All I hear is Static on my CB...

bladeolson · May 29, 2015

I just installed my CB Radio and all I can get is Static...

My SWR readings are:

CH 1 = 1.1
CH 20 = 1.1
CH 40 = 2.1

my antenna is just 2 foot Firestik... is that it likely? I ordered a 5 foot one just in case.

I heard a little bit of talking on my CB on CH 17, but it was super static over it and could not make anything out.

I've tried on the city, in the country, in downtown San Francisco and nothing...

help would be appreciated.

Blade

SmokinV10 · May 29, 2015

What kind of CB

10frank9 · May 29, 2015

Have you adjusted your squelch and made sure you are on CB mode not SWR mode?

bladeolson · May 29, 2015

SmokinV10 said:
What kind of CB

It's a COBRA 29LX

bladeolson · May 29, 2015

10frank9 said:
Have you adjusted your squelch and made sure you are on CB mode not SWR mode?

I am definitely in CB mode, I played around with Squelch , but it does not seem to have any effect.

KalebD · May 29, 2015

Have you made sure your antenna is grounded properly?

Torqt JK · May 29, 2015

Break the squelch!!!

dwmgcs · May 29, 2015

KalebD said:
Have you made sure your antenna is grounded properly?

This and make sure there is no short from ground to the center pin of the antenna

bladeolson · May 30, 2015

dwmgcs said:
This and make sure there is no short from ground to the center pin of the antenna

I got the squelch to work... But now I don't hear anything at all... Shouldn't there be some truckers or something?

The emergent weather mode works perfectly. But no chatting.

chipper · May 30, 2015

bladeolson said:
I got the squelch to work... But now I don't hear anything at all... Shouldn't there be some truckers or something?

The emergent weather mode works perfectly. But no chatting.

You want to put your squelch just above the noise. Find that sweet spot were it shuts off the noise but doesn't cancel out the people talking. Try asking for a radio check.
Also turn your RF gain all the way up.

Linebacker · May 30, 2015

chipper said:
You want to put your squelch just above the noise. Find that sweet spot were it shuts off the noise but doesn't cancel out the people talking. Try asking for a radio check.
Also turn your RF gain all the up.

Excellent advice. You'll know you've gotten the squelch right if static occasionally breaks through. If the squelch gets broken too much turn the squelch up just a tad. Weather, urban areas (radar and alarm systems), and nighttime (skip) conditions can also affect squelch. You'll get the hang of it.:yup:

bladeolson · May 30, 2015

chipper said:
You want to put your squelch just above the noise. Find that sweet spot were it shuts off the noise but doesn't cancel out the people talking. Try asking for a radio check.
Also turn your RF gain all the way up.

Awesome advice! Now all I need is a friend to test with....

I ordered a bigger 5 foot antenna too thinking that may help get better range.

bladeolson · May 30, 2015

Linebacker said:
Excellent advice. You'll know you've gotten the squelch right if static occasionally breaks through. If the squelch gets broken too much turn the squelch up just a tad. Weather, urban areas (radar and alarm systems), and nighttime (skip) conditions can also affect squelch. You'll get the hang of it.:yup:

That is super helpful. I got the static ton"peek" through. Hopefully I find someone out there at some point. I live in Silicon Valley so maybe not too many cb people near me? I'd expect a few cb nerds at least! Can't wait to try on a meetup.

My friend with a Prius saw it and wants one now...lol!

bigtrucker52 · May 30, 2015

Use your squelch! I had the same problem when I installed mine two weekends ago and once I adjusted my squelch dial last Saturday all the static went away immediately

chipper · May 30, 2015

bladeolson said:
Awesome advice! Now all I need is a friend to test with....

I ordered a bigger 5 foot antenna too thinking that may help get better range.

Make sure you redo your SWR's when you put the bigger antenna on.

Tree Frog · May 30, 2015

One other thing to try is the 29LX's have a button on the upper left that is a multi fuction button, press it to turn on and off the noise filters. If you are in a city you will want them ON more that not. Out in the boonies you will want to turn them off.

On your display screen if you see NB/ANL ANL then they are ON. Press the upper left button to switch them off. You will want to play with them if you hear noise like from ignition or lights. My LED back up lights just blow a bunch of noise out when I go into reverse.
I normally run with the NB/ ANL set to off and just turn my squelch up just enough to stop noise.

I live right next to I-5 and even here in an area with all kinds of truck traffic the CB just is not what it used to be. Guys have them on a lot of times but not much talking.

Good luck with it.

bigtrucker52 · May 30, 2015

I have the 29 lx nw and those help but you really don't even need that once you set up the squelch dial correctly

bigtrucker52 · May 30, 2015

Tree Frog that button works but once he adjusts his squelch he won't even need to touch that button at all unless it's really really staticky

Tree Frog · May 31, 2015

Exactly Bigtrucker, that's the way I run. I don't get into the big city's too often, out here in the boonies I run it wide open and try to pull in everything I can. Squelch set enough to just stop the static.
On a logging road you want to hear when the log haulers are coming.

bigtrucker52 · May 31, 2015

Yeah i live in the suburbs so i don't hear anything unless i get on the highway or interstate or head into Memphis where a lot of the trucking is

All I hear is Static on my CB...

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