2019 New Volvo 760 setup.

I’ve had firestiks before, good antennas. I’ve got skipshooters now, much better quality in the build. Volvo says don’t change from factory so you’ll buy their overpriced junk, and yes you need to bypass that splitter box.

 

Great!!

Had the RAMI system on one truck. Tuning antennas a help. But I’ve heard your story more than once. The design is quite good (aircraft avionics company). But, sadly, not the execution.

The Uniden BC20 has better reproduction than the Cobra S500 (of which I’ve had several and used to give them as gifts. The help of other drivers is sometimes priceless). The next step up in sound reproduction — a DSP speaker or inline module — works wonders cutting noise. Seems expensive, but one soon wonders why one didn’t spring for it before. West Mountain Radio or BHI.

I’ve tried a variety of microphones but still not settled on any one. The stock one was okay, but an amplified Astatic D104 got the best reports. Looks like I’ll be getting thru Memphis fairly often so I’ll enlist Ray Brashear in the decision-making (Rays CB Shop).

The RM Italy KL203P amp is a nice upgrade. I run one with either my 880 or 885 Uniden. EBay or 88Radio.

 

I use the little RM Italy KL203P amp too, and it does make a difference!

I'm not into big radios, so I use my compact models to put a watt or two into the 203P, and get 60 - 80 watts out of it and into the air.

It's amazing what that first 100 watts will do for communicating in traffic. Much more wattage than that requires heavy wires, worries about engine computers, etc, and for me, the extra reach of the heavy hitters is not as useful as that first 10-mile boost; i.e. getting out 15 miles instead of 5 makes a real difference when you're asking about and giving information about road blockages and other hazards that can spoil your day. I doubt that most radios can do much better than that, so it would be hard to communicate with them anyway.

 

Well said.

I’ve read that one may want more than 100-Watts, but it takes 600 to move the meter one S-unit after that first 100.

So the 203 (size of a cigaret pack) and priced from $60-80 makes a helluva deal.

I’d have to look it up, but it pulls 12A as I recall. So a “good” pair of binding posts will run both it and the radio. (Need to splice it into radio power cord; HD type).

The BC20 Uniden Speaker is the other piece of the puzzle. Reception intelligibility goes up over speaker built into radio or truck.

 

My RM KL 203P amp specifies 10 amps, and my Uniden 520XL specifies 1.7 amps, so 11.7 amps total maximum draw for the pair. Not much 12vdc draw for the RF push they give.

 

Running a 4ft skipshooter on a spring out on a birdperch,have a 4ft firestick in the truck,to me the skipshooter out performs.

 

Dont know why people put flexable ant on a spring...
I know its not every case but i watched a so called super truck strut to his trk,talk #### in the trk stop and by the time he was outta the parkin lot his 2 cheap duel coiled chromed ant were floppin all over the place.....
Jjst get a riser or a longer ant if you need the height..

 

Have my 5’ Skipshhooter on a spring. With sleeper-back factory mount it’s near enough to 14’.

I’ve whacked a few tree branches.

As to the dummies: just make fun of them.

 

Well when I first bought my antenna,I bought the 4ft firesticker kit,it came with the heavy duty spring,I've never had a problem with it,can't justify buying something when what I have works.

Now I've changed out the stud and mount,so in the future if I get a bigger antenna I'll lose the spring,but for the time being the spring skipshooter combos working.