niceguy71
Active Member
just curious now that you've had it a month how is everything working? what's your longest contact?
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Looking for advice for a new CB radio "system" for my pickup truck
- Thread starter wx2watch
- Start date
robertwbob
KE0WRU
Yes dont keep us in suspense
HE knows and doesn't care karen. There will always be illegal radios on the Citizens band get over it.
I've seen it said here and elsewhere that the third gen Tacoma's emit tons of RFI, and they do.
But it isn't so much that one should be dissuaded from pursuing CB entirely, as it is manageable.
I know it's a late entry and probably doesn't matter at this point, but I wanted to share a video I made last night of my CB noise levels.
It was an awkward angle to take a video so I apologize for the movement.
The phone mic is directly in front of the speaker so I have the volume turned low, but it's still audible.
When the video starts literally all I have done is gotten in the truck, shut the door, turned on the CB, and waited for the interior lights to cycle off. Nothing Else.
The video shows pre-ignition noise levels for several seconds, then I start the truck.
You'll hear the cycling of all the other electronics like the head unit (my phone actually connects through the bluetooth and starts playing a podcast).
I let the truck run for several seconds before shutting it off.
@cavmedic I think you'll be surprised by the noise level difference.
You can even hear me cycle through the daytime running lights, fog lights, high/low beams (all replaced with LED noise emitters).
The only bump on the signal meter, and you can hear it in the audio, is when I turn on my 30" LED light bar.
Again, this is in my 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport double cab (shared above).
This is a quiet channel with only the faintest of signals.
It is late at night once skip had died off.
If local RFI was a significant factor it would definitely show up.
This is with RF gain MAXED and squelch completely OFF (No ASQ). NRC for RX is at level 3. NB and HICUT are both on.
Again, I know this is probably a mute point, but CB for Taco's is not a lost cause.
Third Gen Tacoma CB RF Noise
slowmover
Active Member
About as good as it gets.
The follow-up (if you do one) is high noon and talking with someone while on-air.
If chassis/drivetrain ain’t “interfering” with clarity it’s GTG.
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The follow-up (if you do one) is high noon and talking with someone while on-air.
If chassis/drivetrain ain’t “interfering” with clarity it’s GTG.
.
My daytime noise levels are NOT that quiet.
They start creeping up before first light and by noon they're somewhere between an S5 and S7 on AM 19.
There are quieter channels, but for daytime hours that doesn't do me a ton of good.
I did the video while it was quiet so that if there was RFI coming from the truck it wouldn't get buried under everything else.
My thinking being that the truck RFI would be the strongest signal around and really stand out if it were there.
When I get a free afternoon I will record a few channels and check signal levels
They start creeping up before first light and by noon they're somewhere between an S5 and S7 on AM 19.
There are quieter channels, but for daytime hours that doesn't do me a ton of good.
I did the video while it was quiet so that if there was RFI coming from the truck it wouldn't get buried under everything else.
My thinking being that the truck RFI would be the strongest signal around and really stand out if it were there.
When I get a free afternoon I will record a few channels and check signal levels
slowmover
Active Member
Of course it isn’t as quiet. Signal Meter is just reference. What matters is vocal clarity such that we hear and get heard.
I’d say that roughly 1500 is worst time-of-day. That’s why a recording of a typical conversation is proof.
I don’t much give a D what the meter says. Getting balance between RFG & SQ is the end game.
No one else is heard as easily nor receives with such clarity.
Everybody else went home for Ovaltine and cookies.
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I’d say that roughly 1500 is worst time-of-day. That’s why a recording of a typical conversation is proof.
I don’t much give a D what the meter says. Getting balance between RFG & SQ is the end game.
No one else is heard as easily nor receives with such clarity.
Everybody else went home for Ovaltine and cookies.
.
niceguy71
Active Member
I have a range test question... I'll use this post as it is actually the radio and antenna I plan to range test.
ok question
I'm going to help wx2watch test out his radio and antenna,,,, he has the 5555 N II and a Stryker S AR-10.
I test a lot of radios, some with someone else, and sometimes just me in my truck talking to my base station on camcorder with whatever radio I'm testing......
but all the radios I test are from 2 watts output to 12 watts Dead Key... so I use the same test.. I send the person out 10 miles and see if I they can transmit and receive to my base station ... most people's radios are lucky to do the 10 miles... my F150 with Tram 3500 antenna generally gets 15 plus... perhaps its all the RF bonding straps? ( my old CB dead keys at 11 watts but it seems to swing up to 25 to 30 watts so perhaps that's why it does so well. )
so I'm used to testing low power radios and I'm happy if they get 10 miles......
wx2watch is coming over with the 60 watt 5555 N II and my base station 5555 N II is also 60 watts.
so I think the 10 mile range test I like to use will be far too easy????
really what I try to do is get two radios talking to each other... I've never done two 60 watt radios.... mostly it's a 4 watt radio talking to my 50 foot tall Base Station ... if the 4 watt radio can talk to my base from 10 miles I say it's a great CB system and is working great!!!!
so what do I do with testing a Anytone 5555 N II????
I guess I could send him out 10 miles and if we can talk 10 miles it's working pretty good! and then maybe I'll send him out to 20 miles, if we can actually talk to each other clearly on AM at 20 miles even mobile to base, that is fantastic... two 60 watt radios will probably be able to do it.
I guess I'll plan on doing 20 miles... he lives 65 miles away from me...so maybe I'll pick a spot 25 miles away and have him go there and start calling for him... and as he gets closer, I can see what the range is that I first hear him.
any suggestions??? thoughts????
ok question
I'm going to help wx2watch test out his radio and antenna,,,, he has the 5555 N II and a Stryker S AR-10.
I test a lot of radios, some with someone else, and sometimes just me in my truck talking to my base station on camcorder with whatever radio I'm testing......
but all the radios I test are from 2 watts output to 12 watts Dead Key... so I use the same test.. I send the person out 10 miles and see if I they can transmit and receive to my base station ... most people's radios are lucky to do the 10 miles... my F150 with Tram 3500 antenna generally gets 15 plus... perhaps its all the RF bonding straps? ( my old CB dead keys at 11 watts but it seems to swing up to 25 to 30 watts so perhaps that's why it does so well. )
so I'm used to testing low power radios and I'm happy if they get 10 miles......
wx2watch is coming over with the 60 watt 5555 N II and my base station 5555 N II is also 60 watts.
so I think the 10 mile range test I like to use will be far too easy????
really what I try to do is get two radios talking to each other... I've never done two 60 watt radios.... mostly it's a 4 watt radio talking to my 50 foot tall Base Station ... if the 4 watt radio can talk to my base from 10 miles I say it's a great CB system and is working great!!!!
so what do I do with testing a Anytone 5555 N II????
I guess I could send him out 10 miles and if we can talk 10 miles it's working pretty good! and then maybe I'll send him out to 20 miles, if we can actually talk to each other clearly on AM at 20 miles even mobile to base, that is fantastic... two 60 watt radios will probably be able to do it.
I guess I'll plan on doing 20 miles... he lives 65 miles away from me...so maybe I'll pick a spot 25 miles away and have him go there and start calling for him... and as he gets closer, I can see what the range is that I first hear him.
any suggestions??? thoughts????
This is my longest local contact from mobile to base.
The guy didn't have a signal meter, but he said I was coming in loud and clear ("I've got a room full of you" was how he actually put it).
He had an old tube radio pushing big watts so I wasn't surprised to hear him, but I was surprised that he heard me so well.
This was at night once skip had faded out and the radio was pretty quiet. Plus, I had the high ground advantage.
It's not apples to apples obviously, but I know you run a clean setup. I hope you are pleasantly surprised by the results
slowmover
Active Member
A single range test is affected by conditions on that day. It’s not just gear/install quality plus vehicle.
Over time there’s an average.
Most mobiles on most days, etc.
Sorta like fuel economy. All that matters is the Annual Average: the horizontal red line. Low of 12 and high of 20 isn’t relevant. It’s that the Average is 15.
This is why I’ve advocated for a topo map. Use of landmarks per major routes.
See the terrain along likeliest approaches to/from base station.
“Yeah, I cheated some. I sent my little girl to the water tower on FM-1665 and her stuffed-shirt brother the same distance to the cotton gin on US-63. Her identical gear install came in MUCH better than his in the recording as I knew it would. But I did pay for the clay bar & wax he’ll be using on her little Corolla. And told her that as he’s working I expect the same chicken dinner for us all which he wanted that I’ll also reimburse.
“Tomorrow I’m sending them both back out to the opposite location. This will be after secretly telling the boy I tweaked his rig before he got up. He’ll figure it out as it DOES mean more to him”.
.
Over time there’s an average.
Most mobiles on most days, etc.
Sorta like fuel economy. All that matters is the Annual Average: the horizontal red line. Low of 12 and high of 20 isn’t relevant. It’s that the Average is 15.
This is why I’ve advocated for a topo map. Use of landmarks per major routes.
See the terrain along likeliest approaches to/from base station.
“Yeah, I cheated some. I sent my little girl to the water tower on FM-1665 and her stuffed-shirt brother the same distance to the cotton gin on US-63. Her identical gear install came in MUCH better than his in the recording as I knew it would. But I did pay for the clay bar & wax he’ll be using on her little Corolla. And told her that as he’s working I expect the same chicken dinner for us all which he wanted that I’ll also reimburse.
“Tomorrow I’m sending them both back out to the opposite location. This will be after secretly telling the boy I tweaked his rig before he got up. He’ll figure it out as it DOES mean more to him”.
.
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K40 has done me very well on just about any vehicle except a Jeep.
