help with new CB setup

[Sufu]

I purchased a Uniden PRO510 and hard-wired it so a keyed-ignition source, so it's only on when the car is running, and I am using a Wilson Lil Wil antenna on the roof of my car.

Problem is that 99% of the time all I hear is static, and I have to turn the squelch up really high so it's mostly silent. The few conversations I hear I can barely make out because they are full of static, unless it's like a base station talking (then it's really clear).

My route is through Route2 -> 495 -> Route3 in MA, and 495 is full of truckers. I can't make out a damn thing anyone says because all I hear is static. I haven't done any tuning or anything so far, only been running it for like 3days.

Here's a pic of my car (except I have a bigger wing and it's not piss yellow)

File:Chevrolet Cobalt SS.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[chriskohtc]

Faulty antenna perhaps? Were you near to sources of static interference? Large SUVs, overhead powerlines?

I have the exact same setup--Uniden 510 and a Lil Wil on the trunk--and my squelch is set at about 12 o-clock in the "urban city" of Austin.

[crazyVOLVOrob]

Faulty radio tune is a possiblity also the fact that no truckers talking around you.

I recommend a simple peak, tune and align of your radio and purchase a SWR meter to check your antenna

[Stealth Stalker]

You don't have anything in between your antenna and your roof, do you? Sticking cloth or something in there to protect your car will cause this.

[88 Fan]

Could possibly be ignition noise. Whenyou rev your engine does the noise increase? I would turn the key on but don't start the engine and see how it sounds. If it gets louder or you hear a whine with the engine running it's more than likely ignition noise. A inline filter on your power wire will fix this.

[Motor On]

That roof looks awfully curved, make sure the magnet is sitting flat, also follow the cable and make sure than it's not pinched or kinked anywhere, esp at the point it enters the car (I'm assuming a door seam) as a kink in the wire is effectively like cutting off your antenna.

[Stealth Stalker]

Yeah, your coax can go bad from handling and you never know it. The only way to know for sure is to replace the antenna and coax and see if it works better.

Although, I think most likely it is what Rob said, which is that there simply aren't any truckers around you on a non-Interstate route.

[supercowpowers]

How many little green LEDs on the meter does the static cause to light up? One or two is normal, but three or four indicates a problem if it's all the time and not just when you're driving under a power line or something.

If there are truckers off the highway, it seems like they have to pass you and see you're in another truck for them to tell you anything.

[Sufu]

I don't believe there is anything between the antenna and the car, though I never really checked since it sticks pretty good.

On i495 there's tons of trucks, and if I turn squelch below 12 o'clock I can hear some talk but I can't make it out due to all the static. So far I only see 2 bars where the 2nd is usually blinking. Really clear convos get 4bars, but so far I think they were base stations.

Does the little Wilson Little Will come with some sort of cover that I in my newbness did not remove?

[cooljay]

Having to have your squelch always at 12 and turning it down any lower brings in noise sounds like it MIGHT be engine noise or something else, but the fact that it's only lighting up 1 bar and blinking on the 2nd makes me doubt it as usually when you pick up noise from your vehicle it's pretty strong.

I would get an SWR meter, check to make sure your SWR is fine and nothing is wrong with the wiring/antenna. Also it might just be they don't talk much. I've gone 40-50 mile stretches on the interstate and not hear 1 single peep out of the CB.