CB advice

[Howmanygoes]

Evening, looking at getting a vehicle mounted CB.

Seen on eBay starter kits i.e.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Team-CB-...rentrq:7cf932b616c0aa16b66b4b77ffd3db5f|iid:1

Are they any good?

I want it for group laning trips, base camp and I would also like a spotter to be able to use one of my cheap hand helds to give advice.

I plan to wire it to my leisure battery.

Am I better off buying separately, as it’s my first toe dip into CB didn’t want it spend much more than £100.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Trevor]

The radio itself is reasonable but those springer type antennas are pure garbage.

My suggestion is go with this antenna

https://www.thunderpole.co.uk/medium-cb-antennas/thunderpole-thunderbolt.html

It's a good mid level antenna without breaking the bank, your system is only ever as good as the antenna.

Then pick a radio to suit your budget. TTi and K-PO radios are a good top entry to mid level for you to consider.

Don't fit and start using until you have tuned the antenna when it's on the vehicle. That's done using an SWR meter, if someone local to you has one they might help get you set up. It's important the tuning is done to "match" the antenna to the radio, if not you can burn out the transistors in the power amplifier in the radio if the mismatch is too great.

 

[mettisse]

The radio itself is reasonable but those springer type antennas are pure garbage.

My suggestion is go with this antenna

https://www.thunderpole.co.uk/medium-cb-antennas/thunderpole-thunderbolt.html

It's a good mid level antenna without breaking the bank, your system is only ever as good as the antenna.

Then pick a radio to suit your budget. TTi and K-PO radios are a good top entry to mid level for you to consider.

Don't fit and start using until you have tuned the antenna when it's on the vehicle. That's done using an SWR meter, if someone local to you has one they might help get you set up. It's important the tuning is done to "match" the antenna to the radio, if not you can burn out the transistors in the power amplifier in the radio if the mismatch is too great.

Well done for a great reply, really important advice, at the moment I’m having a right game getting the aerial SWR ‘d in the proper range, works absolutely perfect on my magnetic mount, ( SWR 1.5 on the meter) but cannot get under 3.00 on a mount attached to the roof rack. Replacing the coax cable tomorrow, ( good ol’ Thunder pole) 24 hour delivery. For group trips a CB is good fun, and not expensive. The next thing to be replaced ( if I have no success) will be the antenna, probably should have been the first. Bill Westley

 

[stumog]

What trev said

I have that antenna and get a nice clear sound.

 

[StarCruiser]

Well done for a great reply, really important advice, at the moment I’m having a right game getting the aerial SWR ‘d in the proper range, works absolutely perfect on my magnetic mount, ( SWR 1.5 on the meter) but cannot get under 3.00 on a mount attached to the roof rack. Replacing the coax cable tomorrow, ( good ol’ Thunder pole) 24 hour delivery. For group trips a CB is good fun, and not expensive. The next thing to be replaced ( if I have no success) will be the antenna, probably should have been the first. Bill Westley

You may not have enough ground plane or ground connection to your roof rack at the antenna mount, Bill. It’s probably now at the side of the truck instead of part way towards the centre of the roof with the mag mount so the area of ground plane may be affected.

 

[mettisse]

You may not have enough ground plane or ground connection to your roof rack at the antenna mount, Bill. It’s probably now at the side of the truck instead of part way towards the centre of the roof with the mag mount so the area of ground plane may be affected.

Hi again, is ground plane something I can create? The mag mount is about 4 inches away from the rack mount when I check it, ( same antenna) will I need to drill a panel? Hope not I’d sooner super glue the mag mount down. Does the mag mount have its own ground plane? ( in the early 80s I had a Cb in all the vehicles and was a dab hand at SWR ing the antenna) ..............I dunno, take a break from it and it all goes Pete Tong...........where did 30 plus years go? PS I attached a cable to check the earth and it made no difference

 

[StarCruiser]

The mag mount is capacitively coupled to the roof of the truck giving an excellent ground plane.

From a radio standpoint, the best position for an antenna is the centre of the roof drilled through with a fixed, through-panel mount. This is neither convenient for roof rack use nor desirable as it means putting a hole in the roof.
So:-
You can help your existing ground plane by connecting the grounding connection of the antenna very cleanly and well to the plate it is attached to. You can also Earth the roof rack with braided cables to the roof of the vehicle. Where? I’ve thought possibly sandwiching some played copper braids between the tailgate hinges and the body then bringing them out to the rack through the gap at the top of the tailgate where it meets the roof.
The easiest thing to try first as you say is to mount through a plate, ideally through the centre. Earth the plate well to the rest of the roof rack. The other thing to try would be to add a ground plane to the antenna if this is possible. This depends on the mount it has but there are three limbed ground planes available. Much trial and error involved.

 

[Shayne]

It's just luck i must have spent around 400 quid on CB's and i've never had one working .

 

[Howmanygoes]

@Trevor

Thank you for your detailed reply. Will need to google some further info on setting them up and SWR?? Not “plugnplay” by the sounds of it.

Should I be able to communicate to my little hand helds? Motorola T41s?

From reading the other replies antenna position seems rather important. Was planning on mounting on my front runner rack (concerns for damage) or my front bumper bracketed to chassis, both with some sort of earthing to the bodywork.

Really new at this so sorry for the dumb questions.

 

[fbnss]

It's just luck i must have spent around 400 quid on CB's and i've never had one working .

As your gonna be on holiday with trevor , callsign rubber radio gimp, I'm sure he can sort it for you. I'd hate to be the only person to catch his speed camera and traffic warnings!

 

[Shayne]

I have toyed with the idea of putting the one from my 90 in the 80 but i ain't drilling no holes for crap that doesn't work . I'd swap the factory radio antenna for a CB one but a quick look at removing the original suggests thats no 5 minute job .

 

[Trevor]

@Howmanygoes I don't think the motorola sets you have operate on CB frequencies, they look like public PMR sets which use a completely different frequency range so you won't be able talk from CB to them.

Mounting the antenna onto the rack is fine, that's how I have mine. I used a frontrunner light mount bracket and enlarged the hole a little so I could mount an antenna stud mount. @StarCruiser is correct that most tuning problems are down to a poor earth from the thing you mount the antenna on to. Front bumper is ok but not as optimal as the roofrack. Where about in the country are you?

@Shayne if you want to bring along all your cb stuff I'm sure we can get it working for you, even if it's only a temporary lash up for the trip.

 

[Howmanygoes]

@Trevor

Thank you.

I have a few spare front runner light brackets, I wanted 4 so bought 4, but they came as pairs...so I have 8.

I am based in Leicestershire, but happy to commute for help.

So I would need a hand held cb to communicate to my in cab cb? Bum... maybe I just have a pair of PMR for recovery and Spotting and the cb for group trips.

 

[StarCruiser]

Anyone looked at Zello?

Zello is a push to talk (wallow talkie) for smart phones that uses data not voice time and operates wherever there is a mobile phone signal. Granted this isn’t everywhere but for something like the Romania trip it may be of use. There’s accessories available like PTT buttons and Bluetooth fist mics if needed. Android phones can use a cheap shutter release button and it will work over existing hands free systems.

It’s being increasingly used by 4x4 Response and is known as POC radio. It can be private person to person or to those invited to a group. As long as there’s signal it will work anywhere in the world.

Downside, it’s on the phone so not legal while driving without a PTT button and there is a slight delay between talking and others receiving. The bonus is messages get stored, almost like a voice forum.

Worth a look.

 

[Trevor]

@Howmanygoes more than happy to help if you are in the Brackley area, I'm away last 2 weeks of this month. There is a club meet on the weekend of the 14th September at my local pub if you wanted to pop down for that, good opportunity to meet some of the members and I could look at it then if that worked also.

 

[GeekOKent]

@StarCruiser yeah, been on a few zello channels for years now. The problem with zello is that it burns mobile data. And if you have mobile signal and it's cheap enough, may as well just call the other people.

It's sort of why PTT on GSM never really became a thing.

Over the last year or so, all the channels on zello that I was on seem to be going quieter. Suspect it's going to become a closed loop, clouded group sort of a thing eventually.

 

[Gary820]

I have my cb antenna mounted on the A bar upfront, get really good signal and never have issues communicating with others.

For longer range I have a vhf radio mounted in the 80, also have a handheld for when I'm out of the 80.


We were using zello for response but use radios more

 

[StarCruiser]

There are drawbacks to Zello but Sussex 4x4 Response seemed to think a £14 data only card would probably last a year, though like all these things it would depend how much it was used. For one to one, I agree, just phone them. But for a quick message in a group situation, it can have benefits.

 

[Gary820]

There are drawbacks to Zello but Sussex 4x4 Response seemed to think a £14 data only card would probably last a year, though like all these things it would depend how much it was used. For one to one, I agree, just phone them. But for a quick message in a group situation, it can have benefits.

We often struggle with phone signal even in some villages, still have zello as never know when it might be needed.

we had in car radios donated recently which has helped.
Have a mag mount antenna for my handheld too if need to help its Range.

 

[Towpack]

Mobile antenna mounting is always a compromise between maximum efficiency and practicality. As much (flat) metal beneath the antenna is textbook No.1 choice but with adequate RF bonding it’s possible to get an acceptable SWR value with an antenna mounted just about anywhere on the vehicle. What will vary are the losses and hence the efficiency and range. I guess you could look at this two ways. With only 4 watts (legally) to play with you want the most efficient setup possible or it’s only to be used for relatively short range vehicle to vehicle comms which makes it less of an issue.