• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Boosting a CB's performance?

D

dandecicco

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lemoore, CA Dammit to Hell
I know it is not legal to do, I just want to know how to do this becasue I am curious. How would one go about increasing a CB's power to boost transmission and reception besides having the SWR really low and everthing tuned properly. A link to a site would be great. thanks.
 
dandecicco said:
I know it is not legal to do, I just want to know how to do this becasue I am curious. How would one go about increasing a CB's power to boost transmission and reception besides having the SWR really low and everthing tuned properly. A link to a site would be great. thanks.
Click to expand...
:twak: since it's not legal to do you should know better than to ask here! Most "tweaked" cb's that I've seen have caused havoc on anything else in the area that's succeptible to RF interference and if I found you playing with that in my neighbourhood, I'd turn you into FCC myself. If you want better distance out of your radios look into:
1. good cb and good antenna and good wires and properly tuned setup
2. get a ham license and get yourslef a radio
 
Besides having a good antenna, and adjusting the VSWR as low as possible, antenna placement has probably the biggest impact. For the best all around coverage, you should place it in the middle of a large "ground plane". On a vehicle, that normally means the middle of the roof. The design of the antenna to keep the signal parallel with the ground and not radiating up into space is the next biggest performance factor. The problem is that most antennas only show the pattern as seen from above. Your best reception would be an 103" whip in the middle of the top. Not real practical. A good through the roof antenna that is grounded and mounted in somewhat the middle of the roof will make a large improvement. While magnetic mount antennas are nice, they simply do not perform as well.

Having said all of that, on the trail, since the distances are normally so short, a rubber ducky antenna will normally suffice.
 
old_man said:
Besides having a good antenna, and adjusting the VSWR as low as possible, antenna placement has probably the biggest impact. For the best all around coverage, you should place it in the middle of a large "ground plane". On a vehicle, that normally means the middle of the roof. The design of the antenna to keep the signal parallel with the ground and not radiating up into space is the next biggest performance factor. The problem is that most antennas only show the pattern as seen from above. Your best reception would be an 103" whip in the middle of the top. Not real practical. A good through the roof antenna that is grounded and mounted in somewhat the middle of the roof will make a large improvement. While magnetic mount antennas are nice, they simply do not perform as well.

Having said all of that, on the trail, since the distances are normally so short, a rubber ducky antenna will normally suffice.
Click to expand...


I am not planning on doing it. I have great reception snd transmission and my SWR is way low. I was just curious as to how it is done. I do not want to do it, just see how it is done. Jsut that. I like to know how things work.
 
Kejtar said:
:twak: since it's not legal to do you should know better than to ask here! Most "tweaked" cb's that I've seen have caused havoc on anything else in the area that's succeptible to RF interference and if I found you playing with that in my neighbourhood, I'd turn you into FCC myself. If you want better distance out of your radios look into:
1. good cb and good antenna and good wires and properly tuned setup
2. get a ham license and get yourslef a radio
Click to expand...
Get off your high horse and wash the sound out. Like you've never done anything illegal. Guy was just asking the methods of how it is done.

Fuggin A.

Fergie
 
Fergie said:
Get off your high horse and wash the sound out. Like you've never done anything illegal. Guy was just asking the methods of how it is done.

Fuggin A.

Fergie
Click to expand...
Ummm if he wants to know how in theory, then google has more than enough general references about it.
If he wants to do it for himself (the "I don't want to do it cause I don't need to, but I'm just curious how" is such an old line it shouldn't be banned) then again he should do the research.
And to answer the question How to do it? simple: an amplifier is needed :D
Anyways he asked about how to do something illegal which IIRC somehow is against the forum rules. He could have asked how to amplify radio signals.... it'd be differnt.
 
Last edited:
Fergie said:
Get off your high horse and wash the sound out. Like you've never done anything illegal. Guy was just asking the methods of how it is done.

Fuggin A.

Fergie
Click to expand...

In someways I agree. But I also see Remi's point. Do we really want to be spreading illegal activity in the open forum? PM or emails do serve a purpose........
 
jrsxj98 said:
In someways I agree. But I also see Remi's point. Do we really want to be spreading illegal activity in the open forum? PM or emails do serve a purpose........
Click to expand...
Yup, it's not that I"m a saint (cause I sure as hell am not :D) but to me asking that question is equal at a certain level this question: "how to commit IRS fraud? I don't want to do it, I'm just curious how to". Both activities break federal laws.
 
Kejtar said:
Yup, it's not that I"m a saint (cause I sure as hell am not :D) but to me asking that question is equal at a certain level this question: "how to commit IRS fraud? I don't want to do it, I'm just curious how to". Both activities break federal laws.
Click to expand...

really how do you do it.......
 
dandecicco said:
I like to know how things work.
Click to expand...
Study up on radio transmitters. It's as simple as that: a cb works in the same way as a modded cb as an frs as a ham, as a tv, as an fm transmitter. Difference is in frequency in power output and modulation (ok, I"ve oversimplified, butto answer your question it should be ok)
 
Oh yeah I have this shippment coming from Columbia.....hmm hmm....Can you help me with that......lmao Im just curious on how it works.....
 
As far as increasing reception, there are several things you can do:

Optimal installation/grounding/cable (as previously mentioned)
Get a better antenna
Get a better radio (with more sensitivity and/or selectivity to adjacent channel overload.

There are preamplifiers out there, that claim to increase receive performance, but all they do is overload the front end with too much gain and do nothing to increase the signal to noise ratio, so don't waste your money.

Your best money is spent in the first two items as the performance increase happens on both transmit and receive.
 
kr7o said:
There are preamplifiers out there, that claim to increase receive performance, but all they do is overload the front end with too much gain and do nothing to increase the signal to noise ratio, so don't waste your money.
Click to expand...
x2
 
The common term for the amplifier used to boost signal output is a linear amp.

They hook between the radio and the antenna. Yes they can work. Yes they can cause interference with lots of electronics. Yes they are illegal. You can actually blow the input of your buddies rig if you key the mike and you are parked next to him. I do not recommend them. Due to high field strength, I have actually seen them cause problems with the ECU on a jeep, especially the knock sensor input and the cps.

The funny thing is that your outbound signal is larger and as such may reach further, but your incomming received signal is the same. If the other guy doesn't have one, you can't hear him so what is the use other than boosting your ego.
 
jrsxj98 said:
In someways I agree. But I also see Remi's point. Do we really want to be spreading illegal activity in the open forum? PM or emails do serve a purpose........
Click to expand...


Would everyone just relax. I just wanted to know. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT Chill. Somone could have just said a linear amplifer usually is the way people do it and here is how they work. Relax.

Simple question and I did say I didn't want to do it.
Thanks Old_man
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
Trouble with AW4 pump bushing
Replies
0
Views
1K
hbar..
H
M
New to my XJ & wrenching - How to choose parts and what to prioritize?!
2
Replies
28
Views
4K
flyin_ryan
F
M
How to choose parts and what to prioritize?! New to my XJ & wrenching.
Replies
0
Views
745
myXJpeg
M
M
How to choose parts and what to prioritize?! New to my XJ & wrenching.
Replies
7
Views
1K
XJI6191
X
E
95 XJ Overheated, Shop says Head Gasket, need advice/info
Replies
18
Views
3K
Etherel15
E
Back
Top