Cb radio

[1994xlt]

Your transmitting range is likely reduced without having the antenna's SWRs tuned. You can hear others, but you're not able reach them with your radio.

You could try parking at a truck stop, or just close to an interstate, in order to get closer to other CB radios to see if you can get a response.

I tuned it with the swr on the cb

 

[1994xlt]

Also, you can often receive from someone running a linear amp (illegal) or the like but not be able to talk to them because they are out of range. Used to pick up transmissions from Mexico and stuff, they would hog a channel and usually the channel above and below would be unusable because of the bleed over from the power they were putting out.

Channel 6 had some Californian thing going on it

 

[1994xlt]

Channel 15 used to pick up the cheap 2-way walkie-talkies and sometimes you could talk to them too, lol

I’ll try more tomarrow on channel 19 I guess and just flip around also I don’t understand squelch what is it I guess it’s for noise but I don’t understand it

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’ll try more tomarrow on channel 19 I guess and just flip around also I don’t understand squelch what is it I guess it’s for noise but I don’t understand it

Squelch cuts out the static and weak transmissions depending on how you adjust it. If you want to be able to listen for even weak signals, turn it until the static dies out, then back just slightly into static. If you don’t want to hear that, then just adjust it until the static fades out. Be aware though that this adjustment changes depending on atmospheric conditions and if you are moving so it’s not exactly a set and forget thing.

 

[1994xlt]

Squelch cuts out the static and weak transmissions depending on how you adjust it. If you want to be able to listen for even weak signals, turn it until the static dies out, then back just slightly into static. If you don’t want to hear that, then just adjust it until the static fades out. Be aware though that this adjustment changes depending on atmospheric conditions and if you are moving so it’s not exactly a set and forget thing.

My radio is werid it seems like mine never gets clear it gets clear but not really clear also if I turn it all the way counter clockwise I hear nothing, then I turn it just a little I’ll hear stuff and then ones I get a quarter way turned it stops and the rest of adjustment is nothing.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

My radio is werid it seems like mine never gets clear it gets clear but not really clear also if I turn it all the way counter clockwise I hear nothing, then I turn it just a little I’ll hear stuff and then ones I get a quarter way turned it stops and the rest of adjustment is nothing.

That's common. That knob creates resistance. Think of it in terms of distance. If you turn the knob all the way to the left, you are allowing the radios furthest away from you to come through. You probably can't talk to them, but you can hear them. In many situations, that's less than 2-3 miles. If you turn the knob to the right, you're choosing to hear radios that are closest to you. That's usually less than a mile, and is used when you're convoying and want to talk on a busy channel. A tuned (read: maxed out) radio could possibly reach 5 miles or more, but that's line of sight. Mountains, trees, and buildings will affect the overall range. If you're out in the country, you will probably not hear much communication.

Regarding clarity, it's also common to get a lot of static during comms. Some radios have beautifully clear transception, with good quality components like a high-end microphone. Most people never buy better parts. That's not to say that the mics that come with the radios aren't good - theyre just "ok"; good enough. You can tell when a high quality setup is used.

 

[4x4junkie]

My radio is werid it seems like mine never gets clear it gets clear but not really clear also if I turn it all the way counter clockwise I hear nothing, then I turn it just a little I’ll hear stuff and then ones I get a quarter way turned it stops and the rest of adjustment is nothing.

Could also be a dirty squelch potentiometer (name for the variable resistor control that the knob turns). If it's scratchy like a volume knob sometimes can be, would cause the squelch threshold to also act erratic (removing the bottom cover of the radio then spraying some contact cleaner into the opening on the back of all the controls might help).

As for finding someone to talk to, you might have a better chance finding someone who can hear you at night.
At night that "California thing" (atmospheric skip) generally goes away after the sun goes down and you should then be able to hear much further locally around your area (and others being able to hear you). You might have to spin the dial around a few times, maybe try at different times in the evening, but many areas do still have active local groups (and many areas are also devoid of CB activity, so it could go either way).
If you're near an interstate highway, you might be able to catch some people passing through too. But as said earlier, even truck drivers aren't using as much as they once did (I s'pose they probably have a phone app that uses the internet that's replaced CB for the most part since cell service is usually available along interstates).

Regarding clarity, it's also common to get a lot of static during comms. Some radios have beautifully clear transception, with good quality components like a high-end microphone. Most people never buy better parts. That's not to say that the mics that come with the radios aren't good - theyre just "ok"; good enough. You can tell when a high quality setup is used.

The Cobra 75 you suggested earlier would be a glaring exception to that... Those radios don't qualify for even "ok, good enough", they have the worst microphones built into them (planting your face into a pillow and yelling into it works about as good, because that's about what they sound like). And because the mic is the whole radio, you can't just replace/upgrade it like you can on a regular radio (not without microsurgery anyway).

Instead, this would be a much better recommendation for an all-in-the-mic radio (and you can use it portable too if you want):

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-75-822-Channel-CB-Way-Radio/dp/B00000K2YR?tag=959media-20

Everyone you communicate with who's experienced the transmitting end of a Cobra 75 will greatly appreciate it!

 

[1994xlt]

That's common. That knob creates resistance. Think of it in terms of distance. If you turn the knob all the way to the left, you are allowing the radios furthest away from you to come through. You probably can't talk to them, but you can hear them. In many situations, that's less than 2-3 miles. If you turn the knob to the right, you're choosing to hear radios that are closest to you. That's usually less than a mile, and is used when you're convoying and want to talk on a busy channel. A tuned (read: maxed out) radio could possibly reach 5 miles or more, but that's line of sight. Mountains, trees, and buildings will affect the overall range. If you're out in the country, you will probably not hear much communication.

Regarding clarity, it's also common to get a lot of static during comms. Some radios have beautifully clear transception, with good quality components like a high-end microphone. Most people never buy better parts. That's not to say that the mics that come with the radios aren't good - theyre just "ok"; good enough. You can tell when a high quality setup is used.

Thank you, I’ll tune my radio better now

 

[DRanger024]

What is 2m70

Amateur (ham) radio bands.

CB and off-roading pushed me to get licensed. CB is pretty much dead in my area.

 

[pjtoledo]

What is 2m70

short wave radio can be described as either frequency or wave lengths.
the higher frequency is the shorter the wavelength.
2m is a 2 meter wavelength, 70cm is a higher frequency at 0.7m

CB runs at about 27 mega-hertz and has a wavelength of 11 meters/36 feet.

describing the wavelength is used because a perfect antenna will be the same size as the wavelength.