CB help please

Jpshostr · July 28, 2001

I have two Cobra CBs and I've been having the same trouble with both of them. I can turn them on just fine and have full power, but I can't transmit anything with either one. Sometimes I am able to get some reception, but not always. I bought a new antenna and am pretty sure that is not the problem. I have each of them wired up to a power port plug, but since both units get power I don't think that is the problem. Any suggestions on things I could try to get these things working?

Snowman88 4x4 · July 29, 2001

Well if both radios are doing the same thing, that narrows it down to not being the radios. Did you use the same co-ax cable? Is the radio grounded? Are you using different mics? A bad mic with broken wire will cause this. Is the mic powered? Dead battery maybe on mic? What about your mic gain on the radio? where is the antenna, is the top of it above the cab of the truck? Do you have a linear, if so, disconnect it and try it.

Brad

Jpshostr · August 1, 2001

I have tried both mics in both CBs, neither one makes it work right. I used my original antenna cable, and I also bought a new antenna and cable, neither one fixed it. Neither mic is powered. The antenna has always been on top of my vehicle. What do you mean by linear? I am kind of new to this CB stuff.

Snowman88 4x4 · August 2, 2001

A linear is a box that increases your output power, like a car radio amp. 2 radios, 2 mic, 2 antenna and cable and none work......hmmmmmmm. How are the radios grounded? A bad ground will cause this. If the antenna isnt grounded it could cause this. Are you using a magnet mount antenna? It has to be something in the way you are connecting them. I m thinking its a bad ground wire. Dont connec the radios with a power port. Buy a power wire with no ends, hard wire the radio in and make sure to find a good ground. A new power cord is less than ?. Let me know if any of this helps.

Brad

Jpshostr · August 2, 2001

Thanks for the help. I haven't hard wired the CB in because I hope to have a new vehicle very shortly. Once I get myself a real truck (instead of this crappy Blazer) I plan on wiring it in the right way.

By the way, the first CB worked fine for about eight months off the power port. It started doing what I decribed above, so I bought the second unit from a friend for ?. The same thing happened with the second unit.