Here's a little help for ya:
Play around with one of your radios, use a dummy load at the antennna connections of the radio, have another radio set up, also with a dummy load tuned to the channel of the radio you're working on. Tinker around with what ever coil, pot, variable cap etc. as you're keying the mic and watch the meter on the listening radio. Needle go up, down, or not move? Best to have a schematic of the radio you're butchering and learn what all those symbols are. Learn some electronics the hard way. It's good you have a sense of humor, it'll get you past the heartaches. Instead of pissing the other CBers off, learn electronics and have a ball doing the impossible. When you learn what the PLL circuit does and how to gain some extra channels up or down, you'll feel like a champ. What the ham police are telling you here is true, because a lot of CBers know nothing of what they're doing and cause headaches to the amateur operators when they go out of band into 10 meters. Most hams are really good people who Elmer lots of newbees into electronics and ham radio.
Have fun learning how your CB works; it'll cost you a radio or two or three, but it's fun. Get a basic book on electronics; learn how a jfet, ic, caps, resistors, diodes, coils, et al works. Basic book in your hands, probably will get you up and running in a few weeks IF you study.
This is the most I've posted here on RR on a subject of this nature ever! Why? Because there comes along a fellow who just might like learning the trade and become a certified tech.
And don't worry about raising a mushroom cloud over your head; Each one of us has at some point in time screwed up royally!
Word of caution: Do use dummy loads on the radios you are toying with, it'll keep you from splattering away on your neighbors tv, corded phone or what not.
What is a dummy load? Google is your friend, use it when ya don't know something...
Just found a very informative explaination and how to build a dummy load:
http://k4eaa.com/dummy.html
How does one weld extra channels in this thing? (I believe the ones I was told about were -1 [not sure how farbelow in frequency], 3-1/2, 11-1/2, 19-1/2, and 40+ -not sure if I forgot any...it's been awhile).
