Happy with my install, just a few questions!

[ozzie1989]

Installed my first CB today in my Land Rover. Very happy with the setup, getting no more than 1.5 SWR on a wide range of channels across UK and EU band

Just a few questions though...

I read somewhere that the RF gain knob on my TTI-TCB880 should be in the fully clockwise position for normal operation, however if I scan through the channels when I hit the EU band I get a lot of squelch noise even with the squelch turned right up. Even when I turn RF gain down to three quarters full, I still have to have the squelch up over half way... is this normal?

Also, when I'm just sat on a channel, not receiving or transmitting, I'm still showing 2 - 4 bars (dependant on channel) on the signal meter... is this normal? As I expected it to show nothing!

Cheers for your help, and happy CB'ing!

[wildfire]

hi ozzie,

swr sounds to be good at 1.5 but as we say lower the better but you are out of the danger area, skip as we call it will normaly come through your cb as this is coursed by microwave ovens / power lines for example i sometimes get about 9 pounds worth of skip and drives me bonkers the only way to clear the skip is to make shure your rf gain is turned all the way clock wise and then turn your squelch up so it just gets rid of the skip, normaly should get about 4 to 5 pounds worth of skip and sometimes none at all,

hope this information has helped you out ozzie and if you have any more problems help is never to far away, and happy dxing buddy.

[ozzie1989]

Went out today and found out I have alternator noise coming through... Looks like I'll be buying me a suppressor!

Other than that I think I had my first Roger tonight... so I'm a happy chap

[wildfire]

well at least you got your first roger ozzie that is great news buddy =D> i am shure your going to be having your radio in full working order after you have fitted the suppressor to your radio

good luck with it all and all the best buddy.

[stampman]

best time to check your meter for interferance is last thing at night when the skip has died down as late as possable if you are still getting 4 to 5 ponds on the meter the its the vechile that is giveing you the problem

[ozzie1989]

Thanks for the reply both!

Stampman, took it away from the houses yesterday up onto the mountain and it was perfect (that's where I got my roger which must have been far away as I was in the middle of nowhere!). I wasn't getting any signal readings whatsoever whilst not transmitting/receiving. As I headed back down into the estate, I had to progressively turn the squelch up to alleviate the interference so it just proves that being surrounded by 15 houses doesn't do you any good

[stampman]

dont you just love it when a plan comes together

[ozzie1989]

Indeed, although the plan hasn't quite come together yet...

Fitted an interference filter yesterday, inline with the power straight from the battery. This doesn't seem to have cured the problem. It's definately coming through the power, as when I take the aerial off the mount I still get interference (or should I disconnect it from the radio altogether?). It's also definately the alternator as the whine/whistle is in progression with the engine revs.

Anyone have any suggestions? Cheers

[stampman]

disconnect the antenna from the rear of the cb as the base and coax can pick up the interferance so if you remove the pl259 it will give a clearer indication

[hotmetal1000]

But when you where up on top of the moutain you had no interfence at all? I assume you had the vehicle running at some point of time there? You would have had to have the engine running to drive back down so I don't understand why you wouldn't have had interference while on top of the mountain .
Sounds like a bit of a curly one.

[ozzie1989]

Ok, the two problems were unrelated. The interference I was getting was squelch noise (ie. I had to turn the squelch up almost on full to get rid of the interference that I now know was coming from surrounding houses etc.).

The noise that I get now is completely unrelated to the CB itself, I can have the volume right down or up, on any channel etc. but when the engine is running I get alternator noise coming through the speaker - a sort of high pitched whine that's in line with engine RPM.

Stampman, I will disconnect the plug later and see if that has any bearing on it. I'm guessing that if that does solve the problem, I will need to fit a suppressor on the alternator itself?

[hotmetal1000]

OK yep I'm with you now. Yeah as Stampman said there, the coax and base can pick up the noise so disconnecting the coax will let you know whether it's coming down the power cable or coax. A noise suppressor on the alternator itself would hopefully quieten it for you.
I just read your post again, if I read what you've written correctly you can have the volume turned right down and still get the noise though the speaker?

[ozzie1989]

Yes indeed. The noise stays at the same volume no matter how low or high the volume knob is, even when it's right down. As soon as you turn the unit off the noise goes.

I have an extension speaker fitted... though I doubt this would be the culprit???

Cheers!

[hotmetal1000]

Thats interesting that the volume of the noise stays the same regardless of volume setting on the unit. To me, my way of thinking, that would mean the noise is being picked up after the volume control circuity in the cb and I would think the volume control circuity would be the last bit of circuity the signal sees before reaching the speaker. The cb your using would have an internal speaker fitted I would imagine (I don't know your UK cbs at all), may I suggest unplugging the external speaker and seeing what happens with the noise.
I'm trying to sound all knowledgable there but I could be totally wrong and leading you on a big bumsteer .

[ozzie1989]

Ok, did some testing this morning. The noise is coming through the aerial/mount/aerial wiring... NOT the power wiring. When you disconnect the PL259 from the back of the CB the noise goes completely - with or without the extension speaker!

So it looks like I need to suppress the alternator itself... Running a ground from the mount to the chassis didn't help!