CB Radios, what's up with that?

[85MudMonster]

Blitzer, how old are you man? And I was reading in your signature that you don't like England and that stateside is better, so why not move to the US and come hang out with some of us sometime?

So do you guys think a CB shop could tune my Radio or not, cause I know where a CB shop is at down here and wouldn't mind a few extra watts outta this radio, cause if I put the squelch too, High I don't pick hardly anything up, and too low and it's just squawking. There seems to be no middle ground for getting good reception....

[Dragon]

My Grandfather built a large motorized Antenna for his backyard that he had for quite a few years(I think he put it up in the late 60's/early 70's), and didn't take it down till '99/01.  That thing was Crazy looking design wise(His design), and I remember pretending it was Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter trying to land on the house...   On Clear Nights, he could adjust it right, and we could hear People Speaking Japanese,Spanish,German,French, and Aussie accents   He never would tell me the range of the thing, cause he didn't want me playing with it too much...  He is a Retired Navy Maintenance Chief, and also a Retired from doing Government Maintenance Jobs, so he has the background to build a setup for distance!   A year or so ago, we were cleaning some of my stuff out of his house, and he let me nab what was left of his CB Setup, which I hope I can get working again sometime

MudMonster, if you want to get your CB modded, why don't you call the Shop or take it down there to find out what they can do If they can't do anything with it, take it back to where you got it, and put up one from the CB Shop...

[Bitzer!]

Blitzer, how old are you man? And I was reading in your signature that you don't like England and that stateside is better, so why not move to the US and come hang out with some of us sometime?

M8 I'm er let me think - 37! (mental age 25  )

I've only been to the States once, Miami last year. Dreadful experience!! I have a few friends in Calafornia and Ohio and met some friends from Toronto on me hols.

I'd like nothing more than move over there as the company I work for has various sites in the USA. Unfortunately my other half won't move 'cos of family  (and likkle one due in August   )

I guess I'll have to save the pennies, cents lol and have a 3week holiday travelling the "real" States  Would be great to meet up with a few of you guys.

[Blazin]

Well what did you expect going to Miami!
Should have come to New England!

[smitty77]

So do you guys think a CB shop could tune my Radio or not, cause I know where a CB shop is at down here and wouldn't mind a few extra watts outta this radio, cause if I put the squelch too, High I don't pick hardly anything up, and too low and it's just squawking. There seems to be no middle ground for getting good reception....

Tuning won't help that, you'll just piss your money away.  Spend the $$$ on a better antenna.  Power is good for short-range pissing contests when you want to "step on someone" and drown out their signal.  We have a 200 watt "kicker" on the CB at the asphalt plant here at work for talking to our trucks and they can hear us 15 miles away (20 on a good day), but it did nothing for our reception.  We can hear our loudest trucker (he's putting out 30 watts) up to about 10 miles.

Check my posts in the Interior forum on CBs and see also Dragon's post about his grandfather's "crazy design" - which sounds to me like a cubical quad, which is basically two antennas stacked side-by-side and matched for performance.  It's takes some math and engineering to get it right, but you get a lot of bang in your signal.  You want big signal, you need a big antenna (or multiple antennas), there's no way around that.  I've been a ham radio and CB operator for almost 20 years and built dozens of antennas, from very small to big 6-element yagi types on 100 foot towers.  You can talk across the country (chasing skip) on a 4 watt CB if you have a good antenna that is tuned properly on your house.  Check out the setup on this page (my college ham radio club):  WPI Wireless Association.  If the atmospheric conditions are right, you can talk all over the globe with that setup on 5 or 10 watts.  100 watts is a lot more reliable.

Another note, if you get a lot of "squawky" sounds even when there's no chatter on the channel, you may be getting noise from the ignition system or other electrical components in the vehicle, which will drown out the reception, no matter how big your antenna.  Does the noise become less or go away completely when the truck is off?  If so, you need to find the source of the noise and try to isolate it with a choke, filter, or something.

[85MudMonster]

I've never been to florida, I've been to almost every state, like 40 of them or so, and I've lived in like 9 different states. I've seen both oceans and yet never left this country. I'd like to go to Germany and drive on the autobahn, no speed limit, why don't we have a big ass highway like that???

[Bitzer!]

Well what did you expect going to Miami!
Should have come to New England!

If your England's like my England...............I'll leave it 

[JJSZABO]

Well what did you expect going to Miami!
Should have come to New England!

Miami - there are no Americans left   I use to live in Boca Raton (I couldn't wait to move).

Love to have you here in Maryland but the State and Local Governments are turning this place into a little Soviet Union with all their Environmental Regulations, Bay clean up crap, carbon emmisions, High business taxes and personal taxes and now lately, with local garbage districts where you have to use the garbage collection company that the local government allows. 

I would love to move back to PA but the wife says NO (she's from MD and wont move )

Off my rant... back to happier thoughts.

[DnStClr]

I run a cobra 29 in my Duramax because I haul a fifth wheel. It's saved me from a few traps.
Don't use a handle anymore. It used to be slowpoke when we lived in Ohio.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1056278005042203791YfzrVP?vhost=rides

[joesgarage71]

So do you guys think a CB shop could tune my Radio or not, cause I know where a CB shop is at down here and wouldn't mind a few extra watts outta this radio, cause if I put the squelch too, High I don't pick hardly anything up, and too low and it's just squawking. There seems to be no middle ground for getting good reception....

They might peak and tune your radio and set your SWR's so you get better reception. Take that radio to the shop and see what the man says. Maybe you can still return it to the store and get a better radio. lol
 Steve