My CB has no range

@IluvCATS

Stock antennas and coax are junk. You need a separate mount and decent coax, I ran a mount like this on a Volvo


I grounded off the texture on the upper mirror arm and ran a ground wire from one of those bolts to the mirror bolt going into the door. Got great swr’s, ran a good deal of power with no interference to the truck ecm or any electronics and talked all over the country. It’s easy to do.

 

Why grind off the texture of he runs straps..Might also have those mirror arm covers to...

 

Cats,

Listen to Bill Nye,Jr. the resident know it all. He’ll have you talking clear across the median in no time. Just get his starter kit: a multimeter to test resistance across multiple points, a $500 RigExpert meter that leaves you confounded and frustrated, an amp clamp to trace voltage loss down to the millivolts.

This is why people avoid the CB section. A mudduck like him questioning everything with a condescending tone. Trying 15 antennas in various locations, taking months to get swr’s set, journaling his every experiment then posting “why can’t I talk more than 8 miles with my Stryker?” It’s because you are A DUCK.

 

Its rig expert....Dont be such a biotch and on edge if someone asks a question....

Dont know why your so angry about it..I not once claimed to know everything

Wtf is it to you of what tools i buy and use to do what i do..I learn as i go and as for range lol ok on the 8 mi...Its 8.1 lol



Folks here we have a man tossing insults just to make himself feel good..Let him have his feel good moment..

By the way i dont have issues with swr,dont own 15 ant and i have never tried more than two locations for an antenna..so basically "EVERYTHING" in your post was wrong...

 

Normally I would be a little bothered by that response but I consider the source and then laugh.

I offered insight about personal experience with a Volvo tractor to Iluvcats, I don't owe you an explanation for anything, ever. I think in your mind you wish everyone just fell all over themselves saying Listen To Craig!!!

You always hide behind the guise of wanting to learn, yet you want to debate or disprove everything. (See your above post and your response to LushLarry who was kidding in the first place). Nowadays you regurgitate what Mark Sherman taught you. Most people on here don't want to waste a colossal amount of time nitpicking everything about their set up like you do, okay?

If I ever want to get mediocre results, you will be the first person I call, with my mutli meter in hand waiting for your superior guidance.

 

2+2=3 addition

 

No range? Ask advice. Make a list of suggestions offered.

The more offered, the clearer are the potential problems.

AFIK, the info from FIRESTICK is still up on line. All the general stuff.

 

@craig_sez , what's a rig expert and what is in the job description?

 

Before you asked this question, did you:

1. Look at the NOAA weather patterns and correlate ground moisture in your respective location?
2. Notice any appreciable difference in the troposphere ionic charge after the latest rain storm?
3. Compare relative humidity numbers with respect to conductivity of your vehicle batteries?
4. Sandblast your truck frame and compare impedance values on every square inch, using the spring hanger as the value to test against?

Once you can answer yes to these questions, then maybe you will be headed in the right direction.

 

To the original poster, first thing is to stop using that CB radio. Take the radio to a competent tech and have the output of the radio checked. Running a radio with an SWR of 3 or more can damage the final amplification circuit and the radio is basically toast. That may be why you have such short range.
If that is the case, your options are fix the radio or replace it. Neither option will correct the cause of the original problem which is a faulty antenna ground plane.
.
.Before you use a radio in that truck, you had better improve the antenna ground plane or you will damage another radio. This is a fairly common problem with new trucks.
.
. Once the antenna ground plane is fixed, I would bypass the trucks antenna system and run a single antenna with 50 ohm coax going directly to the radio. But that is just my opinion on reducing further problems.