TEACH ME - CB and Ham Radios - Page 2

**Hilldweller** · 02-09-2010, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

Here is a link to the GateMount

Cool Tech LLC. JK Gatemount CB Antenna Bracket

What I like about this one is it seems to be less prone to getting torn off and won't flap back and forth an hit the side of the Jeep. I had to pull over this weekend just because I could not stand the thumping. It did it several times but it was really windy and most of the time it stopped after just a few seconds.

That should work better than the license plate mount.
I use a 4 foot Wilson Silverload "flex" antenna, btw. It is really flexible...

NorthRiver · 02-09-2010, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

Would the GateMount from CoolTech be better then?

Yes,the gatemount is better.

I don't have the Cooltech mount,but mine is mounted on the spare tire carrier. Even with a cheap $25 Midland radio and cheap $10 antenna my SWR is 1.3 IIRC.

I have the Cobra 75 in my truck with the same cheap antenna and the SWR is 1.2. Last year on a trip to Yellowstone and back my dad and I were talking at 8-10 miles apart while on the highway.

Most guys complaing about poor range with a CB probably just slapped something in/on their rig and went with it. Tuning the antenna goes a long ways (no pun intended) towards better performance.

McKBrew · 02-09-2010, 03:58 PM

My antenna mount is the Teraflex one that sits behind the spare tire. Tuned the antenna. My problem is that I get quite a bit of feedback when the engine is on.

From what I've been told, I probably need to re-do my ground to someplace other than the inside of the tub. Just haven't got around to it yet.

NorthRiver · 02-09-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McKBrew

My antenna mount is the Teraflex one that sits behind the spare tire. Tuned the antenna. My problem is that I get quite a bit of feedback when the engine is on.

From what I've been told, I probably need to re-do my ground to someplace other than the inside of the tub. Just haven't got around to it yet.

Where is it grounded to?

Mine is grounded inside the tub and I don't have any isses with feedback,its as clear as a bell. My ground wire runs under the carpet over to the catch for the tailgate latch. I just sanded off a bit of paint and used one of the bolts to attach the ground.

You can also get feedback if the coax is run too close to other wiring in the jeep.

I'm also sure to run power right from the battery. I don't like splicing into a 12v source inside the jeep.

McKBrew · 02-09-2010, 06:11 PM

Mine is on the right inside fenderwell. Maybe that is the issue as my antenna wire runs down the passenger side.

I have no major problems with clarity, but have to turn the squelch up halfway every time I turn the vehicle on.

**RockyClymer** · 02-09-2010, 09:06 PM

Being a Jeep driver for many years and a ham operator since 1964 - I can tell you on the trail and highway I use the CB the most - a couple in our club are also hams and we do use 2 meter (144 Mhz - VHF = very high frequency) handhelds some as we can usually hit a repeater on a mountain top and get up to 100 miles or more of coverage or up to 25 direct - but, I never use the HF (HF = high frequency) ham bands in the jeep - only from my house.
I would get a good CB radio and a good tuned antenna - it will do you good at a reasonable cost.

tclaremont · 02-09-2010, 09:14 PM

I once bought an old CB radio that was NOS, new in the box. The manual was a hoot. It specifically stated that the correct way to acknowledge a message is to say "ten four" and NOT "one-zero-dash-four". Sooo, just remember that tidbit of information. You dont want to be a newbie, ya know!

**fernjack** · 02-10-2010, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sgalway

I am a ham operator and have been for over 20yrs. Got my first license when I was 13yrs old. I have to say, cell phones have really put a dent in my ham usage. I maybe flip it on a few times a year. Back when I first started it was daily.

You do have to take a test for the ham license, but if you have any basic knowledge of electronics the test is not a problem (do you understand high school physics?). A bulk of the test is about laws regarding the use of the radios, frequencies open for use, etc. You don't even need to learn Morse Code anymore. Back when I tested you needed 5, 13, & 20 words per minute as you advanced through the licenses.

The ham radios are quite expensive. However, you get what you pay for. Buy a good CB with a good antenna and good coax connecting it and you will have great coverage. Get the system tuned! This can't be stressed enough. I would expect a well tuned, well built CB system to easily talk over 30+ miles. I am not kidding when I say this since it would be hard for a non-ham to understand, but theortically with all items meshing perfectly, a CB pushing out 10 watts would have no problem talking around the world. The CB band, 11m (27Mhz), is well into the realm of the ability for atmospheric bounce. My first ham contact when I was 13 was on the 10m band (28Mhz) using 50 watts, the contact was from Santiago, Chile. Granted I was using side band with a HUGE radiating dipole antenna and 50 watts of power. The CB is limited to 4 - 14 watts depending on use.

My best advice would be to find a radio shop near where you live and get somebody to tune your setup for you. You are probably getting lots of returned power from your antenna/coax/connections. Your radio is spitting out lets say 10watts, but your setup is returning, maybe, 8 watts. Your true net transmitted power is then only 2 watts.

My next best advice would be to make sure you are using the best quality connectors and antenna you can afford. The antenna is much more than just a little piece of metal sticking up in the air. This is really where the magic happens. As a rule of thumb, the longer the effective length of the whip antenna is, the better it will perform upto 1/4 wave length. It also helps to have the whip antenna mounted to a flat metal surface like a car roof. This electrically "mirrors" the antenna above the flat surface thus increasing its gain. Obviously this won't work for our vehicles and normally it gets mounted at the back of the vehicle with no dB gain.

All I am trying to say is that you probably have the components to make a pretty good system, they just need to be assembled correctly and adjusted by someone who knows what to look for.

Good Luck!

Is it possible connection wise to be able to have your CB antena situated in two places ? Not two anteni but a split cable with two mounting points ? Sorry if this is a naive question but it would be good if I culd have an antena mount on my rack and one in the back or on my windshield light mount bracket. Thanks for any info even if it's not what I want to hear .

**Hilldweller** · 02-10-2010, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McKBrew

I have no major problems with clarity, but have to turn the squelch up halfway every time I turn the vehicle on.

Squelch gets rid of background noise; there's nothing abnormal with that at all.
That's not "feedback"...
Are you getting alternator noise too? A whine that overpowers your squelch and keeps time with the rpms?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernjack

Is it possible connection wise to be able to have your CB antena situated in two places ? Not two anteni but a split cable with two mounting points ? Sorry if this is a naive question but it would be good if I culd have an antena mount on my rack and one in the back or on my windshield light mount bracket. Thanks for any info even if it's not what I want to hear .

You could have an A/B switch and two lengths of coax. But the pigtails would have to be exactly the same; almost impossible outside of a dummy load in a lab...
You could buy two commercially made lengths of coax and just run them separately. Again, swr will likely be different for each; as long as both are within some sort of spec, it would work.
I think you'd be better off just running two antennas myself.

McKBrew · 02-10-2010, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilldweller

Squelch gets rid of background noise; there's nothing abnormal with that at all.
That's not "feedback"...
Are you getting alternator noise too? A whine that overpowers your squelch and keeps time with the rpms?

.

Possibly alternator noise. There is a distinct difference between when I have the vehicle on or off. With the vehicle off, the squelch knob can go pretty low. Soon as I start it up, it has to be turned up. I've disconnected the antenna from the rear of the radio and verified it goes away. I've also occasionally heard noise when operating the power windows. So definitely electrical system noise via the antenna.

**Hilldweller** · 02-11-2010, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McKBrew

Possibly alternator noise. There is a distinct difference between when I have the vehicle on or off. With the vehicle off, the squelch knob can go pretty low. Soon as I start it up, it has to be turned up. I've disconnected the antenna from the rear of the radio and verified it goes away. I've also occasionally heard noise when operating the power windows. So definitely electrical system noise via the antenna.

Tap a new source for power (I use the cig lighter with no problems), move your coax, or install a ground loop isolator.

02-09-2010, 03:58 PM	#18
McKBrew I Live, I Ride, I Am Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Silverdale Posts: 2,650 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	My antenna mount is the Teraflex one that sits behind the spare tire. Tuned the antenna. My problem is that I get quite a bit of feedback when the engine is on. From what I've been told, I probably need to re-do my ground to someplace other than the inside of the tub. Just haven't got around to it yet.

02-09-2010, 06:11 PM	#20
McKBrew I Live, I Ride, I Am Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Silverdale Posts: 2,650 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Mine is on the right inside fenderwell. Maybe that is the issue as my antenna wire runs down the passenger side. I have no major problems with clarity, but have to turn the squelch up halfway every time I turn the vehicle on.