Just setting up first base unit: need help

[W5LZ]

With those SWR readings your antenna appears to be 'centered' a bit lower than mid band. Also considering those readings, it isn't going to make any difference if you leave things as they are. There's no practical difference between a 1.1:1 and a 1.5:1 that you or anyone else will ever 'hear'.
I would agree, read the manual for that antenna before adjusting anything. And then, make very, very small adjustments.
- 'Doc

 

[RustDemon]

With those SWR readings your antenna appears to be 'centered' a bit lower than mid band. Also considering those readings, it isn't going to make any difference if you leave things as they are. There's no practical difference between a 1.1:1 and a 1.5:1 that you or anyone else will ever 'hear'.
I would agree, read the manual for that antenna before adjusting anything. And then, make very, very small adjustments.
- 'Doc

unfortunately all the equipment is second hand no manuals came with them. I'll have to google one up if I can.

but on another note, I made another confirmed clear contact a few miles further out. stretching my "known effective range" to about 10 miles clear. I was chatting with a guy on a 2 foot antenna on his mercury... I'm sure my antenna can reach further than that. but after day 2, I am satisfied. it just so happened to be a guy who "just got his first cb hooked up after 33 years" it was a good little chat. he was a little garbled though there was a lot of tone hum in the background.

this is a lot of fun, I can't wait to get my manuals on HAM operation. I am pretty much convinced on my need to get a HAM license, I looked at a random spot on a map, my goal to eventually skip a signal to new zealand... possible or not I don't know yet. The fun is in the learning.

 

[Robb]

Then, you will be extra surprised if you ever put your antenna higher and find a lot more stations.
You haven't heard anything yet . . .

:bdh:

 

[RustDemon]

Then, you will be extra surprised if you ever put your antenna higher and find a lot more stations.
You haven't heard anything yet . . .

:bdh:

Good, I can't wait to make my ears longer..... especially if I can get beyond listening to the trucker chatter about "There is a hottie rolling up on your left side Ralph"..... and other fascinating chatter like that.

 

[RustDemon]

I have had a conversation with the wife and we reached an agreement on the antenna relocation, it started out roughly equivalent to "when hell freezes over" to after a short period of brief but serious negotiations to "as soon as you finish putting the new trim on the windows." Score.

now I have to get the window trim done.

 

[nobody]

I have now. I got tired of waiting 24 hours for my replies to go up, so I skipped out of that forum and came over here. this one seems a little more active on the CB side the other one has so many subforums you can't find anything.

any how off to the garage to check out the SWR meter and drink coffee, I'll check in later and update.

Yeah that forum sucks! I suspect the reason you didn't get any more responses from them because have one of those evil non-ham , ticket holder (or CBers, "criminal banders" etc) and his evil non-type certified 10 meter export radios. At least that appears to be the sentiment over there.
I believe I'll stick to this forum. They'll let you know if you're legal or not but are much more friendlier about it IMO.

The SWR readings you have aren't bad but could be better. Since I had a radio go bad on I try to get the best match I can get. Makes me feel better as far as my own stuff is concerned. BTW I've heard some negative things about Radio Shack CB Coax. Maybe some of the others know more about it? I'm currently using some until I can get better coax for my base.
What channel are you on most of the time. I might be hear one day. So far I have only been able to talk locally but can hear from all over. I think part of my problem is my problem is the height of my antenna and the power lines and transformer in front of my house.

 

[VA3ES]

Yeah that forum sucks! I suspect the reason you didn't get any more responses from them because have one of those evil non-ham , ticket holder (or CBers, "criminal banders" etc) and his evil non-type certified 10 meter export radios. At least that appears to be the sentiment over there.
I believe I'll stick to this forum. They'll let you know if you're legal or not but are much more friendlier about it IMO.

Sheesh! You must be talking about QRZ? This forum is one of the most friendly I've ever encountered. You have hams, CB'ers, freebanders and everything in between here, all getting along fine. I have no hate or bigotry against CB'ers, and in fact operate there from time-to-time. I'm always ready to help out any CB'er that needs help. (And if I can influence him to become a ham, all the better!)

The SWR readings you have aren't bad but could be better. Since I had a radio go bad on I try to get the best match I can get. Makes me feel better as far as my own stuff is concerned. BTW I've heard some negative things about Radio Shack CB Coax. Maybe some of the others know more about it? I'm currently using some until I can get better coax for my base.

Stay away from Radio Shack coax, it's very cheaply made and has only about 70% shielding, vs. 99% shielding of mil spec RG213/u. At very least you should use RG213/u or better.

What channel are you on most of the time. I might be hear one day. So far I have only been able to talk locally but can hear from all over. I think part of my problem is my problem is the height of my antenna and the power lines and transformer in front of my house.

Your antenna, for best performance should be at least 36' above ground.

 

[W5LZ]

Beware of any 'absolutes', they are almost always only 'absolute' for 50% of the times.

I wouldn't recommend Radio Shack coax, at least the RG-58 stuff. It isn't very good. But there certainly are good grades of RG-58 coax, and it works just dandy if you don't exceed it's ratings/characteristics. What's probably the most 'average' coax going? RG-8 of a decent brand/grade. It's been that way for a very long time. Are there better coaxs? Sure, depending on how you are going to use them. For typical HF use, RG-8 works fine. Is there any noticeable benefit to using something like LMR-400, of any of the 'hardlines' at HF? Not for less than 200+ feet of run there isn't. (Fractional dB losses are meaningless unless there's a huge lot of them.)
Best height above ground? As much as you can get that is practical. Vertical antennas work just fine at ground level too. The '36' feet that's touted a lot is not the best, or the worst antenna height for an 11 meter antenna. The 'best' height above ground is -always- determined by propagation. That changes all the time, so does the 'best' height for an antenna (not just CB antennas). Gotta 50 foot tower? You gonna cut 14 feet off of it to get that 'best' height? Yeah, right...
- 'Doc

 

[RustDemon]

I gotta say I am liking this forum a lot, plenty of helpfull people with opinions and links to "good read" info, no name calling or pickle throwing. You just can't beat it. well thunderstorms are rolling in gotta shut down the computer.

just one question for I sign off for the night. anyone know a good read on linear amplifiers? I'm sure I could google one up but I would preffer one thats accurate, I wouldn't know if I was reading bogus info or not at this point.

 

[VA3ES]

[...] just one question for I sign off for the night. anyone know a good read on linear amplifiers? I'm sure I could google one up but I would preffer one thats accurate, I wouldn't know if I was reading bogus info or not at this point.

Whoa!!!! There's a TON of stuff on linear amplifiers on the web! Depends on what you need to know. What do you want to know?

 

[nobody]

Sheesh! You must be talking about QRZ?

Actually it's the Radio Reference forum. I lurked there (and here) a while before making any posts. Those SOBs actually screen your first three posts, you make on their forum, before it gets published. If they don't like it they won't post it or they'll sensor it. Communist Bastards!

I had planned on getting a Ham license and in fact have just ordered a Wouxun radio. I was going to start buying more radio related equipment but now it looks like I'll have to save for a new transmission.

Stay away from Radio Shack coax, it's very cheaply made and has only about 70% shielding, vs. 99% shielding of mil spec RG213/u. At very least you should use RG213/u or better.
Your antenna, for best performance should be at least 36' above ground.

The one radio shop I had up the road from me is apparently no more a radio shop and the only place I could get coax, close to the length I needed, was at Radio Shack. I do intend to get better coax before making my installation permanent. I also want to get my antenna up much higher. Right now I'm limited by coax length, mounting options and money.
I did play around with making my own CB antenna with stuff I had laying around. The results were promising enough to further experiment with it.

 

[RustDemon]

Whoa!!!! There's a TON of stuff on linear amplifiers on the web! Depends on what you need to know. What do you want to know?

I am looking for the ABC's of linear amps, what they do, how they do it, the pro's and cons of using them. information such as that to start, I don't really care to know how to build one or anything that advanced.

 

[RustDemon]

yeah nobody, for cb supplies I am limited to radio shack or a local truck stop. fortunately there are a lot of online vendors that sell everything under the sun, the hard part is filtering out the good sources for supplies from the shady vendors.

 

[W5LZ]

"...filtering out the good sources for supplies from the shady vendors."

Everybody is in that situation! I can remember when there were three places in town that had electronic parts/supplies, not counting the commercial radio shops. Now? There's Radio Shack and then those commercial radio shops. Got a choice of 'not so good' and way too expensive. So, the average person has to order it, either from catalogs or 'on-line'. Why's that? Cuz it's a limited market and only handling such things means you will not be in business very long.
Because the emphasis has changed from HF to VHF/UHF/SHF, there aren't going to be many sources for HF stuff anymore, there's just no/not-much profit in it.
That's what we have to deal with, so... deal with it. It's a very good idea to know what you are looking for before looking through catalogs, or browsing internet sites. But what if you don't know what you're looking for to start with? Then you have to deal with advertising hype and at least have to have some clue about whatever it is you're looking for. Oh, that's fun too, right? The alternative most of us are stuck with is finding someone who has the knowledge about such things and getting the idea across to them what you want to do. (Don't look at me! I have to ask about some things too.) When you've been around long enough to have made a few mistakes, you can build up your own 'knowledge base' about things. I don't recommend that, it get's too @#$ expensive. So finding out how things work is a very good idea, right? That doesn't just apply to radio stuff, but to everything. So...
- 'Doc

 

[nobody]

yeah nobody, for cb supplies I am limited to radio shack or a local truck stop. fortunately there are a lot of online vendors that sell everything under the sun, the hard part is filtering out the good sources for supplies from the shady vendors.

I hear you. I no longer have a credit card so I'm really limited. I'm too cheap to buy one of those prepaid cards and am really too impatient for the stuff to come in the mail.

Any new updates or get any more contacts out of it?