cb radio. no distance

Something could be wrong, but maybe not. CB shop could over selling his peak & tune a bit. He could be getting the 10 miles on his antenna. Trees and terrain maybe holding you up a bit. It also depends on the other guys radio. There are some that won't hear you because of their cb/antenna system is crap. There are others that keep the squelch turned up so high (like I do) they will lose you in that 2-3 miles. More truckers dont have radios than those that do (around here anyway).

 

Could also just be a Mother Nature deal too...I've seen times when one minute I'm talking 20 miles, then the next minute I can't even hear or talk 2 or 3 miles...If DX starts rolling in you can forget about talking locally...

 

Best to experiment with someone you know traveling in the opposite direction on a quiet channel. Squelch knob turned left and rf gain knob turned right.
Most folks don't know how to use a radio and are unable to hear beyond 10 miles.

 

Why in the h e dbl hocky sticks would you add to a problem by adding an amp..

 

I dumped the wilsons mag mount a long time ago.

In the big truck I use two antennas and the Uniden PC76xl has it's own SWR adjustment to match the antenna situation. I can always add a amp and boost it that way if I want to. I generally get 10 to 20 miles out if I can hear you and back. Out west a little more than that.

But 10 miles is plenty for me. espeically with a little convoy work with another company truck or two.

I don't bother with a personal vehicle. Things have changed so much with fiddy bits trying hunting down the hot spot for a mag mount... ugh. I just as soon forget it. I don't care to talk that much anyhow.

If you want out, beef the watts. BREAKER ONENINE YOU HEAR ME NOW?

With enough you might silence half of texas... but they all will hear you.

 

Looks like Wilson mag mounts are taking a hit here, but I've seen side-by-side tests with the Wilson 1000 62-inch mag mount v a 108-inch whip used on the same vehicle at the same time to the same receiving station, and they were virtual ties. The guy running the test said the big 108 did have about a decibel advantage, but it was discernible only on the meter and not by the person listening. He said he was going to keep his Wilson, because trying to drive around with a 108 inch antenna was awkward, to say the least.

The OP here said he had talked with a guy 20 miles away with the Wilson. Not bad, I'd say.

The problem may be various conditions on the highway and the poor state of many trucker radio rigs.

 

Well, I use an Italy RM 203p amp, which is small and fits just about anywhere. It cost about $70 from ebay and produces up to 100 watts deadkey if you drive it with a full 4 watts from the radio. Upon the advice of some who have used this little amp for years, I cut back my radio to produce only about 2 watts into it, so the little amp produces around 60 to 70 watts deadkey. This is enough to get you way down the road, not as far perhaps as a 500 watt unit, but way out there and probably cleaner and certainly cheaper. Since this little unit draws only about 10 amps, it doesn't require 2-ought starter cables from the battery to power. Works for me!

 

Im no tec but intil your antenna is #### near perfect(forget thinkin swr is end all be all)forget about amps..If anything your adding to a problem but at the same time overcomming range to some degree by adding power..Also as far as i know amps and radios need matching...
So if ant isdues are solved 1st then amp added you will do more again on less..