CB tuning advice needed

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CO_Hunter

CO_Hunter

Joined
Sep 10, 2008
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I have an old Radio Shack handheld unit that seems to work ok if I'm within about 100 yards of someone else. Now I did have the antenna fully extended and screwed into the mag base and had that in the Cruiser. I could talk to Luke and Justin both in front of me but I could not hear Rui, who was behind me. I eventually just went to the family walkie talkie since I needed to plug in my GPS when the batteries started to go. Is there anything that can be done to tune it up and is it even worth it? This unit is about 20 years old which I got from my parents but it hasn't seen a lot of use.
 
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CO_Hunter said:
I have an old Radio Shack handheld unit that seems to work ok if I'm within about 100 yards of someone else. Now I did have the antenna fully extended and screwed into the mag base and had that in the Cruiser. I could talk to Luke and Justin both in front of me but I could not here Rui, who was behind me. I eventually just went to the family walkie talkie since I needed to plug in my GPS when the batteries started to go. Is there anything that can be done to tune it up and is it even worth it? This unit is about 20 years old which I got from my parents but it hasn't seen a lot of use.
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The mag mount was inside the vehicle, I believe it was, the only thing I can think of is the defrost metal lines on the back windows that might interfere with the reception. Other than that, there is no tuning for omni directional antennas, since they are omni directional it should work in a 360 degree pattern. I have been a Ham radio operator for over 20 years now, I think your mystery can be explained with just a few simple experiments. The other thing that comes to mind is that the antenna which is a mag mount...does it have a magnet base? if it does, it needs a good metal surface to create a ground plane effect, if the antenna is not attached to a good metal ground the antenna resonating patterns get weird....
 
Ground plane is a thought, but would that make the difference in hearing or not hearing you as well? I was thinking of running the cable through the fire wall for a front bumper mount. Still seems like I just don't get much range, even on the highway heading to the trail. I did try putting it on the roof but it kept getting knocked over. BTW, I'm hopefully going to test for my tech HAM this summer :D

I may go and buy but I'd rather not at this point.
 
CO_Hunter said:
Ground plane is a thought, but would that make the difference in hearing or not hearing you as well? I was thinking of running the cable through the fire wall for a front bumper mount. Still seems like I just don't get much range, even on the highway heading to the trail. I did try putting it on the roof but it kept getting knocked over. BTW, I'm hopefully going to test for my tech HAM this summer :D

I may go and buy but I'd rather not at this point.
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Well, Amateur Radio is the way to go, I have a HF/VHF/UHF all in one and I works great, but again, you need to have a good ground on your antenna, it needs metal to resonate correctly, you certainly don't want high SWR on a rig that puts out 100 watts, while CBs are putting out max 3 to 5 watts. I still believe it's your antenna ground...if you need help fixing it let me know, I have an antenna analyzer....
 
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Rui, I would like to take you up on your offer with the analyzer. I would find it interesting to test a few different locations. I'll shoot you a pm with my phone number. What times/days generally work well for you?
 
CO_Hunter said:
Rui, I would like to take you up on your offer with the analyzer. I would find it interesting to test a few different locations. I'll shoot you a pm with my phone number. What times/days generally work well for you?
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I get home about 5:30 pm week days, this weekend, Sunday will probably work best...
 
Just wanted to note that you will never knock the Lil' wilson off your rig.......the car wash bends mine over to a crazy extreme angle, sometimes to the point it looks like it will break, but it never does. Ham in your rig, :meh: meh, you will have to make room for two radios.....I still don't have room for that just to talk to one guy on the trail.
 
B.T.W For some reason our club requirements listing leaves out the need for a CB. I haven't figured this out yet as almost all the clubs I have ever ridden with it is a requirement right up there with a fire extinguisher.

Not to preach, but I have been seriously disappointed with the lack of CB radios in our club gatherings. I can't tell you how much easier and more enjoyable it is to be trail leader if you can inform the club what all is going on during the rides. Why are we stopping? where is ______? What's taking so long to catch up? It also makes the ride more enjoyable for you, the trail follower.

Please, please get a CB in your rig.......(It would be nice if it worked too, you know who you are) :D
 
black95 said:
B.T.W For some reason our club requirements listing leaves out the need for a CB. I haven't figured this out yet as almost all the clubs I have ever ridden with it is a requirement right up there with a fire extinguisher.

Not to preach, but I have been seriously disappointed with the lack of CB radios in our club gatherings. I can't tell you how much easier and more enjoyable it is to be trail leader if you can inform the club what all is going on during the rides. Why are we stopping? where is ______? What's taking so long to catch up? It also makes the ride more enjoyable for you, the trail follower.

Please, please get a CB in your rig.......(It would be nice if it worked too, you know who you are) :D
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I believe it should be a requirement for at least two members on a ride to have a CB, one as the trail leader and the other as the last member of the convoy.

Now that Luke opened up the can, I will air my grievances also. I am also seriously disappointed also, but not for the lack of CBs but rather the lack of HAM operators, in every aspect HAM Radio is superior to CB, getting your license, makes you flexible to various modes of communication, while on the trail we can use VHF frequencies, but we also can use HF frequencies in emergencies, where the cell phones don't work and there is no repeater coverage or even do some low orbit satellite communications on VHF if things get really bad. You also are not stuck with 40 channels and all the adverse effects of propagation by using a VHF rig, we can set tones on the radios that, that makes us only hear the other radios that have the same tones. Lastly, we can use Repeaters, which allow our transmissions to be repeated to another radio (usually on top of a tall building or mountain) and re-transmitted, allowing for transmissions to travel, extremely long distances...all this for just studying a book with a question pool and taking the test.

As I stated before, I've been a HAM for over 20 years now and have always enjoyed some aspect of HAM radio through the years, I still have not done it all....:)

We should start a class and get people their ticket!!
 
good luck with that we can only get 5 people to show up to the monthly meeting How many do you think are going to show up for a class that when they finish they get to go spend 200-1000 dollars on a ham system. It cost me 160 for my cb, antenna, mount, cable, quick disconnect, and spring. I'v used it 2 times so right now I'm wondering if that was even worth it. just my 2 cents
 
You know......I don't want to knock them, because they are cool tech, but ham radio's have been around since.........since forever. If everyone don't have one by now, I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen any time soon. Don't get me wrong, when the apocalypse hits, you guys will be the only one's able to talk to each other, I just don't have time for another hobby. I also have a small problem with authority, and I think the whole licensing thing with ham radios is pompous. I mean, just because a guy has a license doesn't mean he's going to follow the rules, look at me and my driver's license, for example.

Cell phone technology is getting so good I just don't think it's necessary right now. I can text in about 80 percent of the places I wheel, and someone always knows where I am going. I guess what I'm saying is, let's focus on getting ourselves connected the easy way, before we start working on the hard solution. I'll shut up now. ;p
 
Well, I have a thing for HAM radio and it was my first hobby by age 15. Ham radio can be as expensive or as cheap as you wanna make it, it's just like any other hobby. Cell phones are great, but are not free for each call you make. Also, how many folks have taken cell phones to Mt. Hood thinking they were covered and didn't come back alive...I count 5 in 4 years now. So I would not depend my life on cell phones.

Most people did not get their Ham ticket, because you needed to know Morse Code, well, you don't need Morse anymore to get your license. As far as classes, we really don't need them, to get on the VHF frequencies you need the basic license, so you get the book, study the question bank (around 150 questions) you take the test which, will have around 50 of those questions and you have your Ham ticket.

I am a flexible person, even though I am a Ham radio operator, I went out and got me a CB too, just so I could communicate with whom ever had one. Well, let me get off my soapbox, like Forest Gump said "that's all I have to say about that". :clap:
 
Oh my... radio wars. We had a HAM class going last summer that unfortunately fizzled out for several reasons, but I'm still planning on getting my license regardless if we get another class going. Luke I hear you on the licensing but there really is more to it than CB and the test is trying to get a user to a basic level of competence and understanding. For me there is more to HAM than just talking on trail rides. We had some interesting conversations about uses at Andy's last year. Out hunting I frequently get myself in places with no cell coverage, so for me HAM is a bit of a safety measure. I sure wouldn't want to send an emergency text and HOPE it gets out.

I think the costs posted above are a bit misleading. Like anything else shopping around for good used stuff can get you better deals, in this case in for the cost of CB, maybe not all the bells and whistles though.

As far as a club CB requirement, I have better results with the family radios and they are mobile, smaller and cheaper, therefore more versatile. :D

Rui, I'll call to set up a time, been real busy lately.

:popcorn:
 
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The cb I got is a midland and it has an adapter to be used in your car or yoiu can slap on a battery pack to make it mobile its pretty sweet. As for the ham I did my research and its not a reqirement for cruise mohab, which I do plan on attending next year along with the black hills cruiser classic. Cb's are a requirement. Ham is like a cb on steroids. It's better in every way non disputed. But I will never own one.
 
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Thanks for the adapter info and for your help today diagnosing my antenna problems, a big help! :cheers:
 
CO_Hunter said:
Thanks for the adapter info and for your help today diagnosing my antenna problems, a big help! :cheers:
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No problem, if we had the adapter in the first place I think we would have had more accurate readings...but for what we got, it gave us a good idea where it should be and how good it was.
 
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