My New Setup!

[PyroPerson]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum but know quite a bit about cb's. My previous setup was a cobra 38 WXST handheld CB radio, I tried to mod. it but didn't work very well and then the antenna connector got real lose then it just broke totally, So...I decided to get new setup finally, Okay, My new setup which I will get tomorrow will be this...

1. RadioShack Brand TRC-503 Small 40 Ch. CB Radio With Stock Mic.
2. 3Amp Power Supply For Home Use Of The CB Radio
3. And The Current Antenna that I have, A 39" Mag. Mount Fiberglass Whip Antenna Mounted In The Inside On The 2nd Floor Of My Home

So, What does everyone think of that setup? It's all I can afford at this current time.

[crazytruker]

Hello pyro and welcome. I remember the days of just starting out at age 14. An old Gemtronics 23 channel mobile, Radio Shack 12 v, 3 amp power supply and trunk mount mobile antenna clipped to the side of an aluminum awning. I think you had better get your swr's tuned in before talking on it. If the antenna is inside, which it sounds like, you may have trouble cuz your signal is going to reflect all over.

[KI4MSJ]

The radio is adequate and should get you by for now. As far as the antenna goes, I would take a piece of 2x4 and make a brace outside your window and mount a round metal electrical box on it with a cover and try putting the antenna on it. The antenna should be outside, somewhere, somehow.

[209 first class]

sounds good, unfortunatly the antenna system will be the weak point. i have heard mag mounts work well on refridgerators, and washing machines, though. hope it works well ! 209

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Choirboy had good luck with a "Mr Coily" trucker antenna in the attic of his apartment.

I haven't been able to get a mag mount to work around the house fer nuthin'

[poboy309]

sounds good, unfortunatly the antenna system will be the weak point. i have heard mag mounts work well on refridgerators, and washing machines, though. hope it works well ! 209

I can't help but picture the Klampit family throwing washing machines in their front yard with mag mount antennas on them. It would work but the neighbors might look at ya funny.

[PyroPerson]

Hello,

Interesting, Thanks for your input, when I had my old cobra handheld the antenna worked fine with it, got out about 6 Miles. Am definatly thinking of upgrading antennas someday.

Thanks,
PyroPerson

[EarthQuake]

WELCOME!

[doctor]

The antenna is the weak point, I will post a homemade antenna to make which will be very inexpensive..Welcome

DOCTOR/795

[sideways]

Welcome to the forum,nice to have another Buckeye on board. Where bouts in Ohio I'm in the burbs of Cleve..

[doctor]

Here is the antenna, when you get about 15 dollars in the cookie jar...



Here is a inexpensive vertical antenna..11 meters 27.113 <chnl 13> or make it for your favoite frequency for top notch transmitting and reception.

You need the following
2-10 foot lengths of 1/2 inch galvanized electrical conduit
2-stainless steel adjustable hose clamps
1- 5/8 inch wooden dowel

cut the conduit to the proper length..17. feet, 2 inches.
formula 468 divided by f in MHZ
cut the conduit to a length of 17ft 2 inches
the wooden dowel is placed in the middle of your conduit pieces, if it is to tight sand it a bit to make it slide in make sure it is a snug fit. leave a gap of one inch between the two pieces of conduit, plug the top conduit so water doesnt get in use caulking <liquid nail works good>.use the adjustable hose clamps one on each conduit pole close to the end closeto the wooden dowel, one end of your coax goes to one side and the other goes to the other side<example center conductor to one side, ground braid to the other> and tighten them with the hose clamp.
Your swr will be around 1.3 to 1 if higher you might want to cut a small bit off the pole about 1.5 inches no more.
If you want a flat swr run it into a antenna tuner....
You can mount it anywhere <antenna>, vertical just use a u bolt mount it on a pole with a flat small board behind it so not to have the conduit pole touch the pole you are mounting it on.
Drill a hole in the top and have it just hang down from a tree branch or whatever, use good coax also not RAT SHACK stuff.

Hope this helps

73 doctor........ easy project to build a vertical for CB , I have configured it for chnl 13, but you the radio operator can configure it for your favorite channel or free band frequency...


DOCTOR/795

[PyroPerson]

Welcome to the forum,nice to have another Buckeye on board. Where bouts in Ohio I'm in the burbs of Cleve..

Cleveland here.

[PyroPerson]

Hello,

Well, I got it Friday, It worked fine until now (Sunday morning 1:50am) Well, I was transmitting for a while and then it suddenly started to smell weird like odd plastic then I felt it and it was terribly hot when I took the antenna connector off it was even hotter, So decided to stop using it after that, that was just odd. I was doing everything right , all connections etc. Belive me I've had bad experiences with radio shack products not working correctly . Luckily I have all the receipts and packing material so I'm taking it back tomorrow to exchange it for something else, Probably a handheld scanner for the same price. My last comment it this: DON'T EVERY BUY RADIO SHACK STUFF!!!

PyroPerson

[KI4MSJ]

Why don't you hold on to your money and see if someone on the forum could help you out with a cheap radio. Matbe a Cobra 29ltd or something

[209 first class]

im not so sure its the radios fault ? high swr will make any cb hot. if you are sure the swr is low ( i dont recall what antenna you ended up with) and sure your swr meter is functioning properly, it may be the radio. if you are using the swr meter in the radio they arent really accurate. tell us more about the setup/eqpt/swr's/antenna and it will help give opinions. 209

[209 first class]

if its the fiberglass antenna you mentioned, what is being used for a ground plane? 209

[PyroPerson]

it was the fiberglass whip antenna with magent mount put on a metal window sill . I don't have any meters, radio doesn't come with one. But when I had my old handheld I used same antenna in same location and never had any problems with it.

[crazytruker]

I would be a grand $$$ that your swr was way too high and it smoked the radio. My guess is the handheld worked cuz they are a walkie talkie and low powered compared to a regular radio. having a window sill mounted antenna of one inside just isn't good for tuning up. If you can get it tuned to 1.5 or less t hen you'll be safe for jabber jawing. Get yourself an swr meter to check it. Even a cheap one will get you in the ballpark and is better than nothing.

[PyroPerson]

Okay. well, already bought the scanner and am happy with it, may get a better cb someday.

[209 first class]

ok, but remember the same would happen to the nicer cb, the high swr strains the outputs. i would hate to see ya smoke 2 of em when an antron 99 antenna is about $60. 209

[Av8r1]

I doubt it was the radio...it must have been the antenna or coax. High swr will cook the radio/finals.



I have a used Midland 23 ch. with SSb if you want it.

[WelderBuilder]

It could just be a bad coax connection. If the end going into your radio is loose inside, sometimes it can work and other times it won't. The end might feel hot. Take the coax off your radio and see if hasn't come loose inside. It can look good and be sending SWRs through the roof.

Michael

[WelderBuilder]

It could just be a bad coax connection. If the end going into your radio is loose inside, sometimes it can work and other times it won't. The end might feel hot. Take the coax off your radio and see if it hasn't come loose inside. It can look good and be sending SWRs through the roof.

Michael

[PyroPerson]

I have a used Midland 23 ch. with SSb if you want it.

For how much?

[Av8r1]

I'll give it to you, if you can just pay the shipping to you.