Andy Land said:

LOL ... thanks fella, Roger that! I had been on Ch14 asking for a signal check but will try Ch19 instead. I did hear a couple of chaps with broad Black Country accents chatting away but didn't want to be rude until I found out the modern day etiquette (or lack of it)

Anyway, thanks muchly for all your help and 10-10 till we speak again

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Most truckers hate people asking for signal checks or rig checks. Reason being night after night after night you hear the same person calling and no matter how many people answer him/her he/she still keeps doing the same.

I try to NEVER ask for a rig/signal check. I usually try to explain I have just dug this rig out after many years of retirement and wonder if it's still working, or, I am repairing a rig for a trucker mate - Can anyone hear this at all, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?

Hi CF ... well I went onto CH19 and asked for a signal test ... a guy came straight back and said 'hearing you loud and clear breaker from Avonmouth' ... now I thought that the range might be 10 miles at best but Avonmouth is a good 50 miles away from me as the crow flies! Didn't try and engage in conversation though but I must have found a happy breaker

Skip caused by ionosphere

Is that the technical term for 'it was due to the atmospheric conditions and not a normal thing' Fanatic?

More likely to be a wind up - depending upon the incoming signal strength. I have in the past (and have heard many others do the same) replied with very over exaggerated rig checks like this.

Skip - is a phenomenon where with the right atmospheric conditions the low frequency signals that cb uses will bounce off the ionosphere and return to earth many many miles away. I would very much doubt a fifty mile signal to be skip, it tends to be more in the range of intercontinental. In the past I have spoken with Barbados, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, and a fair few others - skip talking can be a lot of fun and rewarding, but (for me) it got boring after a few years of swapping QSL cards, even sideband isn't what it used to be.

However, having said that - 50 miles is certainly within reach depending upon the lay of the land more than anything. Line of sight is the important factor. The natural curvature of the planet limits your "line of sight" to approx 60 miles at sea level. Therefore, if one, or both, stations are high above sea level then a further distance is feasible.

Andy, I noted in another thread that you have velcro'ed your SWR meter beside your rig. A nice enough idea (main benefit being it will let you know immediately if a problem is developing and you can see the effects that nearby objects like bridges, people etc. have upon your SWR,) but, as with everything between rig and twig - there will be a slight loss of signal while it's there.

Clanforbes said:

Andy, I noted in another thread that you have velcro'ed your SWR meter beside your rig. A nice enough idea (main benefit being it will let you know immediately if a problem is developing and you can see the effects that nearby objects like bridges, people etc. have upon your SWR,) but, as with everything between rig and twig - there will be a slight loss of signal while it's there.

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Hi mate ... yes I just thought it was better than leaving it gathering dust in the garage and velcro means it's easy to remove if anyone needs to borrow it. Wasn't aware of it causing slight signal loss but I guess I can live with that with such a low reading anyway.
All the best, fella.

One of the best add-ons is an echo chamber - they come in echo/power mic versions or stand alone units like this ES880:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CB-RADIO-AMERICAN-ES-880-ECHO-CHAMBER-WIRED-ROTEL-MIC-/260784936913?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item3cb7fe57d1

Clanforbes said:

One of the best add-ons is an echo chamber - they come in echo/power mic versions or stand alone units like this ES880:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CB-RADIO-AMER...ecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item3cb7fe57d1

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What does it do?

As the name implies - it puts an echo into your modulation (which helps a hell of a lot on long range conversations, but can be a bit too much for close range) and the echo power mic will make your voice a lot louder, clearer and add echo. I wouldn't recommend a power mic for a woman though, their higher pitched voices tend to be a little sore on the ears if they are too loud, no pun intended.

Clanforbes said:

As the name implies - it puts an echo into your modulation (which helps a hell of a lot on long range conversations, but can be a bit too much for close range) and the echo power mic will make your voice a lot louder, clearer and add echo. I wouldn't recommend a power mic for a woman though, their higher pitched voices tend to be a little sore on the ears if they are too loud, no pun intended.

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Sounds like a nifty device and pretty cheap too.

RikWilson said:

Sounds like a nifty device and pretty cheap too.

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It is an interesting unit but as my rig is really for green laning and off road I don't think I'll need one. You never know though, I'm sure Clan can talk me into it

Andy Land said:

It is an interesting unit but as my rig is really for green laning and off road I don't think I'll need one. You never know though, I'm sure Clan can talk me into it

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Way way back in the pre-legal days, I made my own echo chamber out of a unit from an electronic organ. It was the type with a long spring in it (made some very interesting noises if you gently tapped the unit.) I had a few great wind-ups by coming on channel with kids and doing the "Attention Earthlings" bit. Bear in mind, this was in the days of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons etc.

The echo chamber is ok for close range work as long as you turn the reverb level down very low, but you'll never find anything better for punching your voice through in long range work. Oh and if you switch it off the mic works as normal...........sounds quite good through the PA too if your rig has that facility.