vehicle noise

I got a cheap CB off of craigslist for $10 to play around with. Whenever I put my windows down or run my vehicle the thing seems to both transmit and recieve noise. Engine noise and I think I heard someone comment that i should stop putting my windows down.

Could it be that its transmitting/recieving simultaneously?

Might it just be a broken radio? Would a higher-end CB with noise cancellation do much better? or is the problem inherent in my current wiring scheme?

BTW the antenna is a 64" radioshack stainless steel whip, currently untuned

When I plug my BCT8 scanner into the same coax line it recieves CB but I do believe my antenna needs to be trimmed a little for better SWR.

To-do list: install grounding strap to trunk.
replace washer between antenna mount and trunk. the one that's there is jagged and i believe may not be sufficient for the antenna to establish a ground plane.
tune for SWR
replace cable to antenna
clean antenna
acquire a CB with noise blanking feature

my spark plugs were about burnt so im having those changed out. not sure if that'll help much but worth a shot.

hoping to find someone who would let me test my radio on their setup to see if its the radio or what

As far as I know, it shouldn't transmit anything unless you're holding down the microphone button... shouldn't. On my radio, if I'm transmitting, I can't hear anybody else at the same time.

I have a Cobra 19 with noise limiting circuitry in it. It's wired into the fuse box. The only noises I hear are a slight hum when the headlights are on and a buzzing when the interior lights dim themselves, and I can only hear them when I'm not receiving anything.

Do you hear the same noises in your scanner?

Good spark plug wires should also help with the ignition noise.

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Originally Posted by Fanman

I got a cheap CB off of craigslist for $10 to play around with. Whenever I put my windows down or run my vehicle the thing seems to both transmit and recieve noise. Engine noise and I think I heard someone comment that i should stop putting my windows down.

get a good noise canceling mic, like the sky thumper ST-65, and you won't be getting back reports of wind or vehicle noise.

Could it be that its transmitting/recieving simultaneously?

Might it just be a broken radio? Would a higher-end CB with noise cancellation do much better? or is the problem inherent in my current wiring scheme?

there are in-line noise filters (go on the hot + side) that will help eliminate any electrical noise you are dealing with.

BTW the antenna is a 64" radioshack stainless steel whip, currently untuned

When I plug my BCT8 scanner into the same coax line it recieves CB but I do believe my antenna needs to be trimmed a little for better SWR.

To-do list: install grounding strap to trunk.
replace washer between antenna mount and trunk. the one that's there is jagged and i believe may not be sufficient for the antenna to establish a ground plane.
tune for SWR
replace cable to antenna
clean antenna
acquire a CB with noise blanking feature

my spark plugs were about burnt so im having those changed out. not sure if that'll help much but worth a shot.

hoping to find someone who would let me test my radio on their setup to see if its the radio or what

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Sparky's cb shack has everything you need to get your station set up and running good. I highly recommend him.

1.Get yourself a noise canceling mike for your wind noise or keep your window closed when transmitting. Or you might have your power mike turned up to much and it is picking up everything.

2.Use a filter or a choke or a CAP on the power side of your radio. Keep your power wire away from your ignition system.

3.Buy yourself a SWR meter and get your SWR's down as low as you can get them.

I can't quite understand what you are describing. There is NO CB made that transmits and receives simultaneously. But I'm not sure if you're talking about the radio transmitting noise or the noise source transmitting the noise. Perhaps you have a radio that has a "talkback" feature installed, allowing you to hear your voice/modulation through your speaker as you transmit. If so, you aren't actually "receiving" anything during that time. You're just hearing your own transmission fed back through your own speaker. It's a pointless feature for those people who are overly impressed with the sound of their own voice, lol.

Regardless, I highly suspect that all the suggestions given in the "Engine Noise through CB" thread right next to yours will quickly address your problem. I don't really see it as much of a problem though, as it would be pretty hard to drive while holding a microphone in one hand and rolling the window down with the other. This cannot be a problem that is occurring often or really interfering with operation. I'd probably either just turn the squelch up or live with it.