I'm not in the market for a linear, but I WAS just currious! When you buy a little 200-300 watt linear, can you just "plug and play" , or do you have to tune the radio to that specific device at a c.b. shop? By the way, I've read some real helpful advice about grounding issues...thanks to all who know what they're talkin about!!!
LINEAR question
Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by chaindrive, Jul 24, 2009.
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Depends on the max input wattage of the linear. Mine works best at 2.5 watts deadkeyed input so that where the "low power" setting on my radio is set.
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The only thing you have to make sure of is that your dead key is no higer than 4 watts before you run a amp. It's not so much that a high key will blow and amp ( although 6 watts or higher..after a while will ) but that you want the correct ammount of foward swing with the amp on in order to have good modulation but not to much. Also you do not need to have a radio maxed out to use an amp. As long as your radios carrier is under 4 watts you will be fine. People that say a radio must be maxed out to do so have been lied to by cb shops in order to hand over there money to the cb tech just to see those big numbers on the meter. Look at it like this. If your talking to someone 500 miles away and are using a radio that has been peaked (say 30 watts )they wont be able to tell the difference in the extra 25 to 50 watts you would get from your amp using a peaked radio over a radio (around 10 to 15 watts) that has not been peaked. Dont wast your money just to see that extra power because it is not worth it!
So lets look at using a 300 watt amp and setting it up.
To much swing..say 25 watts swing to 300 and you WILL sound like crap because of massive over modulation.(If you have to turn the mike gain back to sound clean then you have wasted your time and money!) On the other hand if your carrier is around 150 watts with swing to 300 you will be clean sounding but your modualtion will be very weak and you will not be heard far away. This is why you need to have the correct dead key to use an amp. You want your carrirer to be around 75 watts with a swing to 300 watts. With this setup you will be right around 100% modulation and this will insure that you will be loud but not to loud and destorted!
Remember this. When it comes to setting up an amp/radio. With the amp on...devide 4 by your peak power = what you should set your key at in order to have around 100% modulation,unless you want to sound over modulated. Cb tech's will not tell you this becasue they WANT YOUR MONEY and thats all they care about!
With a 300 watt amp. 4/300 watts=75 watt key. This way you can sit beside someone and talk to them with the amp on and not be so destorted that they can not understand you. Remember.It is not power that makes you destorted to someone close, it is to much modulation caused by a poorly tuned radio.
An amp is not meant to make you louder,it is only to make you heard to stations that are many miles from you. If it does make you louder then who ever tuned your radio was a clown! -
Thanks a lot CT. that was really helpful info. If I ever do get a linear, I'll remember what you said. Have a good one.
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What ever you do DO NOT GET A RADIO from Radio active radio's. That's a first class Clown and rip off artist.
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Mikey likes them fine watches,Mercedes and big houses!
He used to tune a decent export,but expansion generally has its casualties
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But now day's shops like Sparky's are making a killing un-hack packing Gen. Lee's. -
Killroy .....
You know what the problem is ......
Thanks to a law change back in the early 80's you no longer need a license to
work on CB radios .....
SO .....
Your at the mercy of who ever you get to do the work with no recorse other to badmouth him ..... EVEN though I am not allowed to work on radios outside of my job still I get people tring to get me to fix a now dead radio some chop shop got to first.
It would be nice if there was some control but that an't going to happen .....
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