Noise in my radio

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mapexdrum

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Any one have any idea why my CB makes a Chewbacca-like sound when I key up?

It didn't used to make the sound, and then suddenly one day it just...started.

The only thing that seems to make any difference is if someone is in the passenger seat and they try to key up...it doesn't do it then...at least not that I've ever been told about.

Ideas?
 

pills

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If it is varying by the position of the mic then it could be a short in your cable. Check your connections and if they are tight try another mic.
 
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N_Jay

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pills said:
If it is varying by the position of the mic then it could be a short in your cable. Check your connections and if they are tight try another mic.

Sounds like RF getting back into the radio through the Mic, Speaker or power cable.

Is it s legal, unmodified CB?

What type of antenna are you using and where is it mounted?

Has the antenna cable been damaged in any way?
 

2112

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mapexdrum said:
Any one have any idea why my CB makes a Chewbacca-like sound when I key up?

Sounds like you broke your wookiee...

Seriously, though... I'd be real curious, depending on how your wires are run, to see if you had any intermittent shorts in your mic, power, ground, and antenna lines. Also, if you have any other radios in the car, this could be feedback or RF looping... seperation and/or speaker- muting devices might help this.

Hope this helps...
 

mapexdrum

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It's definitely an unmodded CB. I got no reason for a linear...wouldn't use it that often even if it did work.

The antenna is just one from radio shack. Can't remember which one it is...but a friend of mine has the same antenna and his works fine. The antenna is mounted on the roof of my car. The cable does not appear to be damaged in any way.

I don't have any radios that transmit anything. I do have a scanner, but I can unhook the power and take the antenna for it down and it makes no difference. I can hear the chewbacca sound coming out of my loudspeaker for my scanner...with the power for the scanner turned off.
 

2112

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Okay... so let me get this straight:

The "Chewbacca" sound that you're hearing is coming from the scanner's speaker and not the CB's?

If that's the case... then it's prolly as simple as RF from the CB being injected into the scanner's circuitry and being expressed as noise out the speaker when you key up.

This may come as a shock to some: scanners and CB are not high-quality electronics, so they tend to be quite prone to such overloads and interferences. I get the same sort of thing when I key up a handheld VHF transmitter near some cheapo computer speakers (or even so-called "good" ones). I used to get the same thing in my car back many moons ago when I started out with a CB and a scanner (a Uniden PRO-500D and a BC560xlt, FWIW).

Of course, all of this is meaningless without some suggestions to fix it. None of these are guaranteed to help, but they might:

1. Make sure your antenna connectors are soldered or crimped on properly.

2. Make sure that your antenna cables are completely undamaged.

3. Make sure the antenna connection at the back of the CB is screwed firmly in place.

4. Try repositioning the antenna cables, especially if you have them running together for any length.

5. Try repositioning the radios in relation to each other.

6. Try different radios. (Yeah, I know this would suck...)

Anyway... there's a start. Hope it helps to contain the wookie. :)
 

mapexdrum

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Well...I can kind of hear the Chewbacca sound coming out of the CB's speaker too when I key up. I also transmit this sound.

The cables are run separately and there is no damage to the cable.

It makes the sound without the scanner in the car and the same radio in a different car makes no noise at all.

When I first installed the radio it didn't make this noise.

Basically I've knocked out 1-5...I might be able to borrow my friend's radio and try it...but I am guessing it makes the same noise.

Thanks.
 

iamhere300

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Star Wars

Just as a thought... If the noise in scanner speaker is being picked
up by the microphone, then you would also transmit that noise......

That could possibly be the reason that someone sitting in the passenger
seat does not transmit the noise, if they are further away from the source.
 

mapexdrum

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Sorry...I haven't been too clear on this.

It doesn't matter if my scanner is on or off...it still makes the noise.

Thanks.
 

iamhere300

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Do you have a good ground on the radio, or is it grounding through the antenna ground?

Take the antenna off, and see if it stays on.
 

mapexdrum

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The radio is grounded to the chassis of my car.

Nearly as I can tell, it is a good ground. Nothing happens when I remove the antenna.
 
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