CB Help

Before reading this, I've done research. A lot of research. If you would like me to "search", please just provide a link. I have searched and obviously didn't see anything.

Anyway, time to get into it. Due to the insane amounts of off roading i've been doing, I got a CB setup. Got a Cobra 19 with a magnetic antenna. Stuck it on the roof, did some extreme jerry rigging and wired it to my cig jack with a plug, wired the rest up and hoped for the best. Buddy with a Tacoma got the same CB with a knock off Firestik. We tested the CBs and they didn't work next to each other. At range I could hear him but he couldn't hear me. We did the Squelch thing how the internet told us.

We figured it was a problem with his, since he couldn't hear me, and tried a bunch of different grounds. Most were on his tiregate style spare holder next to his rear windshield. The another buddy with a Jeep with the same Cobra 19 and a knock off Firestik. Him and the other guy with the Taco could talk fine, I could hear (sometimes), but they couldn't hear me. Then more Jeeps in our group got the same setup. Its pretty obvious mine is whats wrong.

A friend found a 4" Firestik lookin' antenna, tested it on his Jeep and said it worked and gave it to me making fun of my CB. Tempted to drill into the bed and ground it there. Any suggestions before I do this? I've since rewired it to my battery thinking it was a power and maybe not a grounding issue to no avail.

None of them had tuners or anything, just plug and play, but really want/need to get this thing working so I can stop being "that guy" on trips. Especially because I plan 95% of the trips we take..

Also please, don't do the "you get what you pay for" thing. I'm a dual major in my first year of college. If I had the money to buy a big rig CB setup, I would.

 

Is your radio new or used... Maybe a radio issue?
Even with the crapiest of antenna setups you should get out a little bit.

 

coax cable must have a short in it somewhere.

ive found that RG8 coax is the best to use.

 

The original radio and magnetic antenna I bought new and although its crude, I trust my wiring jobs (most of the time, underglow got... heh...)

 

I had that thought but wouldn't that cause a complete shortage and make it unusable? Sometimes they can make out a few works and until lately, at least be able to tell i'm attempting to communicate. Lately, however, my truck has been Area 51 so that could be the problem.

 

not always, mine had a short in it and i could always hear, but theu could never hear me. swapped my 10yr old cable for new and BAM talkin like a champ again.


also get an SWR meter and try tuning the antenna.

 

Thanks for the help!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/42622593?...6937936&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=100103373416&veh=sem

http://www.4wheelparts.com/Interior...GFJQK1qlrykC_-wrGyMp-Hnf2GsFqRDl-SRoCLK7w_wcB

yeh? Just don't know if it would be a cable that didn't work from when I bought it new.. Just seems odd.

Also, might sound stupid but meh, how do I use the SWR meter? In my research I saw a couple suggestions to buy something to "tune" everything, I think its a safe assumption this is what they were talking about.

 

This is why I hadn't bought one of the SRW meters before making my own thread, this is what I had assumed and read.

Thanks for the help. I have a first gen without a bed liner and there isn't any plastic. I don't need a 20 mile setup, I just need to be able to hear the guys behind me heading out to the park and hear the "SHIT DON'T DO THAT TURN DRIVER DRIVER DRIVER" from people I wheel with. 5 miles would be more than enough.

 

The alternative is like what I run which is a Relentless Fabrication hood mount, no drilling required. Only caveat is you'll have to run a low pro coax cable like a firestik fire ring.

 

Where exactly did you ground your radio and most will tell you power straight to battery is best for a CB.

 

http://www.relentlessfabrication.com/products/05-tacoma-hood-hinge-cb-aux-mount
Yeh? I have a first gen, but don't mind drilling.

I did rewire it to my battery later in the post the day after the initial testing, still no bueno.

As for position, it is about 6" from the rear break light on the roof stuck on with a magnet. Which is a very inconvenient spot for tight trails as it gets knocked off constantly and I hear that awesome "WhaPAH" sound every time I go through a heavily forested trail but don't mind it.

 

I was referring to the guy up top with the 2nd gen as far as the hood bracket goes.

So you ran power to battery but where did you run your ground to? As in is it a good ground that you found?

And on a side note I have no experience with Wilson antennas so I can't speak very intelligently about them but if they are "pre tuned" an SWR meter should still be able to tell you if you are operating within an exceptable range I would imagine

 

I grounded it just to the right of the battery directly to the frame. There's a bolt that comes out with bare metal on both sides and a washer. The CB was the second thing I wired (after my light bar). I have wired my lightbar, CB, underglow and I think my halos to the same ground. My light bar is bright as hell, Halos work excellent and underglow makes me look straight out of Tokyo drift, so I feel it would be a good ground.

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Wilson-Magnet-Mount-Antenna/dp/B000I5NQA8
(Would putting it in the corner of the bed rails in the front corner work or should I do the roof? The roof looks goofy and would prefer a firestik with a mount like http://www.relentlessfabrication.com/products/05-tacoma-bed-rail-mount-tab would look better, but functionality>looks)

With something like:
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Interior...UryzLsHbMh2aHaPd7Qcpx3QiEiStbRXt7bxoCBeTw_wcB

And

http://www.walmart.com/ip/36887453?...01150495&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=79486695255&veh=sem
To "tune" it

Would this work? Being a broke college student is fun.
goes to count pennies in pockets of jeans

 

ok hwre is what all is needed to be known.

good power/ straight from battery pr on its own circut same with ground to cut out engine noise.

coax and antenna are the most important things next to your unit having power.never skimp on coax cable that obviously is what carries signal. same with antenna 103 in steel whip is the mac daddy of cb antennas but its 103 in long lol next runners up are wilson 1000 through the roof lil wilson 30 in magnet mount and then 4-5' firesticks with tunable tips.

you want your antenna atleast 2 foot over the roof and as close to center as possible.

when you use the SWR you are trying to get a reading across all channels as close to 1:1 as humanly possible. most wilson 1000 and lil wills, will read 1:2-1:3 right out of the box. firesticls you have to play with a little.

if you would like you can PM me and ill go in depthwith pictures pr just call or text you.

 

Thanks for all the help y'all, really clearing things up for me on a topic I clearly hardly know about. @TSROTHWELL528 i'll be DMing you in a second once I can price a few things out.

 

Yeah that's what i'm thinking. I don't need 40-50 miles, or even the 20, so if I have a bit of room to play with cosmetics I might as well eh?

 

Thanks man, making a shopping list now. Maybe with your signal so strong, you'll be on top of a mountain one sunny day and i'll hear you from Lubbock

 

I have a mount with an 8ft whip and the guy I got the mount from had the washer in the wrong spot so it grounded the antennae. Best thing I could tell you is find a local CB shop and ask them to look at your setup. Local guy where I live took 2 seconds to find my issue, and he even spent an hour getting me all rigged up right at no charge. I now shop there for all my CB parts.

Plus it cool to see some of the guys who are serious about CB. Same guy at the shop could talk to the other side of the world from his truck. The size of his coax was like 1" thick cause he had so much wattage flowing. If he keyed up right next to someone, it would fry their radio. He had like 6 amps under the hood and his entire truck toolbox was dedicated to CB gear. It was an insane setup

 

Hey all. I'm hooking up my CB and am wondering where is the best place to pull my power from. I would like to have it off when there is no key in it. Any suggestions?

 

When you turn the key off turn the radio off run your power straight to the battery