Talked into a CB Radio.

JoeDaddy · Jul 27, 2011

SoCalPSD said:
So i bought a cb set up from some guy off craigslist last night. Its a older cobra 29 ltd wx with the mic connector on the side. $50 and it came with a wilson antenna, a powered mic, external speaker with talkback and a pa speaker. He had reciepts for work that was done and he put alot if money into it. Called the shop and gave them the number on the cb and they confirmed everything that was done and he had it set up when i got there and it worked great. It now puts out 75 watts ish according to the shop had has a few other features added. After asking around on a cb forum the shop in fontana ca that did the work is well know and respected so it put my mind to ease about buying a piece of scrap.

Now i just gotta get it put in.

SoCalPsd-Corey

Unless you meant 25 watts, you need to take it to another shop. No flat foot 29 is going to swing 75 w/o galaxy or ranger internals.

Not saying the radio is bad just inflated #'s

brewer · Jul 27, 2011

FWIW on antenna mounts, I have a stock cobra 29ltd bt pushin a Wilson 1000 permanent mount in the center of my roof on my SCLB and only get about a mile or so of range. But as others have said that's supposed to be the best spot to have it for best range. I only used that setup because the PO had a UHF mount up there when I bought it, so I didn't have to drill any holes.
Also, I visited that shop in Fontana. It's in the back of the truck stop. They have good reviews, so might be taking mine over to have them mod it up.

cfdeng7 · Jul 27, 2011

rancherstroker6 said:
FWIW on antenna mounts, I have a stock cobra 29ltd bt pushin a Wilson 1000 permanent mount in the center of my roof on my SCLB and only get about a mile or so of range. But as others have said that's supposed to be the best spot to have it for best range. I only used that setup because the PO had a UHF mount up there when I bought it, so I didn't have to drill any holes.
Also, I visited that shop in Fontana. It's in the back of the truck stop. They have good reviews, so might be taking mine over to have them mod it up.

Maybe its not getting a good ground depending on how it is mounted. Bad grounds cause bad performance

brewer · Jul 27, 2011

cfdeng7 said:
Maybe its not getting a good ground depending on how it is mounted. Bad grounds cause bad performance

The antenna is mounted tight to the roof onto the bottomside of the roof (bare metal), and the radio is grounded at the driver's side kickpanel with a tight connection. No antenna warning light or anything. Anything I'm missing? Sorry for the derail to the OP...

Denver · Jul 27, 2011

Is there any great write ups on wiring up Cb's?

Chvyrkr · Jul 27, 2011

rancherstroker6 said:
FWIW on antenna mounts, I have a stock cobra 29ltd bt pushin a Wilson 1000 permanent mount in the center of my roof on my SCLB and only get about a mile or so of range. But as others have said that's supposed to be the best spot to have it for best range. I only used that setup because the PO had a UHF mount up there when I bought it, so I didn't have to drill any holes.
Also, I visited that shop in Fontana. It's in the back of the truck stop. They have good reviews, so might be taking mine over to have them mod it up.

I underlined the problem. Unless there's something wrong with the antenna.

I'm using a similar antenna, and with the just the radio on (which has been opened) it's good for maybe 3-4 miles up the road without the kicker.

With the kicker on I'm still clean, even though not that loud, at 30 miles across flat land Kentucky.

cfdeng7 said:
Maybe its not getting a good ground depending on how it is mounted. Bad grounds cause bad performance

rancherstroker6 said:
The antenna is mounted tight to the roof onto the bottomside of the roof (bare metal), and the radio is grounded at the driver's side kickpanel with a tight connection. No antenna warning light or anything. Anything I'm missing? Sorry for the derail to the OP...

What rancher said.

Magnet mounts ground out great because they're strait to the body, so, as long as the silicone or whatever is around that antenna to prevent leaks is isn't interrupting that ground it should be good there.

I think you need a kicker, or a tune up.

Denver said:
Is there any great write ups on wiring up Cb's?

JoeDaddy you got anything?

Maybe something nice on a trucker forum?

brewer · Jul 28, 2011

Thanks Rkr, appreciate the advice. That's what I figured, I need to get it peaked and tuned, and look into a kicker setup.

JoeDaddy · Jul 29, 2011

Red wire to + single source black wire to frame. Coax to ant w/o ground and hang an old black rubber bungee undernieth hooked to frame with other end dragging the ground. No I'm not joking .

SoCalPSD · Jul 29, 2011

? Say wha

SoCalPsd-Corey

JoeDaddy · Jul 29, 2011

SoCalPSD said:
? Say wha

SoCalPsd-Corey

Believe it or not it will break static that will build around the vehicle like on helo rotors. The tires steel belts keep the charge from disipating but a grime covered black bungee is aces at breaking the magnetic shield.

LOL I can see y'all scratch'n your heads but its legit.

SoCalPSD · Jul 29, 2011

Lol im not gonna lie i thought you were screwing with us. Have to try it now

SoCalPsd-Corey

TheSmokinStroke2002 · Jul 29, 2011

SoCalPSD said:
Lol im not gonna lie i thought you were screwing with us. Have to try it now

SoCalPsd-Corey

i see guys running like this down the road allover up here in ohio!

JoeDaddy · Aug 3, 2011

Crazy thing is my service guy never fails to toss mine in the trash then tell me how I had a broken bungee stuck through a hole in my running board LOL

SSpeeDEMONSS · Aug 4, 2011

go to the CB Shop in ontario near the truck stops. he will set you up with everything you need and tune it for you.

Garrett

Jason · Aug 5, 2011

I got a flat footed, never seen a shoe in it's life radio putting out 160 watts...big radios are cool, but when running with another tech, 60% power is about all I can run...gotta keep the echo turned almost all the way off, and if I'm still within 200 feet of them, I will distort their radios, and it sounds like I'm on another channel...I gotta either holler early, or wait tip they get aways from me to talk. I don't like dicking with power, I like keeping it at one point. I cranked the power up one day, and distorted a guys radio 6 miles away lol. He said I was clear then all of a sudden it was garbled and overmoduted sounding...but someone who was 10 miles away caught me loud and clear and could understand what I said.

I miss my old cobra 29 days...never have issues with finickyness, or worrying about too much echo, or echo delay, or the tone coming out too gruff. I got a decently deep voice, but I sound like God over a megaphone on the radio lol.

Another thing to remember. If you have a external speaker, do NOT. Adjust your cb according to how you sound over the talkback...this is NOT what you sound like on the receiving end!!!! I don't think enough people understand that.

JoeDaddy · Aug 6, 2011

Jason said:
I got a flat footed, never seen a shoe in it's life radio putting out 160 watts...big radios are cool, but when running with another tech, 60% power is about all I can run...gotta keep the echo turned almost all the way off, and if I'm still within 200 feet of them, I will distort their radios, and it sounds like I'm on another channel...I gotta either holler early, or wait tip they get aways from me to talk. I don't like dicking with power, I like keeping it at one point. I cranked the power up one day, and distorted a guys radio 6 miles away lol. He said I was clear then all of a sudden it was garbled and overmoduted sounding...but someone who was 10 miles away caught me loud and clear and could understand what I said.

I miss my old cobra 29 days...never have issues with finickyness, or worrying about too much echo, or echo delay, or the tone coming out too gruff. I got a decently deep voice, but I sound like God over a megaphone on the radio lol.

Another thing to remember. If you have a external speaker, do NOT. Adjust your cb according to how you sound over the talkback...this is NOT what you sound like on the receiving end!!!! I don't think enough people understand that.

Shouldn't distort, you're over-modulating. It will kill your finals and hard ant line.