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[Chris155]

I went out and sat in my truck last night at 9pm and scanned through the channels on am and lsb. Am was very quiet, and lsb had a little chatter, but I couldn't make a contact. Driving around town doing errands I see base antennas on houses. Some look like cb base antennas and some look like there a little more aggressive, possibly ham? Lately I have seen a few vehicles with cb or ham radio antennas around town. Friday while out shopping with my wife, we stopped at a second store and I waited for her in the parking lot, I tried to make a contact on lsb and scanned the am band and didn't come up with anything.

Around here we get skip from across the Atlantic starting just before sunrise. Throughout the day it transitions to Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma. Around sunset we hear the west coast. Couple hours after sunset it’s 1 channel with local guys and the occasional skip from Canada or Central America.

 

[KI4ZNG]

I went out and sat in my truck last night at 9pm and scanned through the channels on am and lsb. Am was very quiet, and lsb had a little chatter, but I couldn't make a contact. Driving around town doing errands I see base antennas on houses. Some look like cb base antennas and some look like there a little more aggressive, possibly ham? Lately I have seen a few vehicles with cb or ham radio antennas around town. Friday while out shopping with my wife, we stopped at a second store and I waited for her in the parking lot, I tried to make a contact on lsb and scanned the am band and didn't come up with anything.

Have you thought much about perhaps setting up a base station?

 

[Davidbt]

Have you thought much about perhaps setting up a base station?

I have. That's something that would probably not work for my wife. She would not like the antenna rising above the house. She would think it is redneck, and she has issues growing up about junky looking yards. One has to pick their battles.

 

[KI4ZNG]

I have. That's something that would probably not work for my wife. She would not like the antenna rising above the house. She would think it is redneck, and she has issues growing up about junky looking yards. One has to pick their battles.

Well you could run coax from the house to your truck and use your truck antenna as a base station antenna.

 

[Davidbt]

Around here we get skip from across the Atlantic starting just before sunrise. Throughout the day it transitions to Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma. Around sunset we hear the west coast. Couple hours after sunset it’s 1 channel with local guys and the occasional skip from Canada or Central America.

I might try right after dinner sometime. I'm in Southeast Arizona and I might have better luck with the west coast.

 

[Davidbt]

Well you could run coax from the house to your truck and use your truck antenna as a base station antenna.

Just asking, but what would make that different from the mobile in my truck?

 

[KI4ZNG]

Just asking, but what would make that different from the mobile in my truck?

You can listen for extended periods of time. Conditions can change quickly on sideband.

 

[Davidbt]

You can listen for extended periods of time. Conditions can change quickly on sideband.

Okay, so, pull my out of the truck and use a power supply on my work bench. Might have to think about that. During the summer, the garage almost off-limits. I would have to look into a power supply.

 

[slowmover]

“ . . That's something that would probably not work for my wife. She would not like the antenna rising above the house. She would think it is redneck . . . “


Highly common sentiment.
Hollywood wins again.

It was quite a bit different having grown up in the 1950s & 60s. Radio Operator was a powerful sign of modernity.

Think there was a reason it was attacked?

Citizen Band means just that.

The pic illustrates: How far can I get down the edge of this road given I have my last 5-gallons of gas poured in the tank . . we need groceries and medicines.



Blaming the wife is quite often cited.
(Common dilemma).

I come at it that with experience comes greater understanding. No coincidence you’ve gotten a start.

Tomorrow is a different day.

.

 

[niceguy71]

davidbt stick with it, you'll figure out why the radio is not getting contacts...
then you'll find some interesting people to chat with.... you may even meet them..... for some reason they are always single and look just like this guy... and if you keep talking on the radio for a few years you'll look like him too.

 

[Davidbt]

I sat in the truck today around 2pm and couldn't get anything. I hear alot going on, but other than the other day, no one coming back to me. I had truck running and turned the power up all the way. As was suggested by KI4NG, I think I will pick up a power source and about 30' of coax so I can try from my garage. I would really like to make sure that everything is working as it should in my truck.

 

[slowmover]

I ran some errands over here in North Texas around 1100 your time. Covered up in Skip. Any channel.

 

[Davidbt]

I ran some errands over here in North Texas around 1100 your time. Covered up in Skip. Any channel.

It was pretty noisy.

 

[Davidbt]

I went on a late morning errand and was finally able to turn the power up on lsb 37 and got a contact in Louisiana. Couldn't stay with it as was just so noisy again. I guess it's a good sign that my radio is working as should.

 

[niceguy71]

I went on a late morning errand and was finally able to turn the power up on lsb 37 and got a contact in Louisiana. Couldn't stay with it as was just so noisy again. I guess it's a good sign that my radio is working as should.

well if you get a few more contacts and enjoy operating the radio..... and you learn that, this radio thing is for you...
Ask SlowMover about the RF Choke and the noise reducer ...or even the 12 volt electrical noise filter ..... I have all three..... but haven't had a chance to hook my stuff up yet ( at least in the mobile) .... today was going to be the day......
but it seems, everyday one of my plumbing customers has a leak or their heating system is on the fritz... and I thought retirement was going to be so fun.

 

[slowmover]

I went on a late morning errand and was finally able to turn the power up on lsb 37 and got a contact in Louisiana. Couldn't stay with it as was just so noisy again. I guess it's a good sign that my radio is working as should.

Tram 35 antenna is too short.
And it’s not high quality.

The real magic happens at the 7’ mark.
It’ll be easier to distinguish things. The extra 2’+ matters.

And you’re more likely to be heard (the Skip window opens sooner and stays a little later).

Make this part of future plans.

— A 102” whip for when parked is also a recommendation.

When you get to it.

.

 

[Davidbt]

I think I will run with it for now and look into the suggestion by KI4ZNG and eventually get some bench power and extra coax to listen in my garage. I'll just use my truck antenna for now.

 

[slowmover]

Just to be clear: those are “truck antennas”.

Bonding as subject will also help. (Noise).

.

 

[Davidbt]

Just to be clear: those are “truck antennas”.

Bonding as subject will also help. (Noise).

.

I'm in agreement that my next antenna will be an nmo mount and shoot for a 7' antenna. I would like to spend some time with this setup and get to know this radio. I live 30 miles south of a I-10 exit and really don't get up there very much. I did drive up and set with in site of the truck stop and tried to get a radio check, but no contact on channel 19. That was before I moved my ground wire into my cab. I'm approximately 60 miles southeast of Tucson, and when I do make that drive, which has been only recently for doctors appointments, most of the trucks on the hwy do not have cb antennas. Short of picking someone up from the airport, I won't be going to Tucson until late January. The drive to Tucson is when I feel I can really test the radio, if I can get a driver to answer.

 

[slowmover]

Fort Up-Chuck.

Been thru your locale a couple of times the past dozen years. I/O of that place with big truck plus a trip along the border from SoCal back to South Texas (stayed in Bisbee that night) with son after he finished some MIL flight training.

Agreed you’re off the main track.


In the big truck:

The average I usually pick up Interstate traffic approaching from a right angle is 15-miles. That’s without terrain problems. Can start conversing with “average” radios 7-8/miles out.

OTOH, there’s an abandoned stretch of US-66 in New Mexico where I could regularly hear Colorado Springs over 100-miles north.

.