Hey


Thanks for the advice TxDoc. I went to my friendly_local_Auto_Parts_Store and picked up a fuse tap. I connected the fuse tap to the fuse labeled "RR WIPER" in the fuse panel. (Figured this was safe since there aren't any Rear Wipers on my truck.) Switched on the key and the CB powered right up. Comes up on Ch9 always, though, which I can't figure out. Any ideas? It's an old radio from my college days.


Also, I made one of the "under the hood" brackets talked about in the forums, which also worked wonderfully. Fit right in like a glove. Bought a 9' piece of Antenna wire from the local truck stop and hooked everything up to my spankin' new 3' FireStik.


Now, I can't pick anything up on the radio. Also, I can transmit (as my wife sez she could hear me on the scanner in the house), but it's apparently pretty weak. Sat next to I-40 and asked for a radio check for about 10 minutes. Nothing.


What am I doing wrong? Could the caps be dried up in the old (15 year) radio? Help!

It is a old radio....you might want to go to a good CB shop and have them take a look at it.


About the ch9 evey time it is powered up....I had a radio in 1988 that would start up on ch9 everytime, this was because it was powered on a ign wire(12v only when the key was on)(wippers are a ign wire). If you want to keep the last ch then you might want to hook it up to a hot wire, but you will have to remember to turn it off when you shut down the truck.


CBs are not that expensive these days....Uniden 68 is a really good radio and not the expensive(comes with a weather band on some models). Check out Uniden.com they have great deals on refered units. That is were I got my last two radios.


About the radio check......truckers usually will not answer to a "breaker 1-9, can I have a radio check". Try this....get on the highway call a truck "Hey yellow Pete, is this radio getting out?" What I am getting at...if the radio is not putting out and you sound like a Four Wheeler(not using the CB slang) truckers 9 times out of 10 will not talk to you.


Good luck and check out uniden.com it probably will be cheaper to buy a new radio than try and get the old on fixed.

NoWake200,


Thanks for the feedback. I decided to ditch the old radio and bought myself a Cobra 18 XT II. TX's from the new radio are alot stronger on my scanner.


As for truckers not talking, I'd just about expect that. However, I thought I might hear some chatter, at least. (I was on Ch19).

Many times, the paste electrolytic caps degrade when sitting unused/in-storage a long while. The oxide barrier dissipates and then when put online, will leak current and never really come back to their former/designed value. There are so many in modern electronics ~ its cheaper to just purchase a new CB like you have done than to try to repair. Edited by: ShumDit

CSstone


Have you done a SWR check to see how the antenna and wire are tuned. If there not right (under 2) your transmission will not be very good.


Diesel Dragon

Yep - do that SWR check- I think you've screwed up a connection- I'm running some radios over 25 years old- never heard of a capacitor drying up and giving problems. I think your coax connection is either short circuit or open which may cause you problems on your new radio. Don't transmit on it untill you check that out. If your old radio is always coming up on channel 9 - it's not terribly old. Digital readout CB's utilize power even when they are turned off to remember where they were last when you turn them on again. If you are hooked to an ignition lead they don't have the power to keep the memory so they go back to the default channel - that being 9. Good Luck!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clown.gif

I forgot to mention the SWR....this is very important. If the SWR is high IT WILL RUIN YOUR RADIO.


If you find a good CB shop they can do this for you for only a few dollors. But be prepaired, they will try to sell you something.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Ermm.gif

Anyone use a Galaxy on here? I'm looking at getting a DV 959 to put in my truck.

Yep thats what I've got in mine. Take a look thru www.cbradioforum.com (http://www.cbradioforum.com) and see if the features fit your needs/wants.

I recall mounting an antenna in the bed of my '89 Chevy Stepside pickup.

I could not get a strong Xmit. SWR would not come in.

Problem was the bed is mostly composite. I ended up drilling a hole in the roof. That is by far the best place. Nice ground plane that roof is.

Some people refuse to put a hole in the roof. A good antenna comes with a very discrete attach point that comes with a flat screw-on weather cap. Never had a problem except the antenna being so high. You could always just unscrew it and screw the cap on if needed.

Here is my 97 with the roof antenna....


http://www.uscom.com/~hoot/cars/97HD/97angle.JPG