Whack Pack Regrets

Thanks Mad Dog. I tried Collins once for CB stuff and it didn't go well. I had them put on a roof mount Wilson on my Chevy pickup and they drilled the wrong size hole (too small) after I had told them the size and showed them on the box where it gave the size. Then they set the SWRs parked by their 100' transmission tower. I re did it at home and found they also pinched the power cord to my radar detector. They charged me $60. They have a minimum one hour shop time. They really don't know anything but 2-ways, etc.

I haven't checked other places yet. If we had a decent truck stop here instead of a Flying P convenience store, I would ask there. Ken's Electronics has the bulbs for $2. It is supposed to be fairly easy to change if you have decent soldering skills, which I don't. You have to remove the face plate and remove 2 screws holding the meter and it is solderd to a board. I'm not in a big hurry right now because it is about zero here for a daily high. If I decide to keep it and get it unhacked, I'll have the light fixed then, but money is tight right now.

 

I think the 2 guys that put on my antenna were just flunkie installers. One guy didn't know much and his helper didn't know anything. The shop does a lot of installs on company and law enforcement units. They aren't geared for CB stuff. The next time I needed an antenna done, I bought a step bit and drilled it myself. They do have techs, but after charging $60 for what they did, I'll look around for some one else if I get my meter light fixed. I read that some guys change the bulbs out for LEDs, but that it is hard to do on the Galaxys. When you ask about CBs around here people act like you're a fossil or something. I wish I didn't let RAR work on my radio. I will have to send it off if I want that undone. When I'm ready, I'll check with Sparky's and see what they think.

 

They didn't even have to install the CB. I did that. All they had to do was mount the antenna and run the lead to the radio. I watched and the installer didn't seem to really know much about a SWR meter. He was in my pickup with both doors open and was telling his helper standing on the back next to the antenna which way to go. When I got home I saw the hole was too small. They drilled it so the the threaded part that the antenna screws onto would fit but the wider part on the bottom wouldn't go through like it is supposed to. If I remember right, the hole is 3/4 and they drilled it 5/8. Of course he didn't do anything to the paint so it would get a proper ground.

When I send my radio in for the meter light, I might check on getting an LED put in. I read it is hard with Galaxys because of the design.

 

You would think that when some one tells them that it takes a 3/4 hole and shows them on the box where it says that they could get it right. I guess I should have put masking tape on the roof, marked the center of the hole, and wrote in big red letters 3/4" hole, but they were so brain dead I don't know if it would have sunk in. I guess I need to work on my soldering and radio work skills. I have to run errands today so maybe I'll check on my meter light deal. My RAR unhack job can wait.

I wasn't nearly as ticked about the antenna deal as I was the morning I drove my a little ways to Co-Op to get a flat fixed on my '68 Ford dually 1 ton and they put an air wrench to it and spun 3 studs in the hub taking the wheel off and charged me to fix it and made me 3 hours late to work.

Sometimes it is better just to do something yourself.

 

I guess I'll wait and get my meter light fixed when I get my radio un Whack Hacked. I checked with a shop today and they didn't know anything about CBs, but figured they could solder a light in at $85 per hour and a 1 hour minimum. I can't see a CB shop charging that when they already have it on the bench for other work. The light is the least of it after some one hacked the radio.