CB How to / Setup / Question and answer thread

[ericfx1984]

The purpose of this thread is to shed a little light on CB setup and use. I also plan to answer any questions you might have.

Q: What makes you qualified to answer these questions?

A: I am an FCC licensed HAM radio operator with a general class license (one step down from the highest license available) But more importantly I have experience setting up, modifying and repairing CB radios, in fact some of you guys have even sent you radios to me.


What can a CB do?

A CB is a radio that has 40 channels, most are AM only, but some have side band, the neat thing about side band is that you can legally run 12 watts output, when using AM you are only legally allowed to use 4 watts.

A properly setup CB can talk around the world on 4 watts (or 12), given the proper circumstances, however under normal circumstances you will be limited to around 15-30 miles. With a poor antenna setup this could be even less, say 4 or 5 miles. The good news is that in the Jeep world this is normally just fine. In my case I have talked over 4600 miles, half way across the world. (on my HAM radio I regularly talk to a guy in STL on 80m, 3.916Mhz, and no I am not running an amplifier)


Goals: What are your goals? For most of you reading it's just going to be talking around the trail and calling for help in an emergency.

[ericfx1984]

Antenna: The antenna is the single most important part of your CB radio setup. I see many people with junk antennas running illegal CB amplifiers. When the truth is they could have just upgraded the antenna and got even better performance

In the mobile CB world the 102" Stainless steel whip is king, but it's ummm, well 102" tall, lol (Which is right around 1/4 wave) This antenna will be usable in a broad range of channels and will 'get out' better than anything out there. The height is the problem. Costless than $30 normally




Most people run some type of fiberglass antenna, like the Firestick brand. These can be had as tall as 8 foot and as short as 2 ft (if I recall correctly) The taller the fiberglass antenna the better it will work. I found that 4ft was a nice compromise between antenna height and performance. Basically the shorter and antenna gets the less performance it will have. These tend to cost less than $30, some models are even less than $20




The we have Mag mount antennas, these are simple, you just throw them on the roof and adjust the antenna for a good match. There are several different heights of mag mount antennas available, some as short as 2 or 3 feet tall.




Then we have coil antennas, these have a coil on the bottom and a whip on the top, some times the coil is on the middle. They can have oil around the coil sometimes, but in my experience this is just a marketing ploy. Some of these will perform almost as good as 102 whip, while being less than 6ft tall... almost as good. The big issues is these are expensive.




There are several different kinds of mounts for your antennas. You can get mounts that are specific for you Jeep or just make something from the truck stop work

The most important thing when mounting and antenna is to make sure the mount is properly
grounded to the body and/or chassis of your Jeep. Failure to do so could limit your CB's performance, or worse yet destroy your CB...



Where should I put my antenna???

Well the best place is usually on the roof... BUT that might not be too practical on a trail drive Jeep. On my XJ I located it on the driver's side front fender and made a bracket that mounted between the hood and fender, not a bad place and I have talked all over the world on that setup. Another popular location is on the rear bumper or the tire carrier. The main thing to remember here is that the antenna should not have much if ANY metal blocking it in any direction. There are 3 reasons for this: The metal can reflect power back to the CB causes damage. It can also make it hard to tune the antenna, and finally it can make the antenna very directional.


How do I tune my antenna for best performance???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRWKZskxcs0

The basic unit used for tuning in the CB world is called SWR. MOST radios you get will be able to check SWR with a built in meter (check your manual for instuctions for your specific radio). Or you can always get the $10 truck stop special SWR meter. I find that for the money that Radio Shack has a great little meter ($40)

The goal here is to get your SWR below 2.0:1 on the entire band and to get it as close to 1:1 as possible on the channel or channels you use the most. (However SWR of up to 3:1 is generally acceptable, but it will waste more power)

Most of your fiberglass antennas are longer than they need to be, so when you set them up you need to do the following:

1) hook up the SWR meter how ever the manufacture says to, take note of how the meter is used to check SWR

2) if your CB has mic gain adjustment turn it all the way down

3) turn your CB to channel 1 (AM) (or the lowest frequency you intend to use) key your mic and hold it, then adjust the knob on your SWR meter until it says 'SET', then flip the SWR switch (your meter might be a little different... note the SWR reading

4) Do the same on channel 40 (or the highest channel you intend to use)

5) If the SWR is lower than 3:1 on both 1 and 40 then I would just leave it alone. However if you have a reading that is really high on one and really low on the other then some tuning is going to need to be done


If you have a high reading on channel 40 and a low reading on channel 1 then your antenna is too LONG and you will need to shorten it

If you have a low reading on channel 40 and a high reading on channel 1 then your antenna is too SHORT you will need to lengthen it.


So ummmm... yeah how do I lengthen my antenna?

Well that kinda depends on the antenna, most mag mounts have a set screw and you can pull the whip part of the antenna out further. The same can be said for most coil antennas. The new firestik II and Firefly antennas have a screw under the cap on the top that you can screw in or out. However for CHEAP fiberglass antenna and the 102 whips require a coil of antenna spacer to lengthen it. I made on out of stainless steel all-thread and a couple matching SS barrel connectors (with jam nuts)


Ok OK... how to shorten my antenna... Well with the Cheapo fiberglass and the 102 whips you just cut them 1/8" at a time. With the others you can usually just use the set screw and make it shorter.


Each time you change the length of the antenna you need to recheck the SWR

What if the antenna doesn't tune under 3:1 ?

Well some antennas are very NARROW banded, meaning you might not be able to get a low SWR across the entire CB band, you might have to choose a couple channels that are close by and just live with it.

It's also possible that the antenna needs to be grounded, run a ground strap from the the body to the antenna mount.

Worse case you have the antenna in a VERY bad place and you need to relocate it.


Question that was asked: What do the antenna wattage ratings mean?

A: Not much, I mean if an antenna can handle 1000 watts (peak, as in for a VERY short period of time) it will handle the legal 4 watts AM, 12 watts sideband for as long as you care to key up your radio. In short if you do not plan to run a HUGE amp I would not worry about it.

[ericfx1984]

What radio should I get?

Well for basic trail use a simple 40 channel AM CB is just fine. However there are MANY other options out there and each brings something worthwhile to the table. While some of the more basic radios are only capable of short communications, you might talk world wide on some of the 'better' radios. The main thing to remember here is get a radio that fits your budget and is the right size for where you intend to locate the radio.

Legal radios:

This is one of the most popular out there, the Cobra 29, there are MANY different flavors on this radio, the LTD, LTD Classic, Night Watch, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. But it's kinda like the LTD Classic is the plain Jane version and the Night Watch and the LX are the top of the line version.






If you need something a little smaller then consider the Cobra 25, smaller foot print than the Cobra 29, but for the most part they are identical, they even make it in an 'LX' flavor (LCD display)




For those that are interested in Sideband I would highly recommend the Galaxy DX 959, or in a smaller foot print the 979. These radios will tune up quite well and have lots of 'bells and wistles' if you are in to that short of thing. They are resonably priced and they have a great sound to them.








Bandit radios... kinda the DARKSIDE of CBs, they are usually sold as 10 meter radios for use on the Amateur radio bands, however most HAM radio operators would not touch them. But they do work and they work quite well. They tend to put out at least 40 watts and they tend to b able to transmit in areas that are not legal to transmit in. As such they are not legal for use as a CB... but people do it all the time. You could face a large fine if you are caught using one, key word being IF. I can tell you that I do not know ANYONE that has ever been caught. So don't do it... You have been warned. With that being said let's look at some illegal radios :)

IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE ONE OF THESE RADIOS UNDERSTAND THAT ANYTHING 28.000MHz and above is the HAM bands, if you transmit up there without a licence the FCC will find you and fine you. just sayin'


Galaxy 99v, has 8 bands, each with 40 channels, ranging from 25.165Mhz all the way up to 28.755Mhz (28.765Mhz if you use the +10Khz switch). It does 30 watts right out of the box and can be tuned to a solid 50 (without sounding like ****) It also can transmit AM, FM, and both sidebands, keep in mind a true CB cannot transmit FM, and can certainly not transmit outside of the normal CB bands with out modifications




RCI 2950 DX, great receive, similar to the 99v and WAY BETTER, and has an LCD face, much more 'professional' radio




If you want something with a little more power consider the Galaxy 98VHP (150-300 watts), Galaxy 94 (75-150 watts), RCI 2970DX (75-150), RCI 2970n2 (150-300)








For a small foot print 'Bandit Radio' the Magnum 257HP is a tough act to follow, VERY stable radio, puts out a solid 80 watts from the factory. The owner of Magnum RADIOS has recently told me they are planning one with a built in amplifier that will put out up to 300 watts!!!

I think you can see just how small this radio is when you compare it to the microphone next to it

[ericfx1984]

Wiring your radio:

Wiring your CB radio is VERY simple, run a negative and a positive directly to the battery and place a fuse of the correct size as close to the battery as possible. It is best to avoid wiring your radio into the cigarette lighter. Some people have had issues with poor transmit when they hook up to the lighter connection. Others have reported weird humming and buzzes on transmit and even on receive. But it might work just fine for you.

They do sell plugs to go the lighter outlet, I just do not like the idea, unless you know that the lighter outlet has some decent wiring.


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Coax

Contrary to popular CB There is no magic formula for coax length, if you only need one foot of coax, just use one foot, if you need 20, use 20. The basic idea here is only use what you need... I think this is something your momma should have tought you when you where learning to use the potty.

Another important thing to note is try to NOT coil any excess coax you might have


What type of coax should I use?

Well I find for low power (under 1,000 watts) the RG-8x works great and canbe had for around $0.30-$0.50 per foot, sometimes even less in package deals.

What coax to avoid, RG-58, it's puny and not much cheaper than RG-8x


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Package antenna/mount/coax deals, this is a great way to get out and get talking for cheap, get something like this and just add a radio AND YOU ARE SET

deals like this can be found on Ebay, at local truck stops and even swap meets... I think Amazon even sells them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOP-LOADED-4...item19d5bb7690

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-3-500-...item564926f8a4

http://www.amazon.com/ANT-feet-KIT-1...rds=cb+antenna

[ericfx1984]

What about amplifiers?

You have heard them called, 'Kickers', foot warmers and I am sure there are a few other names for them as well.

The thing is they illegal... but people use them every day. However the truth is that your money is better spent on a better antenna than a bigger amp.

That being said...

CB amps can offer a lot of power. Most people will tell you the first 100 watts are the most important. I can tell you this. When I ran CB if I was in Edgerton, KS I could talk to my friends in North KC on 150 watts... I could not however talk to them on 12 watts

Now you can always turn your amp off when you don't need it. They do have n off switch. Many amps also have a receive amp that can help you pick up quiet stations off in the distance.


The RM Italy KL203p is a nice little amp for the money. It puts out 150-220 watts. The most I have ever seen personally was about 200 watts. However I recommend keeping them around 125 watts... give or take. This amp is TINY and will fit almost in the palm of your hand. The amp really only needs about a 7 amp power feed. It also has the receive amp. Best part is it is under $75

http://cbradiomagazine.com/RM_Italy_...Amplifier.html



Another amp that impresses me is the RM Italy KL-503, it's just like the KL-203p,but it is much larger, it also puts out up to 500 watts according to some people, sells for around $125-$175

[ericfx1984]

reserved 4

[ericfx1984]

Updated

[jsherm01]

Good topic. My antenna disappeared. I have one of those Cobra handheld deals. Looking forward to more post from you on this topic!

[spunebil]

So with your expert experience you can show me how to talk to a bro in Afghanistan with a cb radio ?

Cool so explaine how I can accomplish this endeavour :)

Thank you

[ericfx1984]

So with your expert experience you can show me how to talk to a bro in Afghanistan with a cb radio ?

Cool so explaine how I can accomplish this endeavour :)

Thank you

LOL, Spunbil you are a smart arse aren't you.

well there are a few options, neither of them are likely to be very reliable though.
One option might be Grey line propagation... but I doubt it will work out, another option is to wait for the skip to roll in. The issue with this is that you have to wait for conditions to be right on both ends, and it is not exactly predictable.

The way 'skip' works is the signal you transmit is bounce off the ionosphere and bounces back to earth hundreds, thousands or even clean clear across the world.

A little extra power never hurt anything either...

but honestly as far as reliable communications go 30 miles is about it. But like I said, when the conditions are right, world wide is possible.

Now on the HAM radio on 40m I have talked to Spain on a piece of 18 gauge balling wire and on 80m I talked to St. Louis and a guy in upstate New York on on rain gutter... yes, my rain gutter

[ericfx1984]

So with your expert experience you can show me how to talk to a bro in Afghanistan with a cb radio ?

Cool so explaine how I can accomplish this endeavour :)

Thank you

LOL, Spunbil you are a smart arse aren't you.

Me and expert? Nope, just a guy with a hobby that saw a need and decided to do a write up.

well there are a few options, neither of them are likely to be very reliable though.
One option might be Grey line propagation... but I doubt it will work out, another option is to wait for the skip to roll in. The issue with this is that you have to wait for conditions to be right on both ends, and it is not exactly predictable.

The way 'skip' works is the signal you transmit is bounce off the ionosphere and bounces back to earth hundreds, thousands or even clean clear across the world.

A little extra power never hurt anything either...

but honestly as far as reliable communications go 30 miles is about it. But like I said, when the conditions are right, world wide is possible.

Now on the HAM radio on 40m I have talked to Spain on a piece of 18 gauge balling wire and on 80m I talked to St. Louis and a guy in upstate New York on on rain gutter... yes, my rain gutter

[ericfx1984]

Updated posts 2, 4, and 5

[carbonrobin]

Great thread. I'm a ham in Olathe, KS. After reading this I'm considering putting a CB back in my Jeep.

[Guest]

I can't get my cobra cab to even work properly. All I get on every channel is static with full signal. Busy light stays on. Never goes away. Wired to the fuse block for my power, grounded to the body.. I can hear people very faintly on rare and I mean rare occasion.

[ericfx1984]

What radio is it? What antenna? Could be a bad radio, could be anything really