Not Putting out enough

[DirtyD]

So I got this radioshack CB from ebay. And it is suposed to be 4 watts. but I hooked it up to my meter and it's only putting out 2. Is this normal? Is there an easy way to fix this? What could be the problem? Thanks guys

[Johnny.Blaze]

take it to a cb shop and let them tweak it out, usually costs around $40. either your machine is off or it's just an easy fix for the cb shop.

[DirtyD]

I tested friends cheap maxon and his said 6 watts
mine is a pretty good radioshack deff. more than his

[BUZZSAW]

Originally Posted by DirtyD

I tested friends cheap maxon and his said 6 watts
mine is a pretty good radioshack deff. more than his

Some of those RADIO SHACK radios ARE VERY GOOD ONES !! Alot of the RS models were made by Uniden , which I like very much . I think Uniden is one the better mfr's out there.

[DirtyD]

Does the antenna have anything to do with it?
I am using a little antenna it's like 1 foot or something
i read the reviews online and people said that it got a pretty good distance
but me and a friend tried to see how far it would go and only got 1 mile
that's not acceptable.
I think it's the radio i e-mailed a local cb shop and asked them about it.
i think i'll go by tomorrow
but i wanna see what you guys think

[thetez]

it could be an antenna problem, im sure someones gonna come by and give you a better anwser.. but your antenna since your asking about it may be rated for a certain power... and hey.. itll only put out that much power... although 2 seems low for an antenna unless you bought a crappy no name one for like 10, 15 bucks... Also when you tested that out with your friend was it a mile through trees and hills? or on the highway, the highways where you want to test it. Although, i got about a mile through trees and deff hills and buildings on a stock handheld [realistic] cb ... old big thing....

[BobC]

A one foot antenna is useless.

Optimally you'd see a 9 foot whip out there but I know that's not practical.

In the practical sense, you put up as long an antenna as you can safely & conveniently get away with. I think most everyone can get a 4-5 footer out there without too much trouble.

It's not an amplifer in a box, just add water but, you'll see an immediate improvement with a longer whip.

[BUZZSAW]

And regardless of what kind of antenna you purchase ----It must be tuned to the vehicle that is installed on ! If you had a 102" whip if it had an SWR (standing wave ratio) of 8:1 you will not get your signal OUT ! Every antennna must be tuned ! Not to mention operating a CB with a high SWR reading will eventually weaken the transistors in the radio shortening its' life & sending you to the CB shop . Ask around get other driver's opinions see a reputable CB shop first & you can enjoy your CB for many years to come . You can tune your antenna yourself but, knowledge of knowing what you are doing IS NECESSARY! It may be worth it if you are new to Cb's to pay someone the first time, ask questions , maybe buy a meter from them & you will be able to do it yourself afterward.

[DirtyD]

I did test the SWR and adjusted it to below 1.5
and it was a mile on a straight road.
i think i will get a lil will or something but see if getting the radio fixed helps
if with a fixed radio and the short antenna works acceptable i might keep that for a while
but if not i will deffinately get a new antenna.
thanks guys i'm going to the shop today

[scabs]

even though the swr is good. it sounds like that antenna is a 1/4 wave. Get a new antenna ASAP.