This made me mad!

i bought a cobra radio i read the instructions on the box and called it good! i get out to hear emergency's, i can reach the shipper/receiver. and about 2 miles in front and back of me~ and across the road!!! what more do you need?????

 

uh...lock down anyone's receive within 25 miles, dontchya know!!
not my mentality at all, I run a barfoot magnum radio...plenty o' poo to get out there.

 

You should find the very first person to have ever used a linear on his radio and ask him.

Some want to get out farther than they can barefoot. Even if it means talking farther than their radio can hear.

Others don't want to be "walked on" because they operate their radios in an area where just about everyone has a linear.

 

Turbo pretty much nailed it there. In a sea of high-powered transmitters, if anyone else is on the air and local to the person you're trying to talk to, the more powerful station will win the battle for the ears of your intended listener.
If everyone had the luxury of listening before they talked, and had a practical way to scan for a vacant channel ("trunking"), we could all get away with barefoot radios. As soon as folks start talking over one another, the power vs. proximity takes over.

Antennas are for talking and listening; watts are for fighting.

-- Handlebar --

 

MY 2 cents: It's an old CB Shop scam to tell you the last person didn't tune your radio right. Especially if you have to pay additional money for him to correct the last guy's mistake!
To get more range, try moving your antenna to the passenger side of the truck.

 

Yup, there are dishonest radio shops who'll take advantage of customers they may never have to look in the eye again. Same as mechanics, motels, gunsmiths, and salespeople of all ilks.
In Sequoia's case, the fellow who actually found the clipped (butchered) limiter actually helped, and it sounds like the whole fix, including the meter lamp, only cost $30. Adjusting the transmitter correctly after restoring it to stock would entail an alignment, so for around a half-hour's labor at some places, Sequoia has a radio that's working right, and likely a little better than new. "Better than new" because a lot of radios come out of the factory running only nominally within specs, and will benefit from a proper tuneup.
I agree this customer shouldn't have had to pay twice, especially because the second one had to correct what amounts to damage done by the first -- but he correctly identified it.
My preference, when I come across something like that, is to let the customer listen to his/her radio on a second radio for reference, describe what's wrong, fix it, and then let the customer listen to it again afterwards. How one words what he finds takes diplomacy, because no one likes to badmouth a fellow shop, but if the radio has a legitimate deficit, it bears bringing to the owner's attention.
In this case, it came in for a dead pilot lamp. If that tech, like I, always does a performance check on everything that goes over his bench (only takes 2 minutes to check), and nothing else is wrong, it's good PR to tell the owner, "While I had it open, I checked the rest of the radio, and it's running very well." That customer will (hopefully!) remember that the shop might have run the bill up, but was honest and did not. But if he/she/I find something that's actually wrong, we point it out, demonstrate it, and give the option to fix it right then. Some of us may even hand out a loaner if it's something we need to order parts for, or make some sort of arrangement like that.
So yeah, it's something that happens all too often, under the guise of "I can make that radio really loud, it'll totally rock!" regardless of how clean the result it.
Not every shop works that way; I believe that the second one that this customer took the radio to deserves a commendation, maybe even a listing on the "white board" thread that's docked here somewhere.
Also, 2sN5s makes another good point: the radio signal will be strongest in the direction that has the most metal from the antenna's mount at about the same height as the mount.
-- Handlebar --

 

I'm no expert, but your cb's allowed to put out 4 watts & out of the box they are normally at 2 to 3 watts.
So you may be receiving just fine but probably not sending like you could. But if "your" happy with it like that, thats all that counts...for you.

 

YEP

This is why allowing even 100 watts on CB would be useless .

As for "TRUNKING " as it always has done the FCC missed a golden chance to fix things in 1976 when they expanded CB.

1) CH 24 - 40 should have been SSB why ? because you can fit a lot more people on SSB.

2) The FCC should have carved out another 40 ch between 27.405 and 27.805 for FM ONLY some shaired with others with a 20 year grandfathering CB would be LICENSED and allowing the standard 30 - 100 watts FM. WHY well if your a trucker you already know.

That said why not allow digital modes like PSK-31 on the 5 RC channels ??? 4 watts PSK-31 works VERY well .....

But back to the real world I pass to Handlebar .

 

With all due respect, folks. The CB radio industry is about the ONLY one that requires (NOT!) something to be done to it after it leaves the factory, and like so much other hooey in CB, it is a myth that your radio needs to be "peaked and tuned" after it comes out of the box. Tell me, do you "peak & tune" a new TV when you get it home from Walmart? Do you (or somebody) have to work on your new VCR when you get it home? Does your new washing machine need to be "fixed" the day it comes home? Why , OF COURSE NOT! It's BRAND NEW, for heavens' sakes. You just paid mucho bucks for a brand new item, and you should be able to expect your radio to work correctly right out of the box so long as the antenna is matched/set correctly!!!! C'mon, it's ridiculous!!!!!! Yet, these CB shops have convinced customers that their radio must be "peaked & tuned, snipped & clipped" to work right!!! Sheesh! If those components weren't IN there for a reason, do you think the builder would've put them in there to start with just to have some local yokel "technician" snip 'em right back out again? Fellas, its all about the $$$$. They-WANT-YER-DOUGH, and so long as they can get drivers to open their wallets, they will continue to ply their unworthy trade with lies and magic fixes to make them radios "loud 'n proud an treetop tall" because they know that's what CBers want to hear! (That they can make their radio numero uno on the road!) With a good antenna, most all CB sets will work fine right out of the box---just like the last man said. It does not need all this "snippin' & clippin', butcherin', and a-tweaking to get O-O-O-O-N-E measley extra watt out of it that won't make one whit of difference. Save your money for a good, hot meal!!!!!!!!!!! Yer getting ripped OFF!!!!!!!!!! No matter what these crooks say about their "loud 'n proud, snip & clip" butcher jobs.

GF