Originally Posted by Mark Doiron (Post 1605145)

Well, I see that the latest thread on improving CB radio range has been closed. In researching this post, I came across a website that details the fines the locally-based Love's Corporation had to pay for illegally boosting the output of CB radios. The chances of you getting caught? Probably close to zero, but the FCC is targeting places that do the mod's.

I just want to offer up one more reason why it's really not worth it. RF range is a logarithmic function. If you take a 4-watt CB radio and boost it's output to 32-watts, that is not an eight fold gain (32/4). It is a 9-DB gain. If you then put that into the formula for path loss calculation, you will learn that the theoretical range for a legal CB radio is 2.2 miles. The theoretical range for a 32-watt CB radio is 3.7 miles--a mile and half improvement. That's theoretical. Truth is, that assumes perfect line-of-sight with no intervening path loss components (hills, vehicles, buildings, trees, etc). Real life suggests that boosting your radio from 4 to 32 watts will give about a 1/2 mile improvement--on the highway. On the trail, line-of-sight is usually going to determine whether you're heard, not RF power output.

It's illegal. It increases spurious emissions that cause interference with other devices (most notably broadcast TV, but sometimes even cable TV and telephone service). And it provides NO (ZERO, NADA, ZIP!) improvement to hearing the other guy, unless he also chooses to break the law and modify his radio. At the end of the day, modifying a CB radio to "tweak" it's output is a waste of time and money.

If you want to run the numbers yourself, get out your scientific calculators and visit here ...

http://web.arundale.co.uk/docs/ais/A...F_VHF_Calc.pdf

Originally Posted by Hitch Buddy (Post 2973755)

I highly disagree with this.....Run numbers all you wantWhen I took a President grant from 4 watts to 16 then with a 1000 watt Kikcer I talked to other countrys....in fact from Chicago to Germany,and Buenos aires...The hieght of your antenna has a lot to do with it and perfect SWR'S sure helps...Also a good modulated MIc...I have a Silver Eagle Works great

Originally Posted by Hitch Buddy (Post 2973755)

I highly disagree with this.....Run numbers all you wantWhen I took a President grant from 4 watts to 16 then with a 1000 watt Kikcer I talked to other countrys....in fact from Chicago to Germany,and Buenos aires...The hieght of your antenna has a lot to do with it and perfect SWR'S sure helps...Also a good modulated MIc...I have a Silver Eagle Works great

Originally Posted by AK4Dave (Post 2973836)

:crazyeyes::crazyeyes::crazyeyes::crazyeyes::naw:: naw::naw::naw:

Originally Posted by goldtr8 (Post 2973896)

:doh::doh::doh::doh::gak::gak::gak::gak::sad2::sad 2::sad2::sad2::beer::beer::beer::beer:

Originally Posted by AK4Dave (Post 2974144)

Guess he didn't get it Don......lol.......:naw::naw::naw:

Originally Posted by Hitch Buddy (Post 2973974)

it's not hard ..yOUR CB has a freq range of 26.695 mhz to 27.405 mhz..welll when you have 26.000 all the way up to 28.000 mhz your signal goes ON AND ON AND ON This was done 30 years ago when my freind was stationed in Germany

Originally Posted by arjeeper (Post 2974267)

The propagation characteristics of of 26mhz and 28mhz are not dramatically different and are limited by the same primary factor: solar conditions.

I've been down the road with the "tweaked" CB units years back. Had a hacked-up Galaxy before I learned about ham radio. Once I became aware I sold the spurious-emission box (Galaxy). Then I started to buy quality radios that could significantly outperform the Galaxy with a fraction of the power, no spurious emissions and full legality.

If distant communication is your intrest, that's really the direction you should consider.

Originally Posted by Hitch Buddy (Post 2974526)

Thanks for your advice,the point I was making is that The formula used is crap you can talk much greater distances than the formula allows,
No distant comms is not my goal , Thanks .