Jump to content

CB Radios and Antennas


maveric

Recommended Posts

Any Antenna you mount. Make sure its mounted right. If its top loaded, it need's to be above the cab. If its one that's mid loaded ( Bigger round section toward the middle of bottom) That needs to be above the cab. If mounted a foot below the cab. That blocks the waves, from the sides and the rear to a major point.

I have a few SWR meters from years ago. And the one on the Cobra 29's are close enough to keep you out of trouble. I had the meters back when I ran a Texas Star 450 all the time. We were hauling logs, and at times you needed to talk 10 miles. Because if a truck was coming into or out of the woods. There was an issue.

With normal 2 watt CB, the SWR meter on the Cb should be good. Can post a link to great info. On tuning the Antenna right if anyone would like it.

Also Ground, make sure your ground is good. Lots of the trucks with the lower mount Mirrors. May not have a good ground. Where the mirror mounts to the cab. And that will cause high SWR's. My Kenworth T600, had that issue.

Pete

 

 


event.png

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Average professional driver here. Bought my first CB in 1976 at K Mart, a Kraco 23 channel. Paid $75 for it a relative fortune.

Fast forward to today. A Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB (sideband Upper and Lower channels in addition to main channel) and a pair of matched decent 3 ' whips installed by a pro CB shop in Remington IN   All peaked and tuned.

And guess what. A total waste of time. Except when running convoy with drivers from my company, there are almost no CB transmissions on the regular highway now. When you used to go through a town like West Memphis, AR the chatter would start 15 miles out and go 24/7, nothing that you really wanted to hear mind you, but it was on the air. Now it is total silence.   Do a little survey next time, count the number of class 8 trucks that don't even have antennas. It is well into the 50% range. 

10/4 Good buddy. Keep the greasy side down....

Jeff Beyer temporarily retired from Trailer Transit
2000 Freightliner Argosy Cabover
2008 Work and Play 34FK
Homebase NW Indiana, no longer full time

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, beyerjf said:

Average professional driver here. Bought my first CB in 1976 at K Mart, a Kraco 23 channel. Paid $75 for it a relative fortune.

Fast forward to today. A Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB (sideband Upper and Lower channels in addition to main channel) and a pair of matched decent 3 ' whips installed by a pro CB shop in Remington IN   All peaked and tuned.

And guess what. A total waste of time. Except when running convoy with drivers from my company, there are almost no CB transmissions on the regular highway now. When you used to go through a town like West Memphis, AR the chatter would start 15 miles out and go 24/7, nothing that you really wanted to hear mind you, but it was on the air. Now it is total silence.   Do a little survey next time, count the number of class 8 trucks that don't even have antennas. It is well into the 50% range. 

10/4 Good buddy. Keep the greasy side down....

Back in the 80's and 90's. There was lots of wrecks diverted because of CB's. When traffic was stopped everyone, would talk about it on the CB. Now days its all about there self's. Most truck drivers don't care or take time. To let others know there heading into an issue.

Also most these days are not on Channel 19. Depends on where your at, what channel people are running on. There's a lot of people on Channel 16 these days. More on other channels. Skate Boards run one channel. Rock haulers this channel. Stick wagons run SSB most of the time anymore. 

Was so easy back in the day, when we had 23 channels. LOL

 

 


event.png

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Phil D changed the title to CB Radios and Antennas

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

RVers Online University

campgroundviews.com

RV Destinations

Find out more or sign up for Escapees RV'ers Bootcamp.

Advertise your product or service here.

The Rvers- Now Streaming

RVTravel.com Logo



×
×
  • Create New...