Cb wiring probs

[The_Dealer]

first off i got a cobra ultra iii cb from wally world last night, installed it today with a schosce 26" mast antenna. anyways i wired it into the radio and i get mad engine noise with it running, but its fine when the motor's off. another thing, i can hear just fine but nobody seems to be able to hear me for some reason. the mic is in right as it only fits on one way. should i wire it straight to the battery and see how that works out? it has an inline fuse

 

[02RangerXLT]

Where is it wired to now?

Most people suggest that you wire it to the battery to get rid of the engine noise...

 

[strvger]

wire it directly to the battery with the correct fuse to get the least amount of noise. you can also add a "noise suppressor" to help if it is still bad. check on ebay maybe. also, you will always be able to receive from longer distances than you will be able to talk to. just the nature of the beast with the FCC power limitations. to get the most of your cb, have the antenna 'tuned' to the radio for optimum performance. then, you should be good to go!

 

[The_Dealer]

i have it wired to the radio's switched wire. i have some extra 14g wire from another project ill wire it straight to the battery. when im recieving i get 30+ on the meter showing they're pretty close, but i cant get a radio check to save my life. im close enough to the interstate to piss on a car. im thinking it might be the antenna http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NWEJUC/?tag=959media-20

except i got mine from wally world for 12 bux

ill wire it up again tomorrow and see how that helps out

 

[strvger]

yeah, that antenna is going to limit your transmitting range to just a couple of miles at best i believe. it is a really good one for the trails where your group is fairly close together, but kinda sucks for on the road or highway. just not good enough.
actually, the antenna is the most important part of a cb system. all the radios are limited to 4 watts out by the FCC. the only thing you can do to get the most out of those 4 watts is to get a really good antenna, and then have it tuned.
the longer the antenna the better usually. and mounted close to the center of the vehicle is best, but it does need to extend at least a couple of feet above the cab for the best performance. and for most antennas over 4 ft tall, a spring is usually needed.
i'd try craig's list or ebay for a really good antenna for a decent price. K-40, Firestik, etc. and you can still get magnetic ones that are really good. you might opt to get just the magnetic mount that has a 3/8x24 thread mount, then get a really good antenna that has that 3/8x24 mounting stud. that way it will be easily removed from the magnetic base when going thru the car wash, into the garage, theft prevention, etc.
just my $.02.

 

[The_Dealer]

well i wired it to the fuse box, and did a better ground, its working great and im not getting any noise through it. thanks guys

 

[baxtej44]

well i wired it to the fuse box, and did a better ground, its working great and im not getting any noise through it. thanks guys

glad you got it figured out... still having range problems? do you plan on getting a new antenna?

 

[The_Dealer]

some range probs. gonna do a doorjamb mount on the rear hatch and get a firestick firefly antenna