What To Look For In A CB Radio?

I'll take your word since I'm use to working with VHF ones ...

 

So you have a SWR of 3:1 with 9ft and 1.5:1 with 18ft.....what are you going to do???? (which one will not do harm to your radio?)

 

The SWR will be ... 3:1 no matter how long the coax is

 

http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/17385-does-cable-length-affect-swr.html

 

AGAIN ....

To try and fix a mismatch with a mismatch ...... and what happens when the antenna and cable get wet ......

 

That's not what the meter says. I agree your performance won't be much, if any better, but your radio will be happier. I have done this very thing too many times, with the same radio, that still has good strong finals for me to believe my radio is seeing a 3:1 or greater SWR when I talk on it. Again, I have done this!!! I have seen the SWR change on the meter. My radio still works. In any court in the land this is proof!!!! Can I get a AMEN!


DISCLAIMER: I am not saying this is how you tune an antenna....... just saying, in a pinch. like me slip seating, a longer coax can give me a acceptable SWR reading......... (So your telling me to believe you and not my "lying eyes"????????)

 

Mike, I and others understand what you're saying. WA4GCH is not or never has been in a Driver. He's a Radio repair Tech repairing Police radios. And has been for 40+ years. He doesn't know what it takes to be a Driver. He doesn't understand why you do things that he wouldn't. Most people think that Big Trucks are the same as their little 4-wheel. In the real world they are not the same most things change. And a truck is a strange thing to deal with. Especially now that more, and more of them are Plastic.

 

Aside from what a meter may say (as you know often people claim "it's just fooling your meter") if the final transmit section of the radio is physically HOTTER until you change the imaginary coax length, then I would rather a person *fool* their meter and have their radio last longer.

Not saying that is in all circumstances, but it certainly does happen and more often in the trucking industry than anywhere else.

 

BTW I want to officially apologize for contributing to continuing OFF TOPIC POSTING.
This topic "What to look for in a CB radio"
Please by all means resume ON TOPIC posting.

 

Yea, the coax length change will save your finals from death. All I'm saying is that it doesn't actually fix the antenna and improve your XMit.