Cobra 18 WX ST II
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| Frequency | 26.965-27.405 MHz (40 CB channels) + 10 NOAA weather channels |
| TX power | 4 W (4W AM (FCC Part 95 legal limit). TX current: 1.4A max.) |
| Modes | AM |
| Weight | 1.93 kg (4.3 lb) - 4.25 lbs (1928g) per manual and multiple retailers. |
| Connector | SO-239 (UHF female) |
| Year | 2017 |
| antenna | SO-239 (UHF female, rear panel) |
| mic | 4-pin CB standard screw-on (front panel, dynamic mic with 9 ft coiled cord included) |
| ext spkr | 3.5mm external speaker jack |
| dc in | hardwired DC power cable (red/black + orange aux). 13.8VDC negative ground. |
| power req | 13.8VDC negative ground (vehicle power). TX current: 1.4A max. Includes auxiliary power wire for auto-on with ignition. |
Estimated (unverified): Introduction year is not firmly documented by independent sources.
A feature-rich compact CB with NOAA weather at a budget price. SoundTracker noise reduction improves audio on both transmit and receive. The front-mounted speaker projects audio forward for in-dash installs. Dual watch, channel scan, and instant CH 9/19 cover the common conveniences. An auxiliary power wire enables auto-on with the ignition. The single-DIN size fits standard dash openings, and the 9 ft coiled-cord mic reaches across the cab.
AM only, with no SSB for extended range. It does not have automatic weather alert (manual weather-channel access only, which several reviews note). No built-in SWR meter. At 4.25 lb it is heavier than expected for a 'compact' CB. The LED meter is less informative than a needle display. The front-firing speaker can be muffled in tight spaces. The power cable is hardwired.
A compact CB with NOAA weather. The 18 WX ST II provides 40 channels, 10 NOAA weather channels, SoundTracker noise reduction, and dual watch in an affordable single-DIN package. It is AM only, with no SSB. The front-mounted speaker and 9 ft mic cord suit in-cab use.
The Cobra 18 WX ST II is the compact, weather-equipped member of Cobra's value CB line, and its name doubles as a spec sheet: "18" for the small chassis, "WX" for the ten NOAA weather channels, and "ST" for SoundTracker, Cobra's noise-reduction system. It is a 40-channel AM radio putting out the legal four watts, sized to a single-DIN footprint with a front-firing speaker so it can tuck under or into a dash where a full-size 29 will not fit.
SoundTracker is the feature that separates it from the cheaper 19-series. It is a compander, a circuit that compresses transmit audio and expands the voice band on receive, focusing on the roughly 300-to-2,700 Hz range where speech lives and pushing the hiss outside it down, so a noisy signal comes through cleaner. It works best when the station on the other end has it too. Around that, the 18 WX ST II adds the practical conveniences the budget radios skip: dual watch to monitor two channels at once, full-band scan, instant buttons for the emergency channel 9 and the trucker channel 19, and an auxiliary wire that can switch the radio on with the ignition.
What it does not have is anything beyond AM. There is no single sideband for the extra range SSB operators get, and no built-in SWR meter, so you still tune your antenna with an external meter. It mounts the usual SO-239 antenna connector on the back and a four-pin dynamic microphone on the front. It is a sensible, inexpensive radio for someone who wants weather access and cleaner audio without stepping up to the larger, pricier Cobra 29 LX, and it costs only a little more than the bare-bones Cobra 19 DX IV that sits below it in the range.