dont hear much on channels but static

So this "mentor" of yours that talks on the bowl, is he one of those guys who thinks his radio is the best thing since white bread, while he splatters 40 up and down the frequency's? Yep, that's the guy you need to be listening to on how to set up your station....

 

And also repeats 10 times " I Just Got Down ".

 

That's when you can understand what he's actually saying...Most of the time they are yelling into the Mic, like that's going to help them get out farther...It's weird...If they are talking locally, they talk simi-normal...But if DX is rolling, then they seem to think they need to yell at the top of their lungs for some reason...

 

Its not your equipment you are doing fine, Its just the changing times and Atmosphere conditions caused by solar Flares but wont get into all that as I am no expert,
How ever to maybe explain cb today verses back in the 1970 and 80's. , I am 85 and was first on CB back in late 70'ds and 80's and the channels were loaded with truckers and CB clubs as well as coffee clutch clubs and shut ins, Lots of trash talk, When cb was young it had 23 nchanels and you paid 5 bucks for a licence. and you had a call sign like Ham has today, but then FCC required a handle, and at first they issued one but then peole just made there own. Then we went to 40 channels and it was pretty much all Handles, Truckers were always on 19 , and old timers were on 23. State police on 9 and coast Guard on 16.
It got really popular after the Movie Bandit, CB sales quad tripled for a few years . Now I traveled a lot in the Navy and when with the government so it was a tool I had to have , as I could get roard conditions and Wher is the nBear, Chat with Truckers late at night and listen to old ladies talk all day long, But then I gave it up later when I retired, and just recently went back to it, little more expensive today and lots of selection, I paid 10.00 bucks for my first radio and now you can pay up to 800.00 .
How ever I have also noticed that no one has a handle any more or do they use 10/4 much or 10/100 .
Lots of static and if you find some one they usally dont talk much, except truckers only talk to each other. They will some times give you a radio check "ITS WORKING" or a sound good,, No more 5 by 5. or roger that, I got luck a while back and did connect with some old retired truckers locals and met a few and chat with some. and a couples young kids that was also HAM operators, but mostly now its warm weather i dodnt hear any one. I have a Home base with a 40 Ft antemma over 300 bucks and a radio that was 700 bucks , and pretty much just a little entertainment if I find any one,, Of cours some guys are into Skip, but I am not one, I hera a lot on Chanel 6 at night from sounds like old Cajuns down south and like always cant understand a thing they say. or dose it make sense.
So good luck with your CB and if its Mobile as you said, then just keep trying and you might get some old fart like me that will say Breaker Breaker . 19, come back what's you 20, and this is Sailor Jack.lol