CB Radio

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by RonLC

Today a friend and I installed the Cobra 29 LX. We found the power wires, the mount and the antenna coax in the overhead box. More to take apart than we anticipated but easy to hook up once we got access.

Unfortunately it did not work. Being in a large metal pole barn storage shed might be the reason so in a few days I will move it outside and see if that helps.

The radio powers up and the squelch works but nothing can be heard on any CB or weather channel. The SWR readings are way too high and the radio displays a antenna warning message.

Does anyone know what antenna Freightliner uses or who to call for help?

Do not operate the send mode of your radio that high SWR will burn out the finals.

[RonLC]

Today's test was to put a working CB from a friend's truck in my Verona.

It did not work.

Then we put mine in his truck.

It worked

[RonLC]

The antenna has been tuned and the radio works fine when connected directly to it....VSWR 1.1. The problem now is that when the radio is placed back up in the overhead and connected to the coax that runs to the multiplexer and then to the antenna, the numbers go to poop...VSWR of 2.5 and antenna warning is on. Does not Tx or Rx.

The multiplexer in located inside the dash, thus inaccessible without taking it apart. I don't feel comfortable doing that.

My question is: Who has the ultimate responsibility to make the CB antenna system work? My local Freightliner dealer was not helpful and even tried to bill me for checking some of the connections and then blaming the radio.

The antenna mfg, RAMI, sent me several trouble shooting ideas and the bottom line is the multiplexer is either bad or needs to be removed and replaced by two separate antenna systems...CB and AM/FM.

Either the entity who made it or the entity that installed it is responsible and needs to step up. It is a classic case of what it called the Warranty of Merchantability. This warranty guarantees that a product sold to you by a merchant will work when used for its intended purposes

What would you do?

[Airstreamer6]

I would go to a CB shop and have them bypass the multiplexer with a dedicated coax. That should lower the VSWR to well below 2.0 and thus turn that antenna warning light off, unless it's not adjusted correctly, in which case the shop can fix that too with the adjustment.

It will cost you a few bucks but you'll get it fixed that way and fixed much better than the others can or will do.

[RonLC]

Originally Posted by Airstreamer6

I would go to a CB shop and have them bypass the multiplexer with a dedicated coax. That should lower the VSWR to well below 2.0 and thus turn that antenna warning light off, unless it's not adjusted correctly, in which case the shop can fix that too with the adjustment.

It will cost you a few bucks but you'll get it fixed that way and fixed much better than the others can or will do.

I would love to do that. I have searched the Internet for a CB shop. I live in SW Florida. Do you know of one within a reasonable distance? I am not sure that many of them are left.

In the meantime I would like input as to who is responsible (besides me) to make the antenna work.

Is it the antenna company who sold the system to Freightliner?

Is it Freightliner who installed it and sold the chassis to Renegade RV?

Is it Renegade who received a chassis already rigged with an antenna and multiplexer?

Is it the RV dealer who sold me the new unit in October?

[Jim18655]

Can you check that the antennas are connected to the proper jacks on the multiplexer? I did a search on multiplexers and it looks like some of them can have the connectors mixed up.

[RonLC]

Originally Posted by Jim18655

Can you check that the antennas are connected to the proper jacks on the multiplexer? I did a search on multiplexers and it looks like some of them can have the connectors mixed up.

I have only one antenna and the multiplexer box is not accessible without taking the dash apart. I don't feel comfortable doing that especially on a brand new unit that is under warranty.

[Jim18655]

I guess I could have phrased that better. It looks like the lines from the multiplexer to the radios could get mixed up. The ones I saw in the search had BNC connectors on the output wires to the radios. You can't look up from underneath?

[RonLC]

Originally Posted by Jim18655

I guess I could have phrased that better. It looks like the lines from the multiplexer to the radios could get mixed up. The ones I saw in the search had BNC connectors on the output wires to the radios. You can't look up from underneath?

No, it is high up, screw mounted, behind the Allison transmission gear selector buttons. On my former class A I could see everything up there. This one is a Freghtliner truck dash just as the picture in post #33 shows. Not enough room to feel for it. I was told that the entire dash fascia had to be removed for access.

The multiplexer box picture I got from the antenna vendor shows two inputs each marked "whip" and two outputs...one screw on coax for CB and one RCA type plug for the stereo. It would be hard to mix anything up.

Since I only have one whip, I assume the other input is just lying there.

Thanks

[RonLC]

The CB now works with a VSWR of 1.1 and we were able to actually talk to several truckers today. The process involved installing a rubber ducky antenna for the stereo and running a coax directly from the mirror mounted RAMI antenna to the overhead CB radio. We knew that we could get 1.1 VSWR a few weeks ago when we ran the coax from the firewall hard BNC connector through the open window to the CB but had not actually routed the coax inside the dash and up through the A pillar. We achieved this VSWR only after contacting RAMI and telling them that the antenna was not the correct frequency and was showing higher than ideal VSWR on the far end channels. RAMI told us to remove the antenna windings at the top of the antenna 5 turns at time until the VSWR reading was acceptable. After removing 15 turns from the antenna the VSWR was at 1,1.We are still mighty po'ed that a system that uses a poor multiplexer was installed in the first place.

[Airstreamer6]

Ron, there are a lot of truckers who struggle with the same thing you have. It seems the big-truck factories treat the CB like Cinderella's stepmother treated her.

The solution is to do exactly what you did: bypass the multi-tasking wires from the factory and run a dedicated coax to a competent antenna with a well-grounded base and tuned via an SWR meter.

Congratulations on your success, and thanks for the follow-up reports!

[Hgrace56]

These are the best guys in FL

Bells CB LLC
aka CAT Enterprises
5051 NE 12th Ave.
Oakland Park, FL. 33334
(954)-771-8161

[fgburden]

What did you replace the center mount with? OEM from the dealer or something else?
Thanks

[RonLC]

Originally Posted by fgburden

What did you replace the center mount with? OEM from the dealer or something else?
Thanks

Could you be more specific about what you want to know?