‘Biggest change in CB radio in four decades’ — Cobra rolls out CB radios with AM/FM capabilities

This week, Cobra Electronics debuted a new line of clearer-sounding AM/FM CB radios following a four year battle with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

On February 16, Cobra announced the debut of a line of CB radios with dual-mode AM/FM capabilities.

“With their livelihood and safety dependent on the reliability and clarity of communication via CB radio, the inclusion of FM on professional drivers’ CB radios cannot be overstated. Previously, CB radios only operated with 40 channels on limited modes: AM and SSB (consisting of Upper Sideband (USB) and Lower Sideband (LSB)). FM mode will lock onto the strongest signal and is less susceptible to the background noise that that can come through on AM,” Cobra said in a news release.

As of today, drivers may purchase Cobra models with AM/FM capabilities, including the 29 LTD Classic, 29 LTD Chrome, and 19 MINI AM/FM, with the 29 LTD NW becoming available in the spring of 2023.

Cobra says that they petitioned they FCC in 2017 to allow FM mode to be legal for use in CB radio products in the U.S. The petition was finally granted by the FCC in 2021.

The company calls this the “the biggest change to the industry since CB radios were expanded from 23 channels to 40 channels in 1977.”

“Our team has been on the forefront of working with the FCC since 2017 to make AM/FM CB radios possible,” said Gail Babitt, CEO of Cedar Electronics, parent company of Cobra. “The implications this will have on users like professional truck drivers, fleet managers, and local delivery services will be amazing – making communication clearer and more productive than ever while on the road. The change is also not just a revolutionary new accomplishment for Cobra, but the culmination of the hard work and determination from the many parties that went into this endeavor – and will set a new standard of product innovation as we head into the future of CB radio technology.”