CB Question

[bmannon]

I can not hear the CB when I turn it on. It powers up, channels change, keys up with the PTT but I have no audio. Does a mic or headset have to be plugged in to have receive?

 

Also the squelch is open, so I know it isnt just being squelched out.

[kbran]

What year bike? I just purchased an 86 and the volume was so low you could barely hear the cb, and the squelch would no adjust at all (it was stuck on rx). So the volume or the squelch would not adjust indicating bad potentiometer. I tried to spray them with contact cleaner but no help. I just recieved a cb from an 87 off ebay and swaped it out now all is fine. May try and find the right pots and repair this one.

[bmannon]

What year bike? I just purchased an 86 and the volume was so low you could barely hear the cb, and the squelch would no adjust at all (it was stuck on rx). So the volume or the squelch would not adjust indicating bad potentiometer. I tried to spray them with contact cleaner but no help. I just recieved a cb from an 87 off ebay and swaped it out now all is fine. May try and find the right pots and repair this one.

 

It is a '90, so I should be hearing it thru the speakers w/o a headset or mic hooked up?

[kbran]

It is a '90, so I should be hearing it thru the speakers w/o a headset or mic hooked up?

Yes.

[bmannon]

Yes.

 

OK thanks, just wanted to make sure, because a lot of 2 way radios have no RX audio without the mic hooked up.

 

Now to track down the problem....

[Schlepporello]

Yes, many radios will not receive unless the mic is hooked up. Why? I haven't got a clue. It's just one of those things. But there's something else you might want to check, and it's so simple that no one ever thinks to check it until they're ready to shell out the big bucks to get it fixed (yes, it's happened to me too). Check your coax, make sure it's attached tight at the back of the radio and at the antenna. I have had it vibrate loose from the radio many times when in the big truck. I can only imagine the same could happen on a bike.

[bmannon]

Yes, many radios will not receive unless the mic is hooked up. Why? I haven't got a clue. It's just one of those things. But there's something else you might want to check, and it's so simple that no one ever thinks to check it until they're ready to shell out the big bucks to get it fixed (yes, it's happened to me too). Check your coax, make sure it's attached tight at the back of the radio and at the antenna. I have had it vibrate loose from the radio many times when in the big truck. I can only imagine the same could happen on a bike.

 

I found it, appears to be a fault w/ the local switch, when i push it i have receive. Probably try cleaning it and see what happens.

Thanks for all your help and advise, I appreciate it.

[Bob Myers]

I found it, appears to be a fault w/ the local switch, when i push it i have receive. Probably try cleaning it and see what happens.

Thanks for all your help and advise, I appreciate it.

 

The local switch is to attenuate the receive so you can listen to people who are VERY close, it is like a 2 position rf gain of sorts. Out in Wyoming last week I had the squelch all the way open and volume up way higher than it should have been. The radio was very quiet, so I pushed the local switch to turn that feature off and near got my eardrums busted, it was doing its job correctly.