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06-13-2013, 06:42 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,910
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Question about CB radios
We just bought a CB radio and power it by plugging the thing into the cigarette lighter hole. How are you people getting rid of the hum and bizz on your CBs? If we squelch it all the way down, we don't hear anything. And voices we do pick up are distorted. One trucker said our "Modulation" was weak. What is Modulation? It's a Cobra we bought at Radio Shack. Any ideas - thoughts?
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Retired. RVing with one husband and five cats.
1999 32' Fleetwood Southwind Class-A. Ford V10.
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06-13-2013, 08:27 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 72
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I'm not an expert, but they sell inline filters to go in the power cord. You are better off to hard wire it to the fuse panel. If your going to use it a lot and you got a high dollar radio, go to a truck stop that has a CB shop. Let them wire it correctly. Just don't let them take advantage of your wallet. Cheap radio, hard wire it to the fuse panel with inline filters and be done.
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06-13-2013, 08:45 PM
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bryan, TX when not traveling.
Posts: 22,945
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The best thing to do is wire the radio direct to the battery in the RV. They do make line filters for the power feed.
Modulation is how strong your voice appears to sound on the radio. A stock unit is usually set for lower modulation, so you may need to hold the microphone closer to your mouth and/or speak louder.
What are you using for an antenna and where is it located. Have you had the antenna tuned (SWR set). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_wave_ratio
This is basically setting the antenna for the proper length so that is resonant at the transmission frequency.
You are generally better off spending the $$$ on the antenna and getting a less costly plain Jane radio.
Ken
__________________
Amateur Radio Operator (KE5DFR)|No Longer Full-Time! - 2023 Cougar 22MLS toted by 2022 F150, 3.5L EcoBoost Tow Max FX4 Lariat Travel with one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot, retired mechanical engineer
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06-13-2013, 09:26 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: FL
Posts: 11,403
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As suggested, run power to the battery if possible. Depending on where your antenna is mounted you could be getting radio signals into the power line. If the noise is only with the engine running and sounds like whine it is alternator noise and running power to the battery is the best start. If still whining you can buy a whine filter at radio shack.
Modulation is voice level. The mic should be about an inch from your lips and make sure you are talking into the front of the mic, not like I see on some television shows.
__________________
Certified Senior Electronic Technician, Telecommunications Engineer, Telecommunications repair Service Center Owner, Original owner HR 2008
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06-14-2013, 07:25 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 715
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Good advice above on power and antenna tuning. My problem is that I need to learn Spanish to use my CB. Never too old to learn something new.
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2007 Dutch Star 4320
2010 Mazda Miata 6 speed
Roadmaster tow
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06-14-2013, 07:35 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Pond Piggies Club Appalachian Campers Mid Atlantic Campers
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA
Posts: 4,671
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Place a ferrite choke around the 12v wire. Place it close to the radio.
A ferrite is that small black bump on your laptop power cord. Get one that opens in half and is made to snap over the cable.
Snap Choke Core - RadioShack.com
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103222
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Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA · FMCA 335149 · W3TLN 2005 Suncruiser 38R · W24, no chassis mods needed · 2013 Honda Accord EX-L · 2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
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06-14-2013, 09:00 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,910
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Hi and thanks for all the great advice. We're going to look into the ferrite choke and hooking it directly to the battery. Where do you get antennas tuned? The antenna was left by the last person who owned the Class-C.
__________________
Retired. RVing with one husband and five cats.
1999 32' Fleetwood Southwind Class-A. Ford V10.
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06-14-2013, 09:23 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 371
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As stated, antennea quality and location on the vehicle are critical to good transmission. Not so important if you just want to listen. It is possible to damage your radio if the SWR ( standing wave ratio ) is way out of tune. Major truck stops that are busy sometimes have a CB shop on or near it.
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'92 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager. Tweaked 5.9 Cummins, complete interior makeover (previous owner).
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06-14-2013, 05:11 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Wellington, Florida
Posts: 13,599
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Hi RanCarr,
Most truck stops have a CB company associated with the truck stop.
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Gary
2005 Newmar KSDP 3910 + GMC ENVOY XUV 37K lbs Moving Down The Road
The Avatar Is Many Times Around The USA
Nobody Knows Your Coach Like Somebody Who Owns One Just Like Yours
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06-15-2013, 04:49 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Harper, Texas
Posts: 274
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Adjusting the SWR is not very difficult. There are meters out there that run about $20 or so. The typical antenna has a section above the coil that can be raised or lowered slightly to tune the antenna. Some folks use a rubber flexible antenna that can't be tuned.
__________________
Cliff Fargason
US Army (ret)
2012 Fleetwood Bounder
Cum catapultae proscriptae soli proscript catapultas habebunt
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06-15-2013, 05:15 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 2,500
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Also,,, if they say your "modulation" is off, as in maybe too quiet while you are talking, turn your "Mic Gain" up, if you have one... Most do. I use a cb 5 nights a week, and will be putting one of my spares in our mh soon. My company, as a lot, have a different channel to run on rather than 19, so we can talk . It would be nice to be traveling with another rv'r and be able to chat. Just chose your own channel.
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Monkey, pilot of a Great Dane hauler,
2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax/Alison 4x4 CrewCab 2016 Cougar 28SGS
1ST CAV
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06-15-2013, 05:43 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Easton, Ks
Posts: 2,836
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I think the noise that you are hearing is normal. You have to turn the squelch knob until the noise goes away. Then another CBer has to be close enough to you with a strong enough signal to brake your squelch setting then you will hear them clearly.
__________________
Bill
1995 COACHMEN Santara 350FL on a 1994 Ford F53
subford@gmail.com
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