Transmitting not as good as it's recieving?

[Wolfbite]

I'm new here and assuming this is the best place to ask some questions after reading many threads.

Story short, I have gotten into CB with my driving all around and love listening to all the going on with my radio scanners and listening to CB, I finally dove in and got a CB that I immediately had issues with and returned, talking to a friend who was a trucker, he told me to just stop to a local truck stop and they will have someone to help me with CB. So I did and they hooked me up with a Cobra 29 WX NW ST, with little Wil Antenna, and installed it for me and made sure all was working.

Now, the radio sounds great and I'm hearing people all over the place even states over in the mid day. and that's just it, I hear things fine, but as for Transmitting? I wait for a break in talk and key in to ask for a radio check and give my location and if anyone can hear me. Their chatter continues and I get no reply, I hear others ask for radio check, I respond that I hear them loud and my meter is swinging, they only continue to ask if anyone is hearing them?

SO I'm curious, about my antenna, though I am receiving loud and clear is it possible I'm just not able to transmit as well back? I'm wondering if I should bracket a 102" whip to the rear of my Explorer, even though the CB shop said my Wilson centered on the hood of my SUV is going to be best for me.

Any advice to a Newb is appreciated.

['Doc]

What you are experiencing is sort of 'normal' to some ridiculous point. People just get tired of answering 'radio checks', you know? Well, you probably don't know, sorry 'bout that.
Your set up sounds about 'average', sort of. Lots of people have the same thing, so unless there's something really wrong with your set up, I figure you can be heard, but probably not by everyone.
One solution might be to change how/what you are asking for. Make it sound more, or 'other' than just the same old radio check. Or better yet, find a female to do the asking! If nobody responds, I think I'd start taking a look for a problem somewhere, you know?
Not a lot of help, huh?
- 'Doc

[Wolfbite]

Indeed it is some help and understand what you are saying, good point haha. I'll just get into some convos and see if I get responses instead of asking for checks. Altho the guy I heard asking for a check I responded to also seemed as if he did not hear me, maybe something on his end? aw well I'm new in all this.

Maybe I should ask stupid questions on the trucker's channel, that should let me know its working haha!

[Mikey B]

This may sound stupid, but do you have your mic gain (dyna mic on that model) turned all the way up? I have the same radio and I used to run a K30. It got out great and I had good reports. I have since switched to a 102".

[Texas Mobil 219]

Take you radio to a Teck. Have it peeked and tuned. Get a noise canceling mic. Maybe even Mod it alittle with a swing kit. Do that. And get a little Palamor 250 and you will talked greater than your recieve.

May Little System does.

[Wolfbite]

I have the Mic Gain all the way up as the manual suggests.

The shop I got the radio from did a peak and tune before installing it for me. Skythumper mic is in the mail, should have it any day. Swing Kit doesn't interest me from what I've read. I might get a 102" for my trips to the lower mountains for Astronomy outings and camp and such. Also looking at the Wilson W500 wondering if the extra length up top might assist. the W1000 would be too tall for my daily drive abouts.

I dunno, again tonight driving listening into some clear loud talkers and heard a topic I was into, I keyed in adding my comments and never got any reply, just listened to the three go on like I was saying nothing.

The meter on my CB swings and the lights on the RX/TX lights when I key the mic. CB is set to S/RF, Soundtracker is on, ANL on, RF Gain at 3'oclock, Squelch is DSS.

I will keep trying. all I can do for now I guess.

[721HACKSAW]

Antenna, antennna, antenna. The very most important part of your system. Look into something other than the Little Wil, lots of other choices that are better.

[Lightninrod]

I read somewhere that with the "Soundtracker" on, no one can hear you except another radio with their Soundtracker on... D/k if that's true but you could surely try transmitting with it off.

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Wolfbite

Get rid of the Lil Wil and get a full size Wilson 1000. To get a trucker's attention you may have to be rude. Most of the time you will be ignored unless you are a woman.

Respectfully

[Mikey B]

I read somewhere that with the "Soundtracker" on, no one can hear you except another radio with their Soundtracker on... D/k if that's true but you could surely try transmitting with it off.

Not true!

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Lightninrod,

That is true. If the Sound-tracker is on you will only hear a radio that is sitting right on top of you or a radio that has a Sound-tracker that is on. It is a useless feature, it puts the RF gain control and the squelch on automatic; sort of. It just does not work well due to the nature of AM.

What the Sound-Tracker does is transmits a sub-audio tone that when picked up by another Sound-Tracker unlocks the squelch and maximizes the RF gain. It would work great on FM if it was legal in the USA

Respectfully,

[Mikey B]

Hi Lightninrod,

That is true. If the Sound-tracker is on you will only hear a radio that is sitting right on top of you or a radio that has a Sound-tracker that is on. It is a useless feature, it puts the RF gain control and the squelch on automatic; sort of. It just does not work well due to the nature of AM.

What the Sound-Tracker does is transmits a sub-audio tone that when picked up by another Sound-Tracker unlocks the squelch and maximizes the RF gain. It would work great on FM if it was legal in the USA

Respectfully,

Rick, that is totaly not true. And the reason I know its not true is because I run one of these radios with the ST on ALL THE TIME. It does provide a noticable difference in recieve. I even talk skip with it on.

So if it is true, your telling me that all the contacts i've ever made, local or not, are running Cobra radios with Sound Tracker?

Almost everyone I talk to has always said that that radio has a nice sound to it, and I always run with the ST on.

[Wolfbite]

I talked to a couple people now with ST on, its just mostly base stations dominating the channels seeing who can step over one anothers transmits. I got around to testing with a friend that has a CB, he said I was too loud.

I'm strongly thinking about the W1000, only thing is height concerns me, I already hit enough with the little wil ontop my explorer, not sure how long a W1000 would last being another 26"

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Mikey B

The ST has no effect on Transmit. It is the receiver that is put on "autopilot". I am saying for 6 years I have a number of drivers come to the shop saying they can not hear a truck one mile a way. Only when it is very close. It is always the Sound-tracker that is the problem. I shut it off and the world comes in. The flip side is a radio can be far away on a quiet night, the radio will receive because the RF gain is at max and the squelch is set on the threshold.

In a noisy environment the ST is on and over-filtering; waiting to hear the Sub-Tone of another sound tracker to unlock the squelch and turn up the gain if needed.
I am not putting down the sound tracker feature, I am saying many drivers buy the radio not understanding the purpose and have complaints about the radio's receive until I show them how to turn it off and hear what is up the road. It then becomes their decision to turn it on.

It is just another satisfied customer. I know of shops that have, and will defeat the ST, just to appear to have fixed the radio. I have a reputation to uphold. I do not charge them a dime to read the owners manual for them.

[Mikey B]

I am not trying to stand up for the feature at all, I could care less about it. I'm sure you have seen your fair share of issues with ST. What I am saying is I belive that the fact it will only hear radios with ST is bogus. I talk to people with all different kinds of radios and can hear them just fine. And as far as it not effecting transmit, I think you need to read your owners manual again.

All I know is that the 29 WX NW ST that "I" run everyday with the sound tracker on has absolutly no problems whatsoever.

[RoadTalker]

Antenna Antenna Antenna !!! is right.

Any old radio will TX & RX real good if it has a top of the line antenna.

Take your pick: Mr Coily, Predator 10K....MonkeyMade.....K30 top loaded fiberglass with wire wound whip......Steel 102" whip.

Suggestion: As others have said get a 100 to 300 watt amp "with" a receive amp switch built into the amp so you can get a boost in the incoming signal.

Also, I don't know about your particular radio but SingleSideBand is were its as as far as long distance, quiet receive and better over the horizon signal propagation. CH 38 LowerSideBand is "thee" place to be when traveling and looking for both short and long distance contracts. NOTE If you do get into sidebanding then make sure you amp has a SSB delay switch.

Hope that helps

[Wolfbite]

Well long distance isn't much a concern for me, just able to communicate out on the road for my trips out of town, like driving out to hiking spots, and assisting the local college with astronomy field trips and so on. I was just worried if I was getting received with locals, now knowing what I mostly hear is base stations all around the state I understand the silence. I tested the radio with a friend and it worked, on the highway I called out to anyone, and got told to shut the F'up, and at night another called me the N word saying it was his channel and gave me no permission to use it and to change to another, so I know its working haha

Amps are over my head for now, I'll see how the Little wil gets along for me. 102" whip I changed my mind on, since the only logical place would be the rear hatch of my SUV but there is zero clearance and would be unscrewing the antenna each time to open the rear, plus for driving and all I hit with the little will, I'd need to bow it bow, and thus eliminating the point of it.

CH 38 LowerSideBand, is that why everyone sounds strange or goopish on it?

I appreciate all the advice =)

[TheCBDoctor]

Hi Mikey B,

When using the ST there is no effect on transmit. The radio's output power is the same. I read the manual and benched many ST.

Respectfully,