the two points where you soldered in the capacitor. Clip the excess leads from the capacitor and resistor so it appears the same as all the other leads coming through the board.

Do nothing else to the radio. If a shop does this, fine tuning can be done in the power section and the AMC (limiting adjustment) can be set for 100%.

You then need a 3' coax rg8x or *mini 8* to go from the amp to the radio. Your antenna coax should be 18' rg8x or *mini 8*, that will go from antenna to the *ant* connection on the amp.

The power and ground of the amp can be run from the same source as the radio, but would do a little better if amp ran to a different 15a source. Also change the fuse in the radio's power cord to a 5a fuse.

Skip the barjan and fork a little more for the Cobra hgs500 speaker.

That setup should do you well.
Click to expand...

..............What?

rollingradios · Mar 9, 2012

If that didn't compute, call me tomorrow and I'll explain in english

mike5511 · Mar 9, 2012

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...radio-forum/170887-radio-mods-for-kl203s.html

madmoneymike5 · Mar 10, 2012

rollingradios said: ↑

If that didn't compute, call me tomorrow and I'll explain in english
Click to expand...

It computed, but probably not the way you were expecting.

The final computation suggests that since I do NOT have good soldering or skills (as Tech Ed back in 8th grade proved to me), I should not open that box and mess with anything. I should take it to a reputable CB shop.

1) So, can anyone recommend a shop in-between Atlanta (or in Atlanta) and the Georgia-Florida border?
2) Also, what about NOT taking it to a shop and just using the radio and amp as is? I know you said I'd sound muffled with a sock in my mouth, but is it remotely possible that by turning the mic gain down that I could counteract that?

Power...will I have to do any soldering or running wires into fuse panels?? I *really* would like to just plug the thing into my 12-Volt splitter or something as simple as that.

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