Community Forums

Gary.Jones · 04-10-2016, 07:19 AM

Richard

Please spend half of your road time on this trip to Middlebury having stimulating and educational conversations on the CB while you drive (

) just so you are in a position to answer the question.... how many miles of travel have you gotten out of your signal. Solar Flux yesterday was 89 which is terrible, so dont expect much beyond maybe 5 or 10 miles, (even 3 would be good). Please report back to the list.

To me the whole issue is can you get 3 or 5 miles to talk to a trucker or other CB operator to understand the road problems ahead....?

Gary

jestal · 04-11-2016, 08:48 AM

I ended up installing a Firestick no ground plane antennae and Cobra 29 LTD radio. The ngp mount is on the side of the cab just above the drivers head immediately behind the rearmost breaker box where the actual RV skin was accessible easily. used the complete NGP kit from Firestick with their coax, mount, antennae, etc. Two foot antennae that ends up with the tip being above the roof line about 1 foot . Lots of careful SWR tuning. Lots!! I found two bad SWR meters in the process so have yours checked. I have SWR of about 1.2 on channels 1 and 40 and the SWR meter barely moves on channel 19 meaning it is close to perfect.

One important item I discovered is to have adequate power cord to the radio. I was previously using a patchwork of power adapters that ultimately plugged into the cigarette lighters. I could always pick up a slight voltage drop when transmitting at the radio circuit board. I have now a 14 gauge fused wire from the main battery source compartment under the drivers seat. This made a distinct difference in tuning the SWR.

The NGP antennaes are very sensitive with only 1 turn of the screw on the end taking it from "too long" to "to short".

Used this system to communicate from Atlanta Marchfest to SC to Tenn and up the treacherous I-65 to Michigan.

Radio worked great. I am much smarter now after listing to channel 19 although the squelch actually works now. Range is very limited but useful on traffic jambs and line of sight. I did learn over ther CB I had a headlight (DRL) burned out and a running light burned out. And got several compliments from truckers on use of lights when passing.

FWIW I tried mounting a ground plane antennae to the Girard false awning and it did not work in the real world. Got an SWSR reading but could not communicate with another handheld 50 feet away so I will be surprised if Gasman has success when he really tries to use it. I actually ran a redundant solid #14 copper wire ground from the Girard faschia down the A pillar to chassis ground with no change.

The only way I finally got any CB to work was with the NGP setup, good power supply to radio and LOTS of patience tuning the SWR over and over.

Both the radios I was using, BTW, were bench checked in the shop by an oldtimer CB tech I would swear by and he "peaked and tuned" them for me and had me install and communicate with his base station to make sure they were working!

I also, in the process, installed a complete identical NGP system in the production Entegra spot on the roof including pulling in the new NGP coax and tuning. The side mounted antennae works much better than the same antennae mounted on the recessed roof surface. So I kept the antennae mounted on the side of the cab with the 90 degree NGP mount from Firestick.

Good luck. Your results may vary.

PS....I-65 really does make the Koni shocks shine and don't return to Michigan too early as it snowed 5 inches on the coach in the driveway yesterday!!
AWC

Gary.Jones · 04-11-2016, 10:09 AM

Al:

You may be right. Please let me know performance. A no ground plane antenna is simply a 5/8 wavelength wire (for 29 MHz) wound with very small wire on a 2' long fiberglass rod antenna. In contrast to a 1/4 or 1/2 wavelength antenna, a 5/8 wavelength is supposed to not need a ground plane, but it still is a seriously compromised antenna..... 2' physical length versus about 109" physical length. A 1/4 wavelength with a good metal ground close spaced to the bottom of the vertical antenna can be a very good, and maybe better, performer. It is also a compromise as Gasman's antenna is also a helical winding in the center of two short stainless rods but I really like his idea of mounting it right on top of the Girard casing.

I have not started my modification yet, and all I want is to be able to talk to the truckers within 3 or 4 miles if I find myself again in a 7 hour long wreck situation in North Carolina or forced off an interstate on a 30 mile detour with no signs or routings beyond some highway patrolman telling me I had to turn left when I exited the interstate.... In those situations, a short conversation with a trucker or other motorhome is like a coast guard cutter appearing on the horizon of a sinking yacht.

Please keep us posted with real-world use reports.

Gary

Gasman 2 · 04-11-2016, 10:56 AM

Hello Al & Gary

Made it to Spartan in Charlotte last night in the rain. Al I did get to try out the suspension on I 69. Almost as bad as I 65 Birmingham. I don't think I broke anything yet.

Really didn't get to try out new antenna as we come across route 30 from Ohio and hardy any truck traffic.
Good comment on signaling when passing. I have noticed over the last few years that truckers are not signaling for each other as much as in past years. Maybe new generations of drivers who have never driven two lane roads much and know the importance of helping each other.
But I did get signal over on about all trucks I passed on I 69.

Gary maybe I can give a report on the antenna later as we are going to Entegra from here and then back to the Buckeye. It did seem I was hearing more and clearer.

Al, where's Milford from Charlotte?

Richard

jestal · 04-11-2016, 11:19 AM

Richard and Gary,

I put about two thousand miles on with the NGP CB antennae returning north this spring. As mentioned it gives about 1/2 mile at most coverage but, like I said, this worked fine for the two hour traffic jam we got in on I-65 and asking a trucker for a break to change lanes as the traffic flow shifted from the left to the right lane and back. I can also use it now with a handheld CB for my wife to walk my wing backing in tight places.

I talked with Firestick in Phoenix and they were the ones to recommend I have sufficient wire size supplying the radio to prevent even the smallest voltage drop and they stressed the sensitivity of getting the SWR as close as possible on channel 1 and 40 to get the most out of the antennae as possible. They were very candid about the NGP being nowhere near as good as a full length whip....but at least it is better than nothing when the situation requires on a composite body surface.

Richard, Milford is about an hour from Charlotte. If you stayed on I69 north to I-96 at Lansing(about 5 miles from where you exited for Spartan) and then drove east on I-96 for 55 miles. We are on the west side of Detroit just north of I-96.

AWC

RubiconTrail · 04-11-2016, 11:32 AM

I replaced my CB antenna with a 2m/440 (Diamond NRH770CA) dual band antenna on a piece of 16 gauge stainless sheet that is 20" square. dropped the NMO through the hole made for the CB antenna and sealed the plate...actually Entegra sealed the plate for me in Middlebury, as I was there for PDI at the time.

Good SWR, seems to have the same signal over distance as my toad with the same antenna, and doesn't leak. Can't complain.

Gasman 2 · 04-11-2016, 11:38 AM

Al,
Very good, I used 10 gauge for both the ground and hot from the outside compartment under the drive seat and fused it there with a 20 amp fuse and a fuse at the radio also.
I didn't realize the 2013 Anthems had the false awning. We had a 2013 Aspire and it did not.
We are in Frankenmuth now at the Christmas store, everything you could think of for Christmas.

Richard

Gary.Jones · 04-12-2016, 10:32 AM

Rubicon

You replaced your CB antenna with a 144/440 MHz steel whip to use on 29 MHz ????? and it works well. or are you running a 144/440 radio in the coach and car? de W5FI

Also, were you in Middlebury last October by any chance?

Gary

RubiconTrail · 04-12-2016, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Rubicon

You replaced your CB antenna with a 144/440 MHz steel whip to use on 29 MHz ????? and it works well. or are you running a 144/440 radio in the coach and car? de W5FI

Also, were you in Middlebury last October by any chance?

Gary

No, yes, and yes.

No, no CB's in our Anthem, DW and I are both hams. Yes, I put in a FT8800 Yaesu at the same time, it works very well thanks. And yes, I was in Middlebury last October.

Edit: I'll bet you saw the Jeep with my ham plate sitting in the lot?

stevedenesha · 04-13-2016, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gasman 2

Al,
Very good, I used 10 gauge for both the ground and hot from the outside compartment under the drive seat and fused it there with a 20 amp fuse and a fuse at the radio also.
I didn't realize the 2013 Anthems had the false awning. We had a 2013 Aspire and it did not.
We are in Frankenmuth now at the Christmas store, everything you could think of for Christmas.

Richard

Do you have any recommendations for RV parks near Frankenmuth as we will be going there the middle of July?

Gasman 2 · 04-13-2016, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevedenesha

Do you have any recommendations for RV parks near Frankenmuth as we will be going there the middle of July?

We are staying at Spartan in Charlotte Mi. I did see a RV park just south a Frankenmuth on route 83 as we were going in that looked pretty nice from the road. Just looked at the campground book and the park must be the Jellystone Park 989 652 6668.
Plan to stay a day at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.

Gary.Jones · 04-14-2016, 06:45 AM

Rubicon

I asked about Middlebury as you were arriving shortly before I was leaving, and when you and the the DW pulled into the main lot, I had followed you in and talked to you briefly about following you down the highway from the stateline and I mentioned I was a old time licensed "HAM" also. We didn't get much time to talk after you got to the service area. I thought that might be you. Nice to meet you again and know your "handle" here on iRV2.

Gary

crowleytj · 04-14-2016, 07:19 AM

One of the issues with the CB on coaches is the Magnum inverters. They are RF generators at 27 MHz the CB band. I've talked to Magnum about adding a capacitor to the AC and DC outputs to reduce the RFI. they just said no! I have tried adding devices to reduce the RFI to no avail. What might work is taking the Magnum inverters out and adding RF quieting inside the case.

Last week while traveling on I10 there were 2 major accidents which caused detours off I10. The CB was no help at all in trying to find out what was going on. I just leave mine off, its of little to no value.

Tom Crowley
14 Anthem

RubiconTrail · 04-14-2016, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Nice to meet you again and know your "handle" here on iRV2.

Gary

We almost met again in Quartzite, Gary. I punked out on you at the last minute because my Mom in San Diego got sick and I had to head straight there. I'm sure we'll cross paths again, and yes, I do remember chatting with you for a few minutes in Middlebury.