This project evolved from a question on what is a "good" SSB CB radio to buy. In 2014 there are all kinds of choices, a few that are actually FCC type accepted and a few that say they are but in reality, because of features like roger beep, clarifiers that act as VFOs, power levels that exceed the limits by leaps and bounds etc... there is no way they actually are. IF you want to color inside the lines and be a good boy, your choices are slim and none... I don't think I have to tell you where Slim has gone.
IMHO there hasn't been a CB worth its salt since the late 70's! Back in the first few years of the 40 channel "boom" Uniden produced a CB main PC board (PC-196BD) that was bought up by more than a few companies and marketed as their own. The Cobra 139XLR was one of those radios. It looks like its younger cousin the 142GTL but the 142's internal board is completely different. I'm one of those kids who in 1977 drooled over the catalogs of the day (Radio Shack) just dying to own one of those $479.99 base station radios.

The list of upgrade wants isn't too long.