Is a base station even possible for me? Need advice/wisdom, something....

[loosecannon]

i think he said he had a cobra 2000GTL.

in which case the transistor he's looking for is TR24. (2SC945)
(TR32 is the AMC transistor in the 142GTL/washington single conversion types)

also check TR26 (2SC945), and R131 (10K ohms)

and look near the back of the radio to see if VR12 has been turned up.

these are the usual ways people "clip" these radios.

LC

 

[Robb]

i think he said he had a cobra 2000GTL.

in which case the transistor he's looking for is TR24. (2SC945)
(TR32 is the AMC transistor in the 142GTL/washington single conversion types)

also check TR26 (2SC945), and R131 (10K ohms)

and look near the back of the radio to see if VR12 has been turned up.

these are the usual ways people "clip" these radios.

LC

You are right, LC.

Another thing to think about when setting up a station: Don't even consider running a linear for awhile. See if you have any problems with just having the station up and running first. DON'T ask neighbors if you are causing interfering; they will come to you if they have a problem (some people can be funny like that). Check your own house first. Chances are; you might be getting some interference due to being so close to the radio itself.

 

[Big Dummy 123]

Just keep the modulation tuned down with the mic gain Dynamike you should be ok keep under 100%. Ben

 

[Sixstring]

I'm gonna bet this radio's had all of those things done. It had been worked on when I got it and then reworked by another guy. I was told that it was doing close to or over 20 watts and had a ton of swing. (this is from memory of about 12 years ago and may very well be inaccurate) I'm pretty skilled with a set of tools, but would categorize myself as completely ignorant when it comes to screwing with the inner workings of my radio. If I run it as is with the modulation turned down to say 75% and a high quality, well -grounded antenna would I still expect to be pissing off the neighborhood?

 

[loosecannon]

turning down the modulation will help with the harmonics, meaning that your radio will only put out a signal on 27mhz, as opposed to 27, 54, and 108 etc...

that USED to be the big deal with CBs interfering with televisions because TV's used the 54 mhz freqs.
a CB putting out harmonics would interfere with certain TV channels.

nowadays, television is digital (for the most part), and the problem is not the harmonics that a CB might put out; its actually the signal coming out of the antenna overloads the input circuitry of your neighbors' electronic devices.

amplified computer speakers are notorious for this.

even a completely stock CB radio can do this.

is it the CB radio's fault? HECK NO!
its the POS cheapo electronics your neighbors bought. its not their fault either. its the manufacturers' fault because they want to keep costs down, so they cut corners in places like shielding, selectivity, front end overload, etc...

there is a sticker on all of these devices describing part 15 of the FCC regulations.
part 15 says that these devices must accept any interference caused by other devices.

this means that if you are operating a stock CB radio, and it is coming through your neighbor's TV and computer speakers; the law is on your side.
the HOA is NOT on your side though, and your neighbors will certainly not take kindly to you telling them to get a better TV.

so, your problem is not going to be that your radio is "dirty"; its going to be that all your neighbors have electronics in their houses that are very susceptible to RF interference.

think you can just go over to their house and ask them if you are interfering with anything?
good luck.
first of all you dont want them knowing about your station, and second, they will blame you for every weird thing that happens to their electronics from now on.

they get knocked offline?
your fault.
their cable picture goes pixelated for a second?
your fault.
the lightbulb in the fridge goes out?
your fault. LOL

what im trying to say with all this is that the world doesnt give a flying fig about CB radio and operating a base station in the city can be a real pain in the a$$.

if you get your amateur radio license, you will have the government on your side in these cases as long as your station is legal.
again, the HOA (read: NAZI CONTROLLED ZONE) will not care about that.

good luck,
LC