Cobra 200 GTL DX Repair Part 2 

Thanks Gary I think we are in with a good chance of getting it to wake up but its tough going as you can see, I am loving getting back at it. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Hi George. Yep she sure has seen some screwdriver expert action and as Ray mentioned I still think we have a way to go. I’m finding it an interesting project but it is harder going than I thought but that being said I reckon she will live a again.

Hi Bill this a common point of failure with these radios and there does not appear to be replacements on the market. Unfortunately the rig in the video has gone back to the owner as I could have taken a look at it and try and figure out what to replace it with. I don't think it's a normal rotary encoder type switch however; I do think you could replace it with a rotary encoder with detents but you would need some additional circuitry to make it work. Where are you based?

@@M0XFXUK Thanks! I’m in NJ. I already mailed it out to a tech, and I’m just trying to help find the part. He was saying we could replace it with two buttons, one for up and one for down.

Thank you for your comment. Yes it certainly is a nightmare and I have a feeling it’s going to a major challenge getting this thing to transmit again.

@@M0XFXUK best of luck. Seems like it's been a victim of a 'screwdriver expert' at some point which is a shame. Your explanation of what is going on and what you are doing during the fault finding process is top notch.

Hi Ray. Yes I think you are right I reckon we are in store for a lot more shenanigans. If I’m honest I am most worried about the TX strip as a lot of the transformers look like they have been messed about with. Good to know we have parts in the wings.

@@M0XFXUK yep John i'll take some macro shots of the cans in the one i have here at least i know that they have not been got at

@@raybyrne7278 Thanks Ray I think that will come in very helpful

Thanks for the comment Glen. Yes they are a common point of failure. I have seen a lot of these switching diodes fail in ICOM and Alinco gear generally when the TX is operated outside of the design specs and/or outside of the design bands for the low pass filters.

Hi Kevin, $50 is indeed a great price if you can get it working. However, I regret to inform you that I'm based in the UK, and I don't think it's feasible to ship the radio all the way from Ohio, USA. You mentioned that it's not working, but could you provide details about the fault?

@@M0XFXUK it has been repaired it's a beautiful radio the night watch not working I don't know why cobra build stuff like that when you can't repair it 73 is guys w8dmx kevin

The Rf driver final is shot I don't have soldering skills but all your videos convince me that is the RF final is blow out.

​@@kevinstevenson5591 Be cautious, as videos can sometimes be misleading. If you suspect it's not transmitting and it's a Cobra 200 GTL DX, a common issue could be the RF driver transistor RD16HHF1; however, it could be any number of things. Frankly, if you lack experience and proper testing equipment, I strongly advise taking the unit to a repair shop. Radios like this are quite easy to damage as you can see from this series of videos.

That is handy to know