Problem with Recieving - T2

I have had no luck out of the factory coax on trucks they are made cheap and will not last. I would buy a good grade 18' coax first off, as for the ant. firestick's are o.k but for what your wanting I buy a wilson 2000. That should make a big differance to your distance. Of course thats just my 2 cents.

 

I would say the first thing to do is have the radio's receiver checked on the bench for its basic sensivity.

You perform this test using a signal generator with a calibrated & variable output.

Once you find the receiver is operating nominally, you need to find out if there's something in the truck causing interference on the channel or over the entire band.

You perform this test by reinstalling the radio & attaching the signal generator to the antenna & radio thru a "T" connector or an "Iso-T" assembly. The "Iso-T" device is just a means of protecting the sig gen in case you accidently key the radio while the generator is hooked up.

Once this is installed, you pick a channel & put the truck in the same conditions that you normally operate in. Engine running, fans & air cond on etc etc.

Tune the signal generator to the channel you're using & increase its output until you can hear the generator. This is the level at which whatever noise may be coming in from external source(s) & the same level over which anyone elses signal must be stronger than.

The difference between what the sensitivity was on the bench(with no antenna or other signals coming in) & now with the antenna connected is the amount of noise measured in microvolts or dbm. The smaller the difference the better you can hear the weak signals.

Now that you know the absolute minimum signal it takes to get over whatever noise may be present, it's easier to see if or why you can't hear very far away.

Someone versed in radio can tell if the noise is excessive or normal. He/she will also know how to locate where the noise is coming from and what to do about it.

This all assumes that you are not fighting with average everyday "skip" signals which can make it difficult to hear someone only blocks away under normal circumstances.

If the noise is really "skip" signals, no antenna can make much of a difference. No special kind of coax will fix it either.

If the noise is eminating from somewhere in the truck, no antenna will fix it nor will a special coax.

If the truck is making the interference, you might be able to reroute the coax or move the antenna away from the noise source a bit more.

Once in awhile the use of an extra heavy shielded coax can make a difference. Not because its less lossy but because it helps keep other signals from sneaking into the cable along its run.

Now you know as little as I do.

 

most exp drivers run new coax and a ground with the t2000 i havnt done it yet seems like a pia

 

Yes it can be a PIA to do.
I only do it because I'm a bit of a perfectionist & want the best out of my investments.
Many of the trucks having an ECM create noise in radios.
Another big noise maker is an inverter power supply.
The inverter can be anything of the 100 watt & up variety.
An often overlooked inverter supply is typically used for your cellphone mobile charger & sometimes built into microwaves, fridges etc.

You laptop has an inverter supply to run from ac or dc.

Any or all of these can create enough noise on the cb to mask all but the stronger signals.