> .8:1? Hmm... I was reading an article on antennas and
> supposedly 1:1 is as
> good as it gets and for all practical purposes was only acheivable in
> laboratory conditions.
>
> Now, I am the first to admit that I know less than nothing about CB's
> (other than the radio shack model I had as a teen to talk to
> the other
> rednecks at school) so can someone explain a little more
> about Standing
> Wave Ratios and CB antenna properties? Do you have to boost
> the signal
> externally (or internally for that matter) to overcome the
> 1:1 limit? Do
> any of you do any of the mods (let's talk hypothetically
> since 4watts is
> the legal limit and I wouldn't want anyone to incriminate
> themselves ;-)
>
> Edu-ma-cate me :-P
.8:1.0 ratio would mean that the signal is feedingback into the unit. A 1:1
ratio means that the antenna circutry is working at 100% effecenicy. Due to
parasitic loss the best you're gonna get is a 1.1:1. The rule of thumb
dealing with antennas is the closer to a full wave you get the better your
signal. 1 Full wave of a CB carrier is somewhere in the neighborhood of
36ft. So a 1/4 wave is close to 9'(ie a steel whip). Loading coils (most
magnetic mounts have the loading coil in the base) electrically lengthens
the antenna. They are not a effecient as the steel whip. The center mounted
loading coil antenna's (Hustler Twin Truckers), are a great antenna(if you
can find one). . To boast power there are a couple of ways to do it. YOu can
go inside and crank up the voltage to the final transistor, or add a linear
amp. Both ways the radio has to be modded to work properly. For a
microphone, the cheap Cobra power mike would work good. Stay away from the
D-104 handheld. Expensive for the quality and sound, but they do look nice!
If you want to mod your unit, take it to someone who knows how to do it.
Newer radios are not as mod-friendly as the older 40ch units. If you're
really interested in learning about Electronics/Radios pick up the Amateur
Radio Handbook. Chockfull of information from basic electronics theory to
cutting edge digital/radio development.
Greg
95 Dakota Sport CC v6 5spd
Rahway NJ
ICQ: 283886
http://24.6.89.18/dakota/dodge.htm
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