WJCO's Build Thread, 1999 WJ

[WJCO]

Congrats! Curious to see how the antenna works out. Now you'll be able to hear us making WJ jokes!

Exactly! Weather channels came through crystal clear but not sure if that means anything. No one was on the CB channels so I couldn't test that.

 

[JeepJeep75]

You have a big metal roof, with the antenna right about in the middle of it. Your setup should work great. [emoji106]

 

[scull20]

From what I remember, the weather channels are typically broadcast at a much higher power than CB transmissions. I was able to pick up local weather stations even without an antenna hooked up.

Just make sure you checked and dialed in your SWR on 1 and 40 for when you'll be talking. Otherwise let it sit on 9 or 19 (or scan mode if you have it) and you'll inevitably pick up something to verify you've got it set up correctly, especially if there's a traffic jam.

 

[Brute]

Rig is looking good...and roger that on the swr set up...

 

[WJCO]

You have a big metal roof, with the antenna right about in the middle of it. Your setup should work great. [emoji106]

From what I remember, the weather channels are typically broadcast at a much higher power than CB transmissions. I was able to pick up local weather stations even without an antenna hooked up.

Just make sure you checked and dialed in your SWR on 1 and 40 for when you'll be talking. Otherwise let it sit on 9 or 19 (or scan mode if you have it) and you'll inevitably pick up something to verify you've got it set up correctly, especially if there's a traffic jam.

Rig is looking good...and roger that on the swr set up...

I hope it works easily. Educate me on the SWR thing. CB radio is new to me. I have built-in squelch knob, is that the same thing?

 

[GraniteCrystal]

I hope it works easily. Educate me on the SWR thing. CB radio is new to me. I have built-in squelch knob, is that the same thing?

No. You'll tune the antenna to get as low an SWR as possible. Typically 1.1 - 1.4 I think is an acceptable range. You need instrumentation to do it. There's an old radio shop South of 6th that did mine for free, but hopefully there's someone closer to you.

Squelch is just a threshold. Low squelch means you'll hear everything, including a lot of static. When talking with people, turn up the squelch knob until the static goes away and you just hear the person.

 

[Stotch]

Squelch is more of a gateway setting. It lets you decide how weak of a signal to let through. SWR is how much feedback you're getting from the antenna. The higher your SWR the less your antenna is sending.

GraniteCrystal beat me to it

 

[wayoflife]

Installed a CB radio today. Smooth easy install. Went with the Midland handheld which GraniteCrystal recommended. Thanks, man. This one even came with antenna and coax. I can always use a firestick later if I need to. Anxious to get out and see how this thing does.

Nice! I have that same CB for our Renegade and it seems to work pretty well.

 

[catahoula]

Installed a CB radio today. Smooth easy install. Went with the Midland handheld which GraniteCrystal recommended. Thanks, man. This one even came with antenna and coax. I can always use a firestick later if I need to. Anxious to get out and see how this thing does.

View attachment 216632

View attachment 216633

Awesome! Would love to get me one of those.

 

[Labricon]

Looking good....I have the same CB to install in the next week or so......good to know people are finding it to be a good one

 

[WJCO]

No. You'll tune the antenna to get as low an SWR as possible. Typically 1.1 - 1.4 I think is an acceptable range. You need instrumentation to do it. There's an old radio shop South of 6th that did mine for free, but hopefully there's someone closer to you.

Squelch is just a threshold. Low squelch means you'll hear everything, including a lot of static. When talking with people, turn up the squelch knob until the static goes away and you just hear the person.

Squelch is more of a gateway setting. It lets you decide how weak of a signal to let through. SWR is how much feedback you're getting from the antenna. The higher your SWR the less your antenna is sending.

GraniteCrystal beat me to it

K. Thanks. SWR meters are pretty cheap online. I may just buy one. We'll see. I doubt I'll be able to get this done before the weekend, but we'll see.

Nice! I have that same CB for our Renegade and it seems to work pretty well.

Good to hear.

Awesome! Would love to get me one of those.

Reasonable price and a small unit that doesn't take up a lot of space.

Looking good....I have the same CB to install in the next week or so......good to know people are finding it to be a good one

Me too. Hope it works out for you too.

 

[scull20]

K. Thanks. SWR meters are pretty cheap online. I may just buy one. We'll see. I doubt I'll be able to get this done before the weekend, but we'll see..

PM Me your address and I'll send you one that I'm pretty sure I still have that's collecting dust in my closet. I ordered it and never ended up having to use it because my Uniden has a built in SWR meter.

 

[WJCO]

PM Me your address and I'll send you one that I'm pretty sure I still have that's collecting dust in my closet. I ordered it and never ended up having to use it because my Uniden has a built in SWR meter.

Cool. Thanks man.

 

[Brute]

PM Me your address and I'll send you one that I'm pretty sure I still have that's collecting dust in my closet. I ordered it and never ended up having to use it because my Uniden has a built in SWR meter.

If you can't find yours, I have one in my garage in Hawaii I'll send to you I'm not using anymore...but it will cost you a beer if I'm in your neck of the woods

 

[WJCO]

You have a big metal roof, with the antenna right about in the middle of it. Your setup should work great. [emoji106]

From what I remember, the weather channels are typically broadcast at a much higher power than CB transmissions. I was able to pick up local weather stations even without an antenna hooked up.

Just make sure you checked and dialed in your SWR on 1 and 40 for when you'll be talking. Otherwise let it sit on 9 or 19 (or scan mode if you have it) and you'll inevitably pick up something to verify you've got it set up correctly, especially if there's a traffic jam.

Rig is looking good...and roger that on the swr set up...

No. You'll tune the antenna to get as low an SWR as possible. Typically 1.1 - 1.4 I think is an acceptable range. You need instrumentation to do it. There's an old radio shop South of 6th that did mine for free, but hopefully there's someone closer to you.

Squelch is just a threshold. Low squelch means you'll hear everything, including a lot of static. When talking with people, turn up the squelch knob until the static goes away and you just hear the person.

Squelch is more of a gateway setting. It lets you decide how weak of a signal to let through. SWR is how much feedback you're getting from the antenna. The higher your SWR the less your antenna is sending.

GraniteCrystal beat me to it

Nice! I have that same CB for our Renegade and it seems to work pretty well.

Looking good....I have the same CB to install in the next week or so......good to know people are finding it to be a good one

Radio worked great today!

 

[cozdude]

Radio worked great today!

:worthless:

 

[Ddays]

Radio worked great today!

:worthless:

Yeah, exactly! So how did you get it to work properly? I gave up on mine & went to a CB shop recommended by a couple truck drivers. For $50 I got a new antenna cable and he opened up my case on the CB & tweaked it. Don't know what he did but he unsoldered and resoldered a bunch of shit. Works great.

 

[swampdog]

Yeah, exactly! So how did you get it to work properly? I gave up on mine & went to a CB shop recommended by a couple truck drivers. For $50 I got a new antenna cable and he opened up my case on the CB & tweaked it. Don't know what he did but he unsoldered and resoldered a bunch of shit. Works great.

So I'm not familiar with the exact process, but I believe that is called "peaking" the CB and it makes it put out more juice than what it could stock, thus, transmitting further.

 

[notnalc68]

So I'm not familiar with the exact process, but I believe that is called "peaking" the CB and it makes it put out more juice than what it could stock, thus, transmitting further.

I had one done that way, years ago. I think they make it put out a few more watts.

 

[WJCO]

:worthless:

So I'm not familiar with the exact process, but I believe that is called "peaking" the CB and it makes it put out more juice than what it could stock, thus, transmitting further.

I had one done that way, years ago. I think they make it put out a few more watts.

Yeah, exactly! So how did you get it to work properly? I gave up on mine & went to a CB shop recommended by a couple truck drivers. For $50 I got a new antenna cable and he opened up my case on the CB & tweaked it. Don't know what he did but he unsoldered and resoldered a bunch of shit. Works great.

My readings were high, however moving the magnetic antenna base changed the readings. So I know that adjustments were changing the meter. My issue was that I was short on time and had to adjust it in my driveway. You're supposed to be out in an open field. Either way, it worked fine on the trail. I'll try it the right way sometime. YouTube had some easy to follow videos.