I have a Coleman 8x10 that has been through several rainy camping trips with no leaks. I also have a Eureka that I like better, but one in the size you're looking at will run considerably more than $150.
Seam sealer is a good idea, and I always carry some, but the Coleman has not needed it so...
If you need one right away, check Wal-Mart. They have one with a spring loaded cap. I put one in the bed of my mini-truck about a year ago and it has been fine so far. Around $12, I think.
If the interference is coming from the heater or wiper motors, then one solution would be to not use them. Sure, you'll be cold and not able to see where you're going, but hey, the radio will work well! :D
Another solution in addition to the grounding previously mentioned, would be to put a...
Get a cell phone and sign up for one of the family locator services. Then you can use it to locate your vehicle. You would need to provide power to it to keep the battery charged and maybe add an external antenna for the best coverage.
Limiting factor would be it wouldn't work beyond the cell...
As an FYI, many of the toshibas can be powered using dc from the cigarette lighter. Supposed to be 15v, but seems to work ok as long as the vehicle is running.
If you reversed the polarity to the radio, chances are its done for. Most inexpensive radios don't come with any effective reverse polarity protection.
You can try removing power for a minute or so by removing the fuse or disconnecting the power lead, but I doubt if it will help. Also if...
Now you're up to $85-90, plus you're gonna want a seperate microphone which will add another $10-20. Also, the antenna and dc connectors don't usually last too long. Unless you really need the portability, I'd go with a mobile unit. The small midland & cobras will mount about anywhere. Heck, I...
Ticking noise sounds like spark interference to me. Are you running factory or aftermarket spark plug wires? Running the cb power directly from the battery will help if the interference is being carried through the 12v wiring. If it's being picked up directly by the antenna, adding the ground...
Couple of things to check:
1. Seperate the vehicles to where your signal is noisy to him. Then have him shut off his motor while you're transmitting. If the noise level decreases, chances are he's picking up electrical interference from his vehicle (ignition, alternator, etc.)
2. If your...
I would put the 2m antenna as close to the center of the roof as possible to give it the best ground plane and longest range. if you're only using the cb for trail communications, then anywhere on the roof should work fine.
I've always been a big Garmin fan and Iv'e had a II+ for at least 5 years. I recently bought a Magellan Roadmate 300 that seems to work very well. The price($300) made it the least expensive nav system I've seen so far.
I've had it for a couple of months and have used it on a couple of...
Running the cb from the cigarette lighter may cause you to pick up more electrical interference. You will also get lower output from the cb transmitter due to the voltage loss. I prefer to run the cb power directly from the battery and since I only turn it on during trail runs, it's not a big...
I have a 2meter/70cm (144/440mHz) radio with a dual band antenna mounted on the fender lip next to the hood. It's mounted on an L-bracket which attaches to the inner side of the fender (no exterior holes to drill).
If the SWR is 1.4, then it sounds like your antenna mounting is ok. I would suggest running the power and ground wire direct to the battery. If that doesn't work, you may need to put some bypass capacitors across the speakers.