We I just got the Cobra in a couple weeks ago and I promised some of the members here to let them know about how well it works etc. Well I've just been playing with it for a few weeks but this is one cool reel. It's not just an electric ITR or a simple electric reel this is like having the best of both worlds. It can funtion in either mode and as an ITR it's great because the tention is always the same no matter how far you spool out and you can spool out twenty or thirty feet no problem. They weren't kidding when they said you could only use the Vectra or the X-2 thread for this reel. The motor is strong enough that it would break every other thread I've used before. It can break the vectra but only if you reel in strait from the opening and from a few inces away. They go out of their way to tell you this and how to handle the reel so it doesn't break. I tried the X-2 and I couldn't get the reel to break it no matter how fast I reeled in. So if it does break it's either deliberate on your part or you are handling the thread incorrectly and considering how strong it is that would take a bit of ineptitude on your part.

Now to the reel itself. The reel is small, definately larger then a thread boss but it's easily concealed in a card box, altoids can and certainly any pocket you might have and the sidewinder gimmick that it comes with gives a couple extra places to hide the reel and have it in a good position to use and with the sidewinder gimmick you can litterally use the Cobra with a t-shirt on with full funtionality.

The big thing about this device is the flexiblity the different modules and switches you can plug in to activate it. The pressure switch is the most valuable in my opinion because it's so easy to activate in a lot of different positions and hookups. It comes with an extension cable so you can activate the device in your pocket or anywhere else you can put it on your clothing. You could easily use it as a toe switch but you need the longer extention cable that they sell separately for under ten bucks if I recall but I haven't picked that up yet so I can't tell how well it works for that purpose yet. The pressure switch is great. The ITR mode is a tiny plug no more than a half inch long (haven't actually measured it but that's what I remember, I'm at work now so I can't measure and give exact dimentions just now. The tilt swith is just as small and is great for very subtle activation of the device. You can attach it to the three foot extension and put under the wrist strap they provide so you can activate it with a slight raising of the arm. You can plug it directly into the device and still hide it in a card box and just tilt the box slightly. It's really not noticable at all especially with a little misdirection. I tried it on my wife asking to look and see if she could tell when I activated it and she couldn't. Passed the wife test on that one.

The device is also robust. It takes a larger battery than you would think but the weight of it combined with some rubber bands that serve as friction for the device means that even in ITR mode you can place the Cobra on any flat surface and be able to pull out the thread without it even budging. The battery is also what gives the Cobra it's strenth structurally so you have to be careful with it when the battery's out. The battery is supposed to last a long long time. I haven't put it to the test of how long it will last in the always on mode but on the instructional video he says it can last at least a day or two before dying.

Replacing the thread is easy and takes little time but definately cannot be done where anyone can see as it involves opening the device and pulling the thread out and putting on the wax. Getting the thread for me has been easier than most ITRs I've had in the past (and that's about 7-8 different brands) It's visible against the white of the thread bullet so it's easy to grab. (Did I mention it's loaded with thread bullets? And they're pretty easy to load?) It takes me about ten to twenty seconds to opent the device and grab the thread and add the time it takes to put the wax back on it's still less than a minute.

I'm just drooling over the remote and the programmable timer now. I contacted them with an idea I had for the Cobra and they said that it would definately work with the remote.

There's also ways to hack the device so if you have skills with electronics you can make your own switches. I've already seen a couple on youtube.

Anyway as I rattle on I guess summing it up the device fits the description on the website, there's no exaggerating. It works great and the different switches allow it to perform with more versatility than any reel out there. The instruction is comprehensive and shows many hookups and applications possible with the reel.

I'll give updates once I get my greedy little hands on the remote and the timer switches.

I forgot to mention that I got this directly from www.emagicsupply.com Their customer service was great and the cool thing was they have a live chat support and I was able to talk live to them and ask a number of questions about the capabilities of the Cobra and I told them my idea for using the Cobra and they told me exactly how to set it up so my idea would work. Plus I prefer to get my products direct from the source. I buy Porper products from Porper's site, I buy Daryl's stuff direct from his site etc. Mainly because I've put out a product myself and I know the difference in the amount of money I get when sold through another source than my own. And I make a lot more money when people buy direct from me. So I recommend if you want to buy one go to the source for the reasons I have listed here.