Monitoring CB traffic with scanner

[swann3030]

I am using a GRE 500 and attempting to monitor CB transmissions using the pre programmed search function. I live extremely close to a major highway and border crossing with what I would think to be a good amount of CB traffic.
Unfortunately I am not picking anything up. I am using the standard rubber duck antenna that shipped with the scanner. Why am I not picking anything up? Antenna not affective at that frequency?

 

[josiahgould]

Can you find someone with a CB to test your scanner? If you can pick up the CB frequencies (remember AM, not FM), then have them go farther away to check the range on your antenna. If nobody has a CB, tune it to 27.025, that's the Super Bowl. If you can receive CB then you WILL pick up Ch.6.

Or, maybe nobody is using CB around where you are? I live near a major Interstate, I-10, in Florida. CB chatter is getting sparser and sparser except for the local hunters. There might just not be anything to listen to.

 

[Rt169Radio]

The stock rubber duck handheld scanner antennas will hardly pick up any CB radio transmissions,to get some transmissions you would need to get a bigger better handheld antenna or get a mobile or a base antenna that can pick up the CB freqs properly.

Or its just that no one is hardly using CB radio where you live.

 

[RadioDaze]

An antenna like this will help:
Rubber Duck CB Antenna for Handheld Radios
It will also improve VHF low reception.

 

[James_Bond_007]

just make a 1/4 wave groundplane, 1/2 wave folded dipole over 1/4 wave groundplane like the type used in commercial applications, a 1/2 wave coaxial type antenna, or straight 1/2 wave dipole oriented vertically.

these types are easily and cheaply made and work pretty good.

 

[Nap]

The stock rubber duck handheld scanner antennas will hardly pick up any CB radio transmissions,

That was my experience too. Replace it with either a rubber duck designed specifically for CB (if you care of CB only) or one of the thin wire, flexible, long antennas for scanners (not rubber ducks).

 

[James_Bond_007]

It will also improve VHF low reception.

yes the aforementioned base antenna designs will greatly improve low band performance especially low band portable reception.

here is a couple good webpages
The Ultimate Guide to 11 Meter CB Antennas

6 Meter Repeater Antenna 1/2 Wave Coaxial Vertical Antenna Design

using simple math these can be designed for any frequency you wish from HF to 900 mhz

and can be made with scraps you find in the trash.

 

[LtDoc]

There are no 'rubber-duck' antennas that will get close to the performance of a 'full sized' antenna unless that 'rubber-duck' is dang near the same size/length as a 'full sized' antenna. An antenna's length is a function of the frequency it's to be used on. Higher frequency means shorter antenna lengths, lower frequency means longer antenna lengths. A typical antenna length for 27 Mhz is something around 8 - 9 feet long. That's just not a very convenient antenna length for a hand-held scanner, right? As that inconvenient length starts to get shorter, so does it's performance. When it get's to something like a foot long, it's typically not worth much, but I guess it's better than nothing.
In general, longer antennas work 'better' than shorter antennas at any frequency. Your best bet would be to use an antenna something closer to that 8 - 9 foot length. It doesn't have to be 'fancy', a simple wire would do better than a 'rubber-duck'.
Have fun.
- 'Doc