About to stick a CB in my vehicles...

they will peak and tune it along with turning your watts up,personally i like wilsons,you get good range with them it you have them tuned right

 

I'm sure you will get a different opinion from whoever you talk to, but from what I was told at a cb shop, the only time the internal SWR meter will not be accurate enough is when you start adding more watts. But, even if you plan to run your radio unmodified, the only way to get the best SWR tune possible is you would have to spend some money on a high-quality SWR meter. These little 25-dollar Road Pro external meters are no better or worse than the built-in meter on your radio.

I have a Cobra 29 LTD that has a built in meter and even though I haven't tested it for range, I get out fairly well. Depending on the terrain, I may be getting 4-5 miles but I'm certainly not limited to just reaching access the median.

 

I never trust the internal meter. I have a $25 Radio Shack meter that is pretty close to my high dollar Para-dynamics meter. Most shops will test it with a analyzer for free if they tune your radio. You just need to make a little trip wildcatkit52

 

Have you done the same thing with an internal meter in a CB? I'm sure it's probly not dead-on balls accurate but I have a hard time believing it's accuracy is that questionable. Besides, it has an antenna warning light that tells you if your SWR is dangerously high. It would seem to me that since the SWR meter and the warning light are tied together that it would have to be more accurate than you give it credit for so that you don't run the risk of burning up your radio.

 

Yes, the scale is too small to be very accurate. It is O.K. to use as a reference. i.e. check your SWR with a good meter and compare it with the internal meter. Even then it could be off a bit and hard to tell. Especially on a Cobra or other type small meter.

So you haven't tested one numerous times? I have not found them to be accurate enough to trust my radio to.

You would probably be safe in most cases. But it you are looking for top performance, and why not?, you need a more accurate reading.

 

So, are we talking of by a lot, or just a little?

Maybe its just me but I can't see a reputable CB manufacturer such as cobra not putting the same quality in the SWR meter as they do with the rest of the radio

I'm not so sure I understand what you are asking but are you talking about comparing the SWR readings between the radio's meter and my external one? I've done that once and yes, the readings were different but I'm not so sure on its accuracy and to be honest, I don't know which one provided the better tune as I couldn't tell the difference.

I totally agree with that, which is why I conveyed the advice I got from a CB shop that if you plan to pump up the wattage, you need to go with a better meter but even for a stock radio? We're only talking 4 watts. I really don't think you're gonna get out that much farther tuning with the best of the best meter.

If you are really wanting to reach out as far as you possibly can, then you need to think about an amp and a primo tune. The more power you put out means the easier you are to barbecue your equipment if your antenna isn't tuned right.

 

Check with mike5511. He knows a good tech