Cobra 132 recieves good poor send

the same way you set it on any other radio.Look at the face of the set,you will see a switch that says S/RF,CAL , SWR. Now look at your meter and you will see a triangle that shows cal.Put your set on ch 1 with the switch in the cal position and bring the needle to that calibrate line on the meter by keying the mic. now release the key and set switch to SWR and key the mic again.Now write this reading down.Repeat for channels 40 and 19. If the reading is higher on 40 than on 1 you need to shorten the ANTENNA.If its higher on 1 than 40 you need to make your ANTENNA longer Always check 19 to make sure you have an average SWR. Any reading under 1.9:1 is good

The meter will be more accurate and an external meter will be even better. If they show good disregard the ant light it is adjustable. It may have been set to sensitive from factory. These erroneous SWR reading can be the side effects of a PEAK & TUNE if the coils have been spread but that should also show on meter.
SWR meter calibrations

• Switch (S/RF SWR CAL) to the CAL position.
• Push and hold mic button
• While holding mic button adjust the SWR CAL knob so the meter needle swings to the CAL mark on the meter
• While still holding down the mic button, set the (S/RF SWR CAL) switch to the SWR position, to read the SWR reading. Note: When switched to SWR position the meter needle should ideally be as far to the left as possible. Anything over 3 is not acceptable.

follow these steps to adjust the
standing wave ratio(SWR).
1. Turn on the CB.
2. Set S/RF/SWR/CAL to CAL.
3. Key the Mic and rotate SWR CAL so the meter points
to CAL.
4. Unkey Mic.
5. Set S/RF/SWR/CAL to SWR.
6. Key Mic again and note the actual measurement on
the SWR scale. Refer to the following table to interpret
the reading.

1:1 - 1.5 Great
1.5 - 2:1 OK
2:1 - 3:1 Not So Good
Higher than 3.1:1 Terrible

first of all you are going about it wrong. To set your SWR you check it on channels 1 , 19 , and 40. If you reading is higher on 1 than on 40 you have to shorten your antenna . if its higher on 40 than on 1 then you have to lengthen it. before you do any adjustments to it ,loosen the set screws and let the antenna fall to the bottom then bring it up 1/4 " and tighten the screws. You should also use an external SWR meter not the one on the radio. Thats good for making checks every once and a while. With the meter you key the mic and have the needle go to set then put it on for and key the mic to obtain you reading . Anything under a two is good .

1st. You cannot "set" the swr. The swr is not set on the radio. The antenna must tuned to attain an appropriate SWR reading.

2nd, If this doesn't solve your problem then you could have a worse problem. If there is a problem with the mic such as a break in one of the wires, the radio's receive will be off until you put a good mic on it. Try a different mic, and see if the receive comes back. Then check and see if your transmitting better.

As well, your meter could just be bad, as well your coax or antenna. Your receive could be poor if the antenna is not tuned to lowest SWR.

If it has been working up till recently, and you have "set" the SWR on the radio, which is not what the SWR function is for, because you don't set SWR on the radio, you could have been using the radio with the SWR super high and blown the final or other sections of the radio out.

SWR is basically signal reflection. If the antenna is not the right length, it will reflect energy back into the radio and damage it over time. The more an antenna is off from the correct length, the more reflect you will get.

The meter in the radio is used to determine how much reflect you are getting. You ideally want to have the lowest SWR possible.

To check the SWR, you set the meter switch to CAL. Key the mic. while holding the mic key down, turn the CAL knob up until the needle is at the little triangle at the top right of the meter marked by "CAL", Then while still holding the key, flip the meter switch to SWR. where ever the needle is at that point is your SWR.

You want ch 20 to have the lowest SWR. If the swr reading on channel 40 is higher then channel 1 then your antenna is too long. if it is higher on 1 then 40, its too short. Make small adjustments until 1 has almost the same reading as 40. then check ch 20 and it should be real low.

As I have said, if you haven't tuned your antenna as I have just explained, and have been using it as is, the possibility is high that you have already hurt the radio.

Although it could also have a bad meter. Use an external meter to read the SWR.


Other things to check. Make sure cable connections are tight. Make sure coax is not damaged. try another antenna.

With radio turned on

1. Switch the first switch (S/RF SWR CAL) to CAL setting
2. Key mic up &
3. Turn SWR CAL knob while still keying mic until the needle is on the red CAL arrow at the far end of the meter scale. Unkey mic.
4. Switch the first switch back to SWR setting.
5. Key mic up again and record SWR reading and adjust as needed.
6. When done adjusting put switch back in the S/RF setting for normal operation.

Do not flip the switch with the mic keyed up.

your swr setting are off wack fix your swr

1) push the button marked S/RF / SWR / CAL to CAL

2) Hold in the button on the mic

3) Turn the SWR CAL knob until the needle is over set to the far right of the meter

4) flick the switch (in step 1) to SWR

Your SWR reading will be displayed. The more to the left the better..

Poor send? Is your modulation ok?
The biggest hurdle for good coms is the antenna, placement and proper tuning will make or break your CB.
Check your SWR, if you can't check it then another way to get an idea is to use your power meter.
It will show more power when the SWR is high, check you high and low channels for increased deflection. High on channel 40 and low on channel one would mean antenna needs to be shorter and the opposite for channel one. A balanced reading or slightly lower reading in the midband channels would indicate antenna working near optimum.

Hello 64driver,

Make sure the radio is grounded properly and that the SWR is around 1.2:1, 1.3:1 is good but try to get it to 1.2:1. Also take a power output reading while keying the mic. To do this with your power meter put it in-line with the CB and your antenna and key the mic you should get about 4 to 5 watts PEP. If this is the case your unit is putting out the proper power level, if not have the power amplifier checked by a qualified repair shop.

I hope this helps

Shuttle83