CB Question
 

I just finished installing my CB and have a question or two. First of all, I can hear myself accelerating on any channel selected. :) Does this sound like a ground problem or an antenna coax wire problem?

BTW- I've noticed that alot of the channels have alot of static. An occasional voice might pop up every now and then, but really nothing substantial. I also get alot of weird sounding "waves" (sounds like I'm hailing Mars or something). Is this normal? I have tried to play around with the squelch, but after turning the dial a certain amount, all sound cuts out (even the static), and I hear absolutely nothing.

All the sounds you are hearing is normal.
CB bands are susceptible to lots of static, and your radio will pick up noise from the engine.

Your radio should have a switch on it that will cut down down of the noise, but it also cuts volume down some too.
I don't use the switch.

The squelch does cut out all background noise. But if you turn it to far, you won't hear the friends you are talking to.
The only time I use it is when we are on a run when we are all close together. It cuts out all noise, while allowing them in when they speak.

Re: CB Question
 

Is this a new or used radio? Did you tune the antenna with an accurate SWR meter (not a built-into-the-CB one)? Radio properly grounded at the chassis and the co-ax shield grounded at the antenna mount? Power from a clean source (straight from the battery is one option but keep it away from ignition components)?
The squelch sets a threshold signal strength, anything below that is muted and as soon as the signal rises above it the squelch opens and you hear everything. If the other person's signal is strong enough you shouldn't hear static but if the signal is too weak the static will be audible.

Engine noise sounds like a dirty ground type problem. I grounded my CB to a screw touching bare sheetmetal. The power wire I stuck under a fuse in the fuseblock.

My cb has an "automatic noise limiter", which I use all the time. As far as squelch goes, I turn it down so I can't hear anything, then turn it up just enough so that I can just hear some static.

Like Shane said, tune it with a SWR meter.

I have a writeup on my website, that might help - actually, it probably won't help, but you never know.



here it is

OK, thanks for the replies. Yes, I have had it tuned. I've adjusted the squelch and I think I got that down.

Anyway, I have two car audio amps grounded at a single point in the back of the truck. Do I need to ground the CB to the same place or does it matter?

doesnt matter.

OK, good. One more question. I have decided that I want to get the +12V from some other source besides plugging it into the cigarette lighter. Do you know where I could tap off of something to get power? I've heard of you guys patching it into the fuse box...I can't really figure that out and there's not much room to work with back there (on the driver's side by the clutch). Besides running a wire all the way to the battery, are there any other places to get the +12V.

Thanks and sorry for all the questions. :)

Dont know if you are using micro fuses - but CB shops around you should have a soderless connector that fits very nicly on one of the prongs of a micro fuse (I'm sure they are made for regular size fuses too) and makes a tap there easy....

Ah yes, see my old jungle here.

http://www.pnw4runners.net/tando/mod39ethumb.jpg

You can tap into a fuse in your incab fuse box. All you do is pull out the fuse and cram the bare end of your wire in behind the blade when you put the fuse back.

You can tap into a fuse that is live with the key off.
Might also be a good time to take on a project like I did in the above link.

Only took a few hours to do, if that. All my taps are now hot in the box as it's wired right to the battery.
Corey

Corey- I think I will build one of those aux fuse boxes. It's a good idea. For now, I just smashed the copper wire behind the 15-amp lighter fuse and hammered the fuse in nice and tight...I hope it holds. I then grounded the CB to a bare metal spot under the front passenger door sill. However, it seems as though I still get engine noise for at least the first 5 minutes after the car is started. (Weird??) :dunno: Anyway, do you think at this point that it's an antenna grounding problem? My coax cable is one of those ring things (the ring connects to the bottom of the connector of the antenna...do I need to do anything more than that? The instructions weren't really that clear. I used all Firestik products by the way.

Hmmmm, like I mentioned before, all CBs will get a little alternator whine, it's the nature of the beast with CBs.

Does the noise quiet down when you activate the ANL switch?

Where is your antenna coax wire grounded at?
You might want to run this by a CB shop.

I had to when I put the antenna on the ARB.
I had a SWR match of 3, and I was use to a 1 when it was on the fender.

I had the coax tied into a ground strap, then under a bolt under the hood.
I was doing a physical ground, and not an actual ground by the antenna.

I learned something that day from the CB shop. Coax must be grounded right by where it exit the sheath.
As soon as he re-grounded it, my match went down to 1 on all 40 channels.
Corey

One of these ring things?
http://firestik.com/images/k-8r18.jpg

you could always try a noise supressor across the alt that might help

Shane- That looks exactly like it. Is that the FireRing?

I have never seen a coax like that before.
Corey

Ya, they call it something like that. It's meant to be bolted right into the base of the antenna so you don't have anything else to hookup.

Ok. Well I haven't heard any more engine noise lately so I guess that's just how it'll have to stay. Thanks everyone!

Heh...well I thought this was over, however after traveling to Corpus Christi today, I noticed that when I tried to transmit, my voice came out of my car speakers! This was averted if the car stereo was off, however it made no difference how high the volume was set. What is going on here? Also, when I honk the horn the CB buzzes regardless of the squelch setting or volume setting. I'm thinking a major ground problem here however I just re-grounded the CB. Should I run the ground for the CB all the way back to where my audio system is grounded? Or would that be a wasted? Does it sound like the problem lies in the grounding point of the HU or amps for my system?

cb
 

ok first are the wires for the cb near the power cable for the amps. run the cb and cb antenna away from stereo power line and speakers .get power from the battery and away from the ingition parts. plus a good cb always helps, i got my at truck stop. it is a classic cobra lot more tuneable then a store bought cb.

The power wires for the subwoofer amp and the coax cable come through the same grommet but don't run next to each other otherwise. Also the ground for the CB comes pretty close to the coax cable. Other than that, the CB power wire is run to the power outlet's fuse.