Little Tweaks

[BigRed89]

I have been doin research on cb's for the past week on every website I can find. I have heard people saying to run a ground strap from the antenna plug on the back to the right hand door jam and grounding it there, and running a ground strap from the mic plug to the left hand door jam and grounding it there. They said receive quality was better. Will this actually work? WITHOUT, I REPEAT WITHOUT, actually tweaking and peaking the radio what can you do to get better receive and transmit out of a factory (or tweaked) radio. And not running any amp either.


Cobra 29 ltd bc with wilson 1000 mag mount

[outerspacehillbilly]

Originally Posted by BigRed89

WITHOUT, I REPEAT WITHOUT, actually tweaking and peaking the radio what can you do to get better receive and transmit out of a factory (or tweaked) radio. And not running any amp either.


Cobra 29 ltd bc with wilson 1000 mag mount

Antenna. Your antenna is the most important part of your setup and needs to be setup properly. You can have a $1000 antenna with a $10 radio and sound like a $1000, you have a $10 antenna and a $1000 radio and sound like $10. I see your running a wilson 1000 mag mount thats a good antenna just make sure its setup with a proper swr.

Stock radios are exactly that stock. They are built on a production line. They will not TX/RX to their true capabilites stock. A simple peak/tune/alignment from a good tech for $20-$30 and you'll be amazed at the difference. It's well worth it.

[BigRed89]

Well so everyone doesn't keep on me I AM planning on a peak and tweak and tune so calm down haha! I just want to be able to send and receive quality signals and like the post says whatever little tweaks or things to be done to a factory radio would be helpful. The antenna is TUNED and matched so that's not the issue. I live in a town where it is 20miles down the road to my freinds with a cb base and I like talkin to them on my daily drive back and forth and they can hear me and vice versa but a little more is always better. Haha. Please let me know any tricks or little tweaks that anyone has done to get out and receive better

[kd5drx]

your best bets for better recieve and transmit is to make swure every thing is grounded. and with a mag mount it is a very poor ground to the antenna base and there fore doesn't really form a good ground plane. You need to ground the Radio case to a good chasis ground IE the frame not the body. If you ground to the body run flat braided ground straps to the frame in as many places as possable and make sure use flat braided grounds not round wire they only duplicate an antenna and will draw noise and interfearance into the radio system. Once you get it all grounded then take your radio to a tech and have it aligned properly not peaked and tuned and hacked on. If he doesn't have a system monitor then doen't waste your money and it will cost you more like 100 to 150 to have a radio completely aligned properly to the exact specs and tolerances that it should have. If all the tech has is a watt metter and a screw driver run like hell he is a butcher and there are a ton of them out there that pray on the driver and call them selves tech's and all they can do is read a book that tells them you turn this screw and cut this and the radio will put out more and modulate better more like splatter all over the place and sound like ####.

[BigRed89]

Ok well I have the actual ground from the power supply running straight to the battery. Do I need to ground the actual case to make sure I am getting a 100% ground to the radio? And what is the proper way to ground the mag mount antenna?

Cobra 29 ltd bc with wilson 1000 mag mount

[kd5drx]

There is no way to ground a Mag mount they were designed to be a portable antenna to be use for temp installs not to be used full time. Change mounts and it will work better. And yes you need to ground the case to the frame as well. This cuts down on noise from out side conditions.

[BigRed89]

Well I really like the mag mount and it works wonderful! I don't want to get a permanent base cause there is no way in hell I am drilling a hole in the roof on my brand new car. I will run a ground strap from the case to the body tonight (no frame rails, new car that is a body tub with no rails) or to a addicuate ground. But like I originally asked will running a ground from the coax jack to a ground and the mic jack to a ground on the other side of the vehicle help any. And like I said I am not having issues with anything just more is always better when it comes to quality in my vehicle

[outerspacehillbilly]

Originally Posted by BigRed89

Well I really like the mag mount and it works wonderful! I don't want to get a permanent base cause there is no way in hell I am drilling a hole in the roof on my brand new car. I will run a ground strap from the case to the body tonight (no frame rails, new car that is a body tub with no rails) or to a addicuate ground. But like I originally asked will running a ground from the coax jack to a ground and the mic jack to a ground on the other side of the vehicle help any. And like I said I am not having issues with anything just more is always better when it comes to quality in my vehicle

Mag mounts are fine for a permanent use. They create their own ground plane from the roof of the vehicle.. Just run a good ground cable from your radio chassis and you'll be fine. No need to run a ground from the coax and mic jacks.

[BigRed89]

Ok well then I will do that it will be a lot easier to. Where exactly do I attach a ground strap to the case of the radio? Do I have to drill a hole in it or what? Or do I just attach it to the back with a screw or something?

[Lightninrod]

Originally Posted by BigRed89

Ok well then I will do that it will be a lot easier to. Where exactly do I attach a ground strap to the case of the radio? Do I have to drill a hole in it or what? Or do I just attach it to the back with a screw or something?

I used the finger-tightened radio mounting-to-the-bracket 'bolts' to ground the radio's chassis. Those bolts tighten into the chassis holes. I used a star, locking washer between the radio's case and the ground strap. I attached the other end of the strap to a bolt in the front of the passenger's seat that bolts the seat to the truck's body.