/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1797841
anon you scare me. what makes you think you can power a cb radio from a usb charger? do you even know the voltage and amp requirements for the CB? do you google (we know you don't)

just plug it straight in to the wall then darwin will take care of you.

>>1797849
Aren't all cb at 4w. I know those wall things don't put out 12v, but something low cost is what I'm looking for.

>>1797859
A 12V supply isn't hard to find.
Routers, laptops, LED lights, TFT displays/tvs, etc. often use 12V.

>>1797841
what's the point? there isn't anyone on CB except illegal high powered units you won't be able to talk to anyways.

>>1797841
why don't you put it in your car?

>>1797861
So just cut off the end of the cable with the connector and twist on the cb red and black wires?
>>1797864
free wireless communication

>>1797867
>free wireless communication
with who? and is there any one you can talk to within 2 miles? because that's about the limit you will get IF you get the antenna trimmed correctly and have a good ground plane.

you do know how to trim and adjust the antenna? get a good ground plane? and you have an SWR meter? right?

>>1797864
for fun, now go back to sitting on your hands and waiting for a woman who wants to have sex only in the missionary position for the sole purpose of procreation to pass by

>>1797869
what part of "there's no one out there on CB to talk to" don't you understand?

>>1797868
This is diy, why come here if you don't tell him how to do it instead of trying to talk him out of something?

>>1797867
Check the polarity with a multimeter first, to make sure you connect it correctly.

>>1797875
because he's wasting his time. There really is no one on CB any more, even truckers are using it less and less and most of them won't even talk to you if they don't know you.

seriously he's not going to be able to transmit further than 2 miles IF he sets up the antenna correctly.

he has no skills and does not know what he is doing and so there is no point in helping him do something that will result in him make no contacts and talking to no one.

but don't listen to me, I only know what I am talking about. I spent quite a bit of time setting up a CB station and getting my antenna tuned only to find out that there was no one to talk to.

Then I researched it and found it was the same everywhere.

>>1797870
Every other pickup has one around these parts. You must be a city bitch
https://youtu.be/qsNwDjUjbfs

>>1797879
>only to find out that there was no one to talk to.
That's just sad bro. Get some friends.

>>1797841
you need a 12 to 14v power supply that can at least provide 2 ampere.

>>1797870
cb is full of people you dumb twat

>>1797859
Legal transmitting output is 4-12 watts.
Repurpose a PC power supply or -> ebay

>>1797876
>polarity
The positive is always the inside part

>>1797898
That's not much help when you cut the connector off.

And just to be pedantic, positive is not always on the inside, especially with older stuff. Always check yourself - never assume.

>>1797905
If the hot was on the outside of those DC plugs it would pop every time you accidentally touched it to metal. That's why it's always on the inside ring that's hidden.

>>1797923
Not if it's floating.

>>1797841
Do this
https://youtu.be/bolyErI2888
Those 102 inch whips are available on amazon cheaply and will really help in getting your signal out, make sure you put it as high as possible

>>1797929
That's a pretty sweet set up

This thread is a good example of the kind of faggots that are on CB radios... do you really want to chat with these people?

>>1799050
You got a free CB radio, might as well make it work.
Not like there's much today outside these days.

>>1799050
stfu you ham faggot

>>1797864
There's plenty of people on CB still, just because no-one in your lefty cuck shithole utopia state doesn't use it anymore, doesn't mean that it's isn't popular still. Tons of people outside of cities use it in off roading, truckers still use it frequently, among many others.

>>1799050
I just want to hear something...anything...my super sensitive receiver hasn't picked up shit, even with a tuned magnetic loop, even with a 23' length of wire

>>1799050
lol faggot

>>1799070
and what state do I live in? because whatever you think it is, is wrong.

CB is dead except in some rural farming areas and it's dying there as well.

>>1801231
I'm not trying to talk to people I don't know. It's to talk to people I do know or live nearby, for emergency, or say I run out of gas on interstate I can radio for a pickup.

>>1797886
4 amps for SSB

>>1797898
>The positive is always the inside part
>always
No.

>>1801284
how is that relevant, if he got a free cb radio it won't have ssb.

>>1797841
I recommend far point farms on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeQsmq6mWu0

>>1797887
>>1799070
Post location. CB is dead in S FL, I installed one on car to monitor between broward and Palm for 3 months, no trucks were using it, and only a couple locations had obv base unit. Around Orlando was more truck traffic... not worth the hassle.
OP build a power supply from old pc. That will power it.

>>1797841
Https://www.rightchannelradios.com/collections/power-supplies
Don't bother with that shit
Just get one of these to power it.

A car antenna really isn't going to work that great. You're going to need something with a ground plane if you're doing a home base setup. Without a good antenna you will neither receive nor transmit for shit. Mobile antennas are optimized for cars and trucks. It's not quite as simple as sticking a mobile antenna out the window of your house.

>>1801347
This guy is great actually. He has a whole vid on cheap base stations and antennas actually.

>>1797859
4w max transmitting power. 12 in single sideband, I believe.

>>1797864
There are. You have to be patient and flip around. You're bound to at least hear something like skip traffic on good clear days. My local group has been pretty active because everyones on lockdown. They usually always hop on at the same time everyday, same channel.

Here's the thing though. If you manage to find a local CB group, it's usually a tight knit group, and you may not be able to get much of a word in.

If you hear chatter, say "breaker" and ask for a radio check, give your location, and people will at least say if they copy. If everyone's in a convo, don't be a dick and break the flow. Say thanks and listen to the banter. CB isn't really regulated like the other bands, so you may here some funny/wild shit. Break in, if you have something to contribute. Ask about what radios they have, ask for advice on your setup. Just don't be an irritation.

CB is more of a techy fun hobby thing than useful communication. That being said, it's not a bad idea to have one ina last line of defense in the rare event there's phone/internet trouble.

>>1801240
>I can radio for a pickup.
can't get picked up if no one is listening.

>>1801651
>You have to be patient and flip around. Y
dude I have an antenna on my roof and an SDR I can monitor the ENTIRE CB band at once. In one month of monitoring all I could get were illegal high power rigs in california and texas. none of which could hear me. I am 3 miles from a major highway and did not hear one trucker, nor did any one respond to me ever.

>>1801651
>f you hear chatter, say "breaker" and ask for a radio check, give your location, and people will at least say if they copy.
no they won't. they ignore you.

>>1797841
>pic related.

>to op.

>cuck

>>1801674
>>1801675
Maybe I am just lucky. But I have done pretty much everything I talked about, and I hear chatter pretty regularly where I am in RI, and I have gotten responses. And I'm on a mobile setup; Uniden Pro520xl to a Wilson 5000 on my trunk.

>>1801675
[female noises]

>>1801673
I've never been on any stretch of interstate where I couldn't get a copy back.

>>1801675
lies
I give a 10-2 when i get a radio check

>>1799273
placement of antenna and swr

>>1797841
Okay, so. You have a few options here. First off, look at the front of the radio. If there is a dial that says anything like "SSB" or "LSB/USB", that means that it is a single-sideband radio and it will draw a lot of power.

Those are usually fairly high-end models, though. It is unlikely that yours has that mode. Assuming that it does not, you might be able to get away with a simple 12v wall adapter. Though it will lead to a noisy output and not be the best option, only a functional one. Your best bet is to order a 12v power supply like pic related (Literally the one I use for my base CB). A 12v battery also works if you can charge it

Make sure that the antenna is outside, it will be nearly deaf indoors. The higher the antenna is, the better. But, it will still function on or near the ground. Running the cable through a window is sometimes possible, but can be a pain in the ass depending on what type of cable it is and how the window's mechanism works.

This is a good time to get into CB, the virus has made it a bit more active. Channel 19 is what truckers use, and is your general. 38 is the calling frequency for SSB communications, and channel 6 is /b/.

If you enjoy this sort of thing, consider looking into SDR listening and ham radio. I took the CB gateway drug a few years back, and now I cannot get enough of it. Happy hunting.

>>1801313
I've acquired free CBs with SSB before. Same as pic related. It wasn't working but after a fair bit of fault finding I found a short circuit ceramic capacitor. Once replaced it worked.

>>1802135
Do you use a linear amp?

>>1797868
>>1797875
a while ago i found this on the german version of Make.
a Arduino Baofeng Baby phone if there is a loud noise it activates the talk switch

the comments were gold all the HAM-Boomers were freaking out
>the measuring car is going to triangulate you.
>i filed a complaint at Federal Network Agency there going to bust you're ass. there going to take this article down.
of course they did not there is now a small disclaimer that's its a project from a viewer and they don't take responsibility lol.

>>1802237
Is that a fucking relay module just to spoof a button press?

>>1802237
Too be fair, the ham fags around me have and continue to go full militant on unlicensed operators and triangulate and get people fined

>>1802204
I do not. But, if you do choose to use one, it will take far more power than just the radio alone and will definitely require a proper power supply.

Note that they are technically illegal to use, but almost no one actually follows that law on the CB band. I personally do not have a problem with people who use them; having a lawless and shitpost-friendly area of the spectrum is a pretty welcome relief at best, and a metaphorical containment board at worst.

>>1802392
The only time I have problems with amps is when they're so high powered that they cancel out everyone else and splash the other channels.

Ch6 guys are awful with that shit. You can still sometimes pick them up on ch 7-9. Also what is it with Spanish Speakers using channel 9? That's an Emergency channel

>>1802398
being in spain is an emergency

>>1802051
One weekend after getting my CB in my truck installed and the antenna tuned I drove around the highways near my city. attempting contacts for one hour. I covered 32 miles and not only did not contact anyone I heard no one else on any common frequencies. I verified I was transmitting and could get at least 2 miles.

OP here. I came to my senses and threw the cb away. what a stupid hobby.

>>1803454
>2 miles
thats terrible
what is your antenna setup?
if its anything other than a magnet in the middle of your roof, its more than likely trash and has very limited directional capabilities and dead zones

>>1804118
Ghey

>>1797841
Didn't you ask this on /diy/ the other day you need a transformer that 120v ac to 12v dc that can push at least 3 amps

>>1804132
Could have just been shit weather.

>>1803454
But yeah anon, you may need some adjustment? Did you take an SWR reading. What antenna are you using? I have a magnet mounted Wilson 5000 on my car. I can transmit about 5 miles, I can hear guys pretty clearly from good base stations from that range. (Once I get past 7 miles, transmit can get shitty, reception is hidden in static

>>1802196
well, now i'm legit jelly.
ssb radios are fucking expensive here still.

>>1802196
I just got a free SSB CB from my buddy and its fucking epic so far, I keyed up on LSB and instantly someone replied to me and I've been talking with them for 2 days now, it's way more chill than CB and everyone is really cool.
Also the range is at least double of my regular CB.

>>1804617
Yeah. To me it seems like sideband guys shooting skip or whatever are a little more serious about the hobby, and less cancerous.

Although the cancerous shittalking can be pretty entertaining to listen to. The local CB group in my area can be great, I've heard them dox guys who annoy them

>>1797887
Here in So Cal nobody to talk to.