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What exactly is a "tuned" CB radio?
- Thread starter kc0bus
- Start date
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edweirdFL
Member
A radio that costs more to purchase because it is claimed that someone who knows what they are doing, has performed adjustments that have optimized it's performance. (typically higher transmit wattage and modulation).
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
If you are referring to the "peak and tune" jobs that get sold, then it really varies depending on who's doing the work.
Some of the guys actually use service monitors and do a decent job. They either bring the radio up to spec, or go a bit beyond to squeeze a few extra watts out of it.
Some guys will just hook up an SWR meter and start tweaking pots, spreading coils until the power level rises, which isn't the way to do it. It usually results in splatter all over the adjacent channels.
It's usually people just looking for more RF power, thinking that's the solution to all of their range/coverage issues. These are often the same people running magnetic mount antennas, physically short antennas, antennas that haven't been properly tuned, etc.
Some of the guys actually use service monitors and do a decent job. They either bring the radio up to spec, or go a bit beyond to squeeze a few extra watts out of it.
Some guys will just hook up an SWR meter and start tweaking pots, spreading coils until the power level rises, which isn't the way to do it. It usually results in splatter all over the adjacent channels.
It's usually people just looking for more RF power, thinking that's the solution to all of their range/coverage issues. These are often the same people running magnetic mount antennas, physically short antennas, antennas that haven't been properly tuned, etc.
DJ11DLN
Member
+1 on all of this. Also see "golden screwdriver.":lol:
RFI-EMI-GUY
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Steer clear of any "peaked and tuned" radios. There is nothing wrong with a factory tuned radio. Unless it is very ancient radio, there is nothing that should require "peaking and tuning" by those tweakers.
Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
I feel offended because of a Wilson 1000 magnet mount antenna that is currently sitting on top of my cab. Whatever....as for peaking and tweaking...I kinda laugh at that guy that reworks Cobra radios. I guarantee if you ask that guy what all those dials on bis scope does he would have no idea. It just looks good on his work area when he videos work for his clients. No as for magnet mount antennas, mine works fine. Actually real good. No one can prove me otherwise.
I was in and out of CB through the mid 60's ~ late 70's. The best signals/audio came from the newbies that just bought a new CB, took it out of the box, and turned it on! Two weeks later, after all the kitchen-table radio techs got a hold of it, it worked, and sounded like crap!
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
If you are happy with it, that's all the matters. The opinions of a stranger (me) on the internet shouldn't matter.
Properly tuned, good ground plane, good coax, properly installed connector etc. there's probably a 0.1dB loss when comparing a magnet mount to a permanent mount. No one is going to hear that with their ears. Long term, coax damage will probably impact things, after all, many just stuff the coax through the window or door and don't notice it getting pinched.
However, if someone is paying good money for the golden screwdriver to tweak their radio, but they've ignored the basics, like a decent antenna, properly tuned, etc. then it's kind of a moot point. Many of these guys are focused on meter "swing". The more watts the better, right?
As most of us probably know, focusing on RF power output only isn't the whole equation. After all, it's 2 way radio. If the receiver side isn't working, you can talk all day long, but you may not be hearing what you could be. A properly tuned receiver (do the golden screwdrivers tune the receivers too?) and a good antenna will help balance the equation.
Give me a 2 watt factory radio and a good antenna over a golden screwdriver'd radio with a poor antenna, any day.
DJ11DLN
Member
It was early-'70s to mid-'80s for me and with a couple of notable exceptions I totally agree with you. There was one guy in the area who would work on radios and do it right. They didn't overmodulate or splatter. They just sounded really good when he was done, and received equally well. Sadly, splatter and overmodulation had come to be what many people thought they wanted. The more RF garbage your CB spewed, the better.:roll:
This was a large factor in me shelving and eventually unloading my CB's.
teufler
Member
CB radios from the factory had 5 watts output. Maybe they could be tuned to 10 watts or double your normal output. In ham radio, if you double the effective radiated output, thats only a 1/2 s unit increase. Barely discernible to the human ear. Hardly worth messing with.
Joplin Surprise
One day, I was traveling through Missouri when I heard someone come on the CB wanting to sell a peaked out Cobra 29 with talk back, $35.00 I don't give a rip how this incredible radio evolved. This was the best $35.00 I've spent in a very long time. It talks and talks.
I could not get a read on the person selling it. He was across from the Flying J. He was not on their property. He was sitting in a vehicle with fast food trash all about and a "friendly" German Shepherd who still charged me. In essence, he looked shady, but turned out pretty decent.
One day, I was traveling through Missouri when I heard someone come on the CB wanting to sell a peaked out Cobra 29 with talk back, $35.00 I don't give a rip how this incredible radio evolved. This was the best $35.00 I've spent in a very long time. It talks and talks.
I could not get a read on the person selling it. He was across from the Flying J. He was not on their property. He was sitting in a vehicle with fast food trash all about and a "friendly" German Shepherd who still charged me. In essence, he looked shady, but turned out pretty decent.
KB7MIB
Member
A factory new CB radio wouldn't have 5 watts transmitter output, when the FCC rules limit you to 4 watts.
The audio output of a speaker may have been 5 watts, but not the transmitter power output.
John
Peoria, AZ
wtp
Member
5 watts
i think was with the 23 channel units.
i think was with the 23 channel units.
DJ11DLN
Member
Nominal was 5W input, which usually equaled 3.5-4W output.
Seems as if there was some truth-in-advertising enforced when the 40 channel units were authorized. Manufacturers could no longer advertise "5 watts" without distinguishing between input power and output power.
Or so I seem to recall...it's been a very long time so please don't throw lightning bolts if this is incorrect.
The FCC changed transmitter measurement to output power back in the 70's or so. And decided that 4 watts was a good number that corresponded to 5 watts DC input to the final RF stage of a CB transmitter.
The FCC IS now very clear on the transmitter RF power output:
§ 95.410 (CB Rule 10) How much power may I use?
(a) Your CB station transmitter power output must not exceed the following values under any conditions:
AM (A3)—4 watts (carrier power), SSB—12 watts (peak envelope power)
Also solid state transmitters were becoming the standard of the industry, and measuring input power was more difficult. FCC changed to show actual transmit RF power output in most categories, sections, of the FCC rules. Made our job as two-way tech's easier. Just read the B1rd watt meter and record that on the service ticket.
Last edited:
RFI-EMI-GUY
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The FCC also has limits on the total power dissipation of the device used, so it would be difficult to get much power from it without burning it out. I think 10 watts is the limit, so given the efficiency, 4 or 5 watts will be it.
Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
teufler
Member
Guess its been too long , since I talked with a CB. 4 watts or 5 watts, you could not tell any difference in received signal. Possibly at the fringe area of coverage, maybe you could transmit a block or two further. I always though super tuning supertuning a VW 40 horse bug engine. A good day, you got 72 mph, but really tuned good, maybe 77 mph. You had a new problem, how long would the engine do 77 mph before you sucked a valve. Things maxed out, have no rest periods.
prcguy
Member
That would not explain the 25-30W devices used in some SSB CB rigs like the CPI series. I also know of one Pace AM CB that had a 30W rated final transistor.
On the peaking topic, I've seen literally thousands of CBs and have aligned so many I can't even put a number on it. Most were new import CBs that went through quality control checking about 5% of shipments and when the failure rate went above a certain number more were checked. At the end of a day there could be a lot of new CBs piled up that needed repair or adjustment at the factory I worked for in the 70s.
I found nearly all stock CBs can be made to sound better and punchier on transmit and most receivers can be improved by careful tuning. The transmit improvements will be obvious with the radios still meeting FCC specs but the improvement in receiver sensitivity may only show on test equipment since you have a finite signal to noise ratio you can achieve connected to an antenna.
Many stock radios only reach about 80% AM modulation and if the modulation limiter is adjustable you can reach nearly 100%, which you can easily hear on the air. Careful tuning of the transmitter can balance the maximum carrier power with the least amount of current draw and allow the radio to reach 100% modulation without distortion. A properly adjusted AM CB should produce 4W carrier and 12W peak when fully modulated. Most stock CBs will be less than 4W carrier and much less than 4X peak power when modulated.
Some modulation limiters are fixed and removing diodes in the clipping circuit will usually make it sound much better, but at the expense of not meeting FCC rules, so I avoided that on new radios shipping to vendors.
Some radios will make more than 4W with alignment, which I generally would not do on a brand new radio working at a factory trying to stay legal, but many radios will not make 4W carrier due to the design or parts tolerance. There is a minimum power to pass spec and that will vary with each mfr and I forgot what my company used for minimum power spec.
So I see nothing wrong with someone tuning or peaking a CB radio if they have adequate test equipment and knowledge to do so. In the end you will have a slightly better performing radio compared to stock if done properly.
prcguy
On the peaking topic, I've seen literally thousands of CBs and have aligned so many I can't even put a number on it. Most were new import CBs that went through quality control checking about 5% of shipments and when the failure rate went above a certain number more were checked. At the end of a day there could be a lot of new CBs piled up that needed repair or adjustment at the factory I worked for in the 70s.
I found nearly all stock CBs can be made to sound better and punchier on transmit and most receivers can be improved by careful tuning. The transmit improvements will be obvious with the radios still meeting FCC specs but the improvement in receiver sensitivity may only show on test equipment since you have a finite signal to noise ratio you can achieve connected to an antenna.
Many stock radios only reach about 80% AM modulation and if the modulation limiter is adjustable you can reach nearly 100%, which you can easily hear on the air. Careful tuning of the transmitter can balance the maximum carrier power with the least amount of current draw and allow the radio to reach 100% modulation without distortion. A properly adjusted AM CB should produce 4W carrier and 12W peak when fully modulated. Most stock CBs will be less than 4W carrier and much less than 4X peak power when modulated.
Some modulation limiters are fixed and removing diodes in the clipping circuit will usually make it sound much better, but at the expense of not meeting FCC rules, so I avoided that on new radios shipping to vendors.
Some radios will make more than 4W with alignment, which I generally would not do on a brand new radio working at a factory trying to stay legal, but many radios will not make 4W carrier due to the design or parts tolerance. There is a minimum power to pass spec and that will vary with each mfr and I forgot what my company used for minimum power spec.
So I see nothing wrong with someone tuning or peaking a CB radio if they have adequate test equipment and knowledge to do so. In the end you will have a slightly better performing radio compared to stock if done properly.
prcguy
But that is the issue. The majority of "peaked and tuned" radios are done by people lacking one or both of these.
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