cb radio causing digital gauges to cut out

[RyanApfel]

The title says it all. Anytime I hit the talk button on the CB radio, my digital gauges for voltage water temp and oil pressure flicker and cut out until I stop pressing the button. If I unplug the antennae and press the button it doesn't make the gauges cut out so I assume it's some type of interference from the CB. Anyone know how to fix this?

[fartman]

Is the coax running near the gauges? Did you use the same ground for the CB as the gauges?

[bukk]

i had a similiar problem and bought a heavy duty noise filter at radio shack it worked for me and ran power from cb directly to battery instead of fusebox.

[theramsey3]

Are you using a "linear" or amplifier? if you are you likely need to get some ferrite cores to create an rf noise filter as close as you can to the gauges on the power supply and inputs. I had to do that with all of my stereo equipment when I was running my linear. every time I keyed up I could hear myself talking through my stereo equipment.

[RyanApfel]

not using an amplifier. the cb has its own power strait to the batt and its own ground to the body. i tried moving the coax as far away from any of the other wires as i could and it still had the problem. so a noise filter sounds like the way to go. does it just hook up in-line?

[bossind]

Adjust your SWR!

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/tu...-adjusting-swr

[adrianspeeder]

And don't key your set without a dummy load or antenna. If you haven't fried your transmitter already.

Adrianspeeder

[mkinsman]

never NEVER key the mic without the antenna attached, will fry the radio

[RngTrtl]

Originally Posted by bossind

Adjust your SWR!

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/tu...-adjusting-swr

This. SWR is Standing Wave Ratio. If it is not as close to 1:1 as possible you are bleeding off power that could interfere with things.

[RngTrtl]

Originally Posted by mkinsman

never NEVER key the mic without the antenna attached, will fry the radio

This as well. Its kinda like dry firing a bow.

[DRFC29`]

What kind of antenna ? location? i had a magent mount it bleed on everything went to a solid mount on the back of the truck problem went away but thats my 2 cents.

[RyanApfel]

It is a magnet mount on the roof. I ordered a noise filter online. If that doesn't work I'll look into a solid mount antennae.

[1starvingtrucker]

Why are you running a magnetic mount antenna? Is your CB going to be mounted temporary, also? Get a real antenna. Good luck

[BigBlue&Goldie]

Originally Posted by 1starvingtrucker

Why are you running a magnetic mount antenna? Is your CB going to be mounted temporary, also? Get a real antenna. Good luck

I agree, those magnetic antennas are junk. Get a Firestick and mount it on your rear tire carrier. I ran my ground to my body and have never had an issue. The coax line is easily ran in Broncos, and the Firestick kit comes with plenty.

[1starvingtrucker]

The Firestick needs 18 feet of coax. That is what I have always been told by any CB shop I have been to. Otherwise, I don't believe you will ever get the SWR adjusted. Firestick is really good for a fiberglass and you can get one at any truck stop.

[RyanApfel]

I got a magnet antennae because I don't have a tire carrier so there's no real easy spot to bolt it on. On another note, the noise filter I ordered worked like a charm. No more interference.

[1starvingtrucker]

That is great if you fixed the problem and it works for you. My position is the better equipment you have the more you will be able to use it. I have one aluminum antenna and sometimes I pick up base stations from Puerto Rico and Cuba. Other times, I may pick up West Coast. I can pick up racket from El Paso any day I want to (about 800 miles away). I had a conversation two days in a row with someone in Nebraska. All of this may sound unnecessary, but if you can consistently talk to people clearly that are 5 to 10 miles away your radio becomes a lot more useful. It will help a lot just talking to people that are within eye sight.

[tonyroc14]

My 2 cents is to run good coax and antenna. Those are the key. You should always run coax in multiples of 3 feet to get the best SWR. Here I talk about all this and I have shit coax, shot antenna and shit SWR. Lol. I just haven't had the money, time, or the interest in fixing it....




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[1starvingtrucker]

Originally Posted by tonyroc14

My 2 cents is to run good coax and antenna. Those are the key. You should always run coax in multiples of 3 feet to get the best SWR. Here I talk about all this and I have shit coax, shot antenna and shit SWR. Lol. I just haven't had the money, time, or the interest in fixing it....

Good coax and antenna is a must, but everyone always told me Cobra radios were good. Even some CB shops. I will never buy another. They may be tough, but I never had one that was a great performer. I had 2 or 3. I have tried them stock and taken them to the CB shop to get the mods. Didn't matter, I was always trying to get them to work better. And I couldn't. After I bought a big radio, and a few mods, I was content. I wasn't trying to make a Cobra do something it wasn't designed to do.

The radio I use now has 18 ft. coax and a Predator antenna (aluminum) and I don't think I have ever had to adjust the trim on the antenna. I do check it sometimes, though.

I always use 18 ft coax because I was told (by several CB shops) that the antennas we are talking about have a relationship to the actual size of the radio wave traveling through the air and are designed to work with a piece of coax 18 ft long (or something like that). And I don't think I have ever been able to set SWR with any other length than 18 ft.

Where did you get the "multiples of three" from? Truck stops usually have coax in multiples of 3 and I never knew why.

[tonyroc14]

Originally Posted by 1starvingtrucker

Good coax and antenna is a must, but everyone always told me Cobra radios were good. Even some CB shops. I will never buy another. They may be tough, but I never had one that was a great performer. I had 2 or 3. I have tried them stock and taken them to the CB shop to get the mods. Didn't matter, I was always trying to get them to work better. And I couldn't. After I bought a big radio, and a few mods, I was content. I wasn't trying to make a Cobra do something it wasn't designed to do.

The radio I use now has 18 ft. coax and a Predator antenna (aluminum) and I don't think I have ever had to adjust the trim on the antenna. I do check it sometimes, though.

I always use 18 ft coax because I was told (by several CB shops) that the antennas we are talking about have a relationship to the actual size of the radio wave traveling through the air and are designed to work with a piece of coax 18 ft long (or something like that). And I don't think I have ever been able to set SWR with any other length than 18 ft.

Where did you get the "multiples of three" from? Truck stops usually have coax in multiples of 3 and I never knew why.

As a rule of thumb you want to run 18 feet because it keeps the same ratio. Antennas are simply a ratio of the actual wave length. But if you simply can not run 18 then go with 15, or 21 if you need more. I don't have the exacts as to why it's 3 feet, I just know it is, haha.


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