CBers causing problems with home electronics

[dynosaur]

Originally Posted by Red Fox

"They" should have used one of your unused knobs to wire in a variable deadkey, instead of lowering the deadkey to protect the amp and get the input right. That would allow you to use full power when barefoot, and drop off the deadkey to use the amp. But you don't want to forget it; you can blow an amp, or at the least sound really crappy.

Now, if you're going to be driving a company truck and since these days you a.) spend most of your time listening to FM or XM radio, since your truck can't go fast enough to worry about speed traps, and b.) turn off the cb most of the time because you CAN'T RELY on half of the info you get anyway. c.) you'll have to de-rig it over and over when you switch trucks, which, if you tend to install one properly, is a bit of a bother.

Personally, I'm not planning on taking my amp with me. I almost never need it, as my radio is about a 28 watt swing with 100% modulation, and it punches quite well enough to converse with everyone around me, and when things are quieter, can talk 70 miles if the ground noise is down. Half of your radio is your antenna; no good antenna; no good radio. As for the amp, the only time I'll miss it is when I want to power down for a second with my favorite saying that NO ONE ever comes back to:
"GOD DOESN'T DAMN ANYBODY: YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF DRIVER!"

I have, over the last 6 months or so, been looking into what makes a good CB setup and what I've learned is validated by your advice and that of others who have shown themselves to be knowledgeable on the subject. It's all in the antenna. Not, as I mistakenly believed, in the power. I have read a number of books recommended to me on antenna theory and grounding/bonding. As soon I as can afford to, I am planning on buying the various testing tools, such as oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, etc., to pursue this as much as a hobby as a means to building a good CB setup. I'm sure the road will be much smoother with the many drivers who, like yourself, have been so helpful to me in acquiring an understanding of a subject that has baffled me in the past. And, as a side-note; as a company driver, proper radio installation is a problem, one that on average cost me around $175 per installation. Thanks again for your advice. Good luck, take care, and keep the shiny side up!

[Red Fox]

$175.00!!! Good God, they've gone up ridiculously since I was out here! Get an SWR meter as your first toy.
a.) plan where to mount the cb itself; consider hiding wires and ease of use.
b.) ground wire can be close to the cb, but has to ground to frame and be a very good connection. Use No-Ox or similar electrician's contact grease. (Home Depot has it)
c.) Power wire MUST be fused. You can use a battery clamp if you swap seats a lot, but use a strong one.
d.) Hook up the antenna and check the grounds for resistance. I hear that some doors don't ground well, so you may have to run a ground wire.
e.) Check and adjust SWR's with doors closed. Your antenna will vary slightly from truck to truck. Stand it straight up for best propagation, since am waves are vertically polarized. A spring is okay if you don't want it broken by branches, but recheck SWR's anytime you make any change to it.
f.) You just made $175.00 in an hour.
Incidentally, when you make your first antenna and it works, you'll be proud as a peacock! Mine is just about bulletproof and very wide-banded, should I want to listen to export channels. Now I need to build one for a large car; new challenge!

[Hamster]

Originally Posted by dynosaur

I have, over the last 6 months or so, been looking into what makes a good CB setup and what I've learned is validated by your advice and that of others who have shown themselves to be knowledgeable on the subject. It's all in the antenna. Not, as I mistakenly believed, in the power. I have read a number of books recommended to me on antenna theory and grounding/bonding. As soon I as can afford to, I am planning on buying the various testing tools, such as oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, etc., to pursue this as much as a hobby as a means to building a good CB setup. I'm sure the road will be much smoother with the many drivers who, like yourself, have been so helpful to me in acquiring an understanding of a subject that has baffled me in the past. And, as a side-note; as a company driver, proper radio installation is a problem, one that on average cost me around $175 per installation. Thanks again for your advice. Good luck, take care, and keep the shiny side up!

If you are going that deep into the subject, you should consider getting aham licence. Unlike CB, you'd be allowed to build and modify your own gear and you are not restricted to a narrow frequency band, but have bands all over the spectrum, from long waves to millimeter waves.

Jan, DL1JRK

[dynosaur]

Originally Posted by Hamster

If you are going that deep into the subject, you should consider getting aham licence. Unlike CB, you'd be allowed to build and modify your own gear and you are not restricted to a narrow frequency band, but have bands all over the spectrum, from long waves to millimeter waves.

Jan, DL1JRK

You've been reading my mail. That's exactly what I've been doing. There's a Ham radio club here in San Francisco that gives FCC licensing test and at no cost you can attend a five hour pre-exam test prep seminar with an impressive pass ratio. I have also spent a lot of time on HAM forums and at the suggestion of people who have been helping me along I got some good books on antenna theory, wave propagation, etc. Really interesting stuff! I am also considering getting an ICOM 7000 (I think it's 7000). It runs around $1,500, but I'm single with no attachments and am tired of incompetent CB shops messing with my equipment. Especially, when I look back on some of those installs, now that I have some understanding of what's going on, I get pretty steamed at how I repeatedly got such shabby work and was helpless to do anything about it. But, you live and learn. Back then I wasn't familiar with these forums despite the fact that I was always on-line. If I had known about this forum then I could have no doubt avoid a lot of grief and saved a lot of money.

[Red Fox]

True, dat. I didn't know you were going all the way, so gave you the 101 on cb installs to save you money there. That will be SO passe to you after a while.
Many many CB shops take a LOT of shortcuts in peak and tune, or other operations like adding channels. (strapping the rig instead of adding crystals?) Once I find a good mechanic, I don't let ANYONE else work on my stuff. At present, my guy moved back to the hills, so I'd have to take my stuff over to "Redbone" in Alabama to get anything done. Anything off of the circuit board I'll do myself, including building antennas.

[dynosaur]

Originally Posted by Red Fox

True, dat. I didn't know you were going all the way, so gave you the 101 on cb installs to save you money there. That will be SO passe to you after a while.
Many many CB shops take a LOT of shortcuts in peak and tune, or other operations like adding channels. (strapping the rig instead of adding crystals?) Once I find a good mechanic, I don't let ANYONE else work on my stuff. At present, my guy moved back to the hills, so I'd have to take my stuff over to "Redbone" in Alabama to get anything done. Anything off of the circuit board I'll do myself, including building antennas.

One of the shops I had a considerable amount of work done was Fine Tune on I-10, a few miles over the state line into Arizona. On the one hand they seem to have a good rep and are listed on the White List. But, looking back, I really feel I was hustled. The reason I feel that way was due to the following experience: I was having trouble sending and receiving, so I stopped at their shop to have them check my setup which was a recent install ($175). He said the only way he could assess my CB was by doing a bench test. So, after removing it, he puts it on the oscilloscope. Then the theatrics started. "Jeez, look at this screen! Can you believe it!" He then calls some of his co-workers, and repeats the whole bit, after having them look at the oscilloscope and they join in. Right away, alarm bells are going off in my head. As, he knows that I know zip about what he's spouting off about and the oscilliscope sine waves have absolutely no meaning to me. But, I was committed and saw no choice but to have the work done. Once, completed, there was some improvement. But, he asked me to keep keying up as I headed to Phoenix, which I did, losing his signal after what he considered a mind-boggling 17 miles. But, that, I feel, was meaningless because he had this huge base station and antenna. As, I was regularly running to Phoenix, I frequently heard him blowing smoke to drivers, on his HAM radio for whom he'd done work, and not a one failed to be amazed at this greatly increased range they were getting and failing, as did I, to realize that it was HIS radio that had the range, not THEIRS! So, never again do I want to experience that. But, I would like to qualify the previously relayed story by saying that he may have been totally sincere and it could well be my lack of knowledge that leads me to feel I was taken for a ride. The last thing I want to do is tarnish the reputation of a reputable radio tech. Thanks, and take care.

[Red Fox]

It would only have been valid if you could have talked to the guy in the parking lot at his shop. But you can still do a simple acid test by using mile markers and giving a shoutout.

[firedog323]

Well reporting to the FCC has done nothing... of course I new it wouldn't happen this fast but they have fried my battery backup again so I have to send it off to be replaced. Which means another $15 or so to send it back. And after this time if it happens again they will not replace it! That means I can't afford to hook it back up until this is taken care of. I am at my wits end... I don't know what to do that would be legal

[Shaggalicious]

Originally Posted by firedog323

Well reporting to the FCC has done nothing... of course I new it wouldn't happen this fast but they have fried my battery backup again so I have to send it off to be replaced. Which means another $15 or so to send it back. And after this time if it happens again they will not replace it! That means I can't afford to hook it back up until this is taken care of. I am at my wits end... I don't know what to do that would be legal

Exactly how "close" are they to your house when all your equipment goes haywire? Right in front of your house? That sounds like stalking material to me. How often does it happen? Every night or just once every other week or so? If it is every night or day or whatever, I would call the police and say there is some creep driving by my house all the time staring in my windows and I wan't someone to stop it. Sounds kind of childish but you have to start with something that can get them to realize that you really aren't going to put up with that bull ####.

[FriedTater]

This thread reminds of a time when I was playing with the radio
in the driveway at the home 20.

My neighbor came out just about in tears from laughing so hard,poor fella was looking like he was about to stroke out I tell ya.

I was doing some audio checks on a quite channel and coming thru on his toaster oven !!