Is my CB junk?

I'm guessing you just have the squelch turned up too much, where only someone who was right next to you would be able to break through.

Turn the squelch knob back until you hear static... then slowly turn it up until the radio just becomes quiet.

 

Sorry about the question for if the antenna was plugged in, was just illiminating possibilites early on! Some reason I could just picture someone buying a CB, plugging in power, and trying to use it... with no coax, and no antenna "Hmmm... why doesn't anyone hear me?!"

Don't feel like your snooping into convos, like you said, public airwaves!!

Here's a thought as to the one sidedness

On the interstate:

You [3 miles] Truck B [5 miles] Truck C

You may hear truck B talking to C, but not hear C because he is too far away from you

Also, you may be hearing a radio running (illegal) power talking to someone running 5w, he is close enough to hear the smaller power radio, but he is putting out 20x the power, having his signal travel much farther. You hear him and not the weak powered radio.

Just some food for thought on that part.

As for not hearing the shipper call you on the CB...

Are you sure you were on the correct channel that they were going to call you on? :>

 

IF one person id further away...you maynot hear both sides of the conversation...
Lets say for example a radio can transmit 4 miles....2 folks 4 miles apart can talk to each other....but if you are 2 miles ahead or behind one of the folks...you cannot talk/hear them both.
I have a cheap cobra 19IV...and I bought it knowing it was likely not going to be as powerful or sensitivity as a bigger radio....sure regs say all stock cb's can have a max of 4 watts.....but to save $$, a cheaper radio maynot perform as well, as some of the components are getting pushed pretty hard (I once had a small Radio-shack CB in the 90's that would radiate heat like a heater if you transmitted more than 15 seconds at a time!!)...heck they had to make it for like 1/3 the price right!!
Remember, since CB's are AM, and a very low frequency, dead spots do happen...so at the shipper/receiver, you could have been parked in a bad spot.....and if the radio/antenna combo has not been tuned, that may greatly effect the range and longevity of the radio!!

 

I guess I type too slow!! Someone beat me to the last one!!
As for squelch, adjust it so it just barely allows static through...that way you can still hear the weaker transmissions....same for the GAIN. IF a conversation sounds very tinny and weak...turning up the gain will help...go to high, and you will hear interference/background noise, and the squelch will be hard to adjust!!

 

I have a Walmart Cobra 19 Ultra III.

My problem is sometimes I have to turn the squelch WAY up to shut it up. And sometimes it will be fine at a lower level.

I did replace the stock '06 Freightshaker stick with a low end Wilson stick and it helped some. I have a simple SWR checker and it checked ok....

 

I think he heard the shipper tell him he was loaded, but not when they were ready for him to be loaded, because he was closer to their radio station when at the dock. May want to check for an antenna problem. I read earlier that the coax that comes in factory installs is rubbish, and that could also be a problem.

Are you talking on the radio?

I know you're getting frustrated with it, so sorry if I'm aiding in the frustration by adding more possible problems

Good luck!

 

Just a guess, but you might need a noise filter on the power line....do you need to re-adjust the squelch based upon the speed? The 19 IV did get a gain control....but other than that , it is the same. I have one...and it is what it is...a cheap, but pretty good radio.
Remember, squelch just adjusts the point at which the background noise is hidden...so if there is more interference or background noise in one area, very common, it will need to be re-adjusted if you want to hear the weakest radio calls.

 

yeah...make sure the squelch+gain is adjusted to the edge of making noise...maybe wipe the antenna to make sure it is clean....other than that, chalk it up to parking in a dead spot, or maybe THEY had a bad radio!!