Last Update
 02/07/03 03:15 AM

Review Of The CHIPSWITCH^{©
                                                                                      by Bob Fitz.}

Shortly after the introduction of the HR2510 there were many hackers coming up with modifications for this radio. Split frequency operation was essential for the 10 meter FM repeater crowd. It was also considered an advantage for operators who try to communicate semi privately. One party would talk on one channel and listen on another channel while the other party would do the opposite. This cross channel talking would help get rid of the village idiot trying to destroy the conversation.

It also seemed that 26.000 MHz. to 29.999 MHz. wasn't quite enough coverage. Hackers found changing a crystal would give the radio more coverage below 26.000 MHz. Although the display didn't reflect the frequency you were on, many thought the gain was worth going back to a road map of sorts.

Some were not happy with the function of the up and down buttons on the mic. So more mods were made. Others weren't happy with the internal beep that indicates a front panel button was depressed. Hackers added another switch to make it user selectable. Still another modification was rumored to be in the works. An additional PC board for memory channels. I never saw this one. It would have been quite expensive and involve an extensive amount of rework to install an after market option of this type if not impossible.

In a relatively short tine there was a  mound of 2510 mods out there. Clubs were forming to swap modifications. Some of these modifications wouldn't work on all 2510s while few didn't seem to work on any. Many radios were instantly devalued with multiple holes drilled for many of the extra switches used to control these modifications. God help you if the radio quite and you couldn't fix it yourself. Many found themselves turned away by there techs when they saw the cabinets peppered with switches and controls. One look inside and you would swear you were having a nightmare! Still others were destroyed while modifications were attempted. Don't get me wrong, many radios were modified in a professional manner. These changes did their best to get around an inadequate Uniden CPU.

Then arrived Chipswitch^©.. It was a clean mod using all the existing front panel switches. It did more than all the modifications available put together, and without adding any switches or controls. To date it is the best thing that happened to the 2510 radios. Even the Emperor, an enhanced copy of the HR2510, doesn't have the features that the Chipswitch^©  brings to the 2510 family. It's another story but I'm baffled why the makers of the Emperor didn't get a clue from the public or Chipswitch^©.

The manufacturer calls it an enhanced microcomputer for the Uniden/President HR2510, HR2600 & Lincoln radios. It is a programmable microprocessor that replaces the stock non-programmable chip that comes with the radio. The Chipswitch^© gives you the ability to program 46 different features including memory channels that I cover in full detail.

Chipswitch^© has other options available to enhance the HR & Lincoln radios. First is the Chipswitch^© socket @ $8.00 + shipping. Installing this means you don't have to worry about applying too much heat to the IC and the Chipswitch^© is easily removed if it ever needs to be. Say the radio has a catastrophic failure and can't be repaired of has to go back to Uniden for service...you don't loose your Chipswitch^©. Although it isn't recommended to install chips that were previously soldered into these sockets, if the radio is broken what would you have to lose, plug the old chip back into the unit. The factory may change the CPU board or swap the radio anyway. You'll only lose the socket.

The next option is the Priority PC board @ $29.00 + shipping. The Chipswitch^© has priority channel capabilities built in. It is usable and works quite well without the addition of this board. Many operators I know use the priority function and are satisfied with the performance, but the people at Chipswitch^© claim the board fixes a problem with the squelch that shows up when using the priority channel feature. I do know someone that had the Priority PC board installed some time after the Chipswitch^© installation and they notice increased priority channel performance.

Chipswitch^© comes with an installation guide and a 16 page user manual. Lets look at a summary overview of the features.

The bands are changed from the original alpha to 5 numeric bands 0-4. Band 0 is the frequency band. It's similar to using manual on some other radios. Bands 1-3 are the memory bands. Band 4 is the CB band.

There are 30 memory channels with programmable temporary channel lockout & repeater offsets. These memory channels are in three bands of ten channels. You can elect to have your selected repeater offset on any of the 30 memory channels. Any channel(s) can be temporarily locked out during Scan or Seek.

Programmable Scan/Seek function allows the scanning on an arbitrary band basis. this feature allows the selection of a frequency range for Scan or Seek in band 0, or Scan/Seek by memory channels in band 1, 2, and 3. The Scan feature works like a police scanner. It looks for and stops on an active channel and resumes scanning if the channel remains inactive longer than the user selected hold time. The Seek works the same as the Scan feature except is will stay on the active channel for a user selected time and then continue to Seek even it the frequency remains to be busy. Scan/Seek are user programmable in 5 or 10 KHz. steps.

Programmable up/down buttons provide the ability to program the channel up & down buttons to change channels or frequencies in any of 5 different ways, Programmable microphone channel up/down buttons provide the ability to program the mic up & down buttons to change channels or frequencies is any one of 8 different ways including moving the curser.

Programmable transmitter timeout provides the radio with a built-in Q-SO timer. when enabled, the radio will stop transmitting after a preprogrammed length of transmission time has been reached. To continue your transmission, just release the key and key down again. This is probably the least used feature in the Chipswitch.

Programmable Transmitter frequency range give you the ability to program a range of operational transmit frequencies. The radio will still receive the full range but will not transmit out of the range you select. Great feature in case Uncle Charlie shows up.

Split frequency operation allows the transmission on one frequency while receiving on another and is primarily used for FM repeaters on Ham bands;

Priority channel allows you to program any frequency to be periodically monitored while you're on another frequency, at a user programmable rate.

The span underline cursor has a phantom 4th position (3 underline bars) cursor. This enables you to go through the band in 100Khz steps. You can jump frequencies ten times faster than in the 3rd cursor position.

The button repeat rate is programmable. The internal button beep duration is programmable from 0 to .5 seconds.

The repeater button on the HR-2600, when depressed, will transmit the CTCSS tone to open up a repeater station. Repeater offset selection of memory channels is still required.

A master reset feature is made available through the Chipswitch. If the CPU gets confused is can be reset from the front panel. A great feature, I've had to open a few 2510s to reset them by shorting out the memory supply voltage to reset the CPU.

There are difference between the HR-2510, HR-2600 and the Lincoln radios, so when the radio is first powered on, the display will read HR2510 as the first choice, HR2600 as the second and Lincoln for the third. To select the proper radio, depress the Span button until your radio type is displayed. Then depress the Band button to transfer your selection into the microcomputer's memory. Under normal operating conditions this step will not need to be repeated. If the radio is off for an extended period, a power glitch or a master reset occurs you will have to repeat this step and re-program the radio. This doesn't occur very often.

Looking over the user manual, the first thing I noticed was the need to press multiple buttons at the same time. This is required in enable/disable and program functions because the radio has so many new features with the Chipswitch and no new switches are added. The following table from the users manual will give you an idea of how to access these new features.

In the programming mode you can review or change the values of any of the 46 features using the channel UP/DN buttons and the VFO knob of the radio. The Channel UP/DN buttons select the feature, and the VFO knob changes the value of that feature. Hear is a list of program functions with a range of values for each.

Function 0 contains the Beep On-Time information. It Can Be preset to 1 of 5 conditions, off, 1/20th, 1/10th, 1/5th, or 1/2 second.

Function 1 contains the Split Frequency Offset information. It can be preset from 000.1Khz to 999.9Khz.

Function 2 contains the Split Frequency Offset Polarity information. It can be preset to 1 of 2 conditions, Negative or Positive.

Function 3 contains the Scan/Seek Lower Frequency Limit information. Simply enter the frequency.

Function 4 contains the Scan/Seek Upper Frequency Limit information. Simply enter the frequency.

Function 5 contains the Scan/Seek Function Select information. Scan and Seek preset separately to 1 of 4 step conditions. 10Khz zero lower digit(s), 10Khz skip lower digit(s), 5Khz zero lower digits, 5Khz skip lower digit(s).

Function 6 contains the Scan Hold Time information. It can be preset to 1 of 8 conditions, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 seconds.

Function 7 contains the Seek Hold Time information. It can be preset to 1 of 8 conditions, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 seconds.

Function 8 contains the Channel Up/Dn Button Function information. It Can Be preset to 1 of 6 Conditions, 1OKhz zero lower digit(s), 10Khz skip lower digit(s), 5Khz zero lower digit(s), 5Khz skip lower digit(s), 100Hz, or the underlined digit.

Function 9 contains the Microphone Up/Dn Button Function information. It can be preset to 1 of 8 conditions, 1OKhz zero lower digit(s), 10Khz skip lower digit(s), 5Khz zero lower digit(s), 5Khz skip lower digit(s), 100Hz, underline digit, in band 0 same as feature 8 and in band I- 4 change channels, or in band 0-3 same as feature 8 and in band 4 change channels.

Features 10-19 contain Memory Group I information. Each 1 of 10 memories can be preset by entering the frequency. An automatic minus (-) 100Khz repeater offset can also be selected for each by depressing the scan button during programming. To clear a memory, enter frequency of 00.000.0.

Features 20-29 contain Memory Group 2 information. Each 1 of 10 memories can be preset by entering the frequency. An automatic minus (-) 100Khz repeater offset can also be selected for each by depressing the scan button during programming. To clear a memory, enter frequency of 00.000.0.

Features 30-39 contain Memory Group 3 information. Each 1 of 10 memories can be preset by entering the frequency. An automatic plus (+) 100Khz repeater offset can also be selected for each by pressing the scan ,button during programming. To clear a memory, enter frequency of 00.000.0.

Feature 40 contains Transmit Lower Frequency Limit information. It can be preset by entering the frequency.

Feature 41 contains Transmit Upper Frequency Limit information. It can be preset by entering the frequency.

Feature 42 contains Transmitter Time Out information. It can be preset to 1 of 8 conditions, off, 25, 42, 58, 75, 92, 109, or 126 seconds.

Feature 43 contains Repeat Key Speed. It can be preset to fast or slow.

Feature 44 contains the Priority Channel information. It can be preset by entering the frequency. There is a note in the users manual that this feature requires additional hardware to work properly.

Feature 45 contains the Priority Channel Function Select information. It can be preset to 1 of 8 conditions. The first 4 will check every 2, 4, 6, or 8 second and beep when the channel is busy. The next 4 will check every 2, 4, 6, or 8 seconds and lock on the priority channel when the channel is busy.

It looks more confusing than it is. The Installation Guide and 16 page User Manual that Chipswitch supplies is very complete and easy to follow. They even went through the trouble of capitalizing and highlighting key names so it can be used as a quick reference guide once you're familiar with the User Manual.

All the features work as expected. The real slick one is feature 9 when value 5 is selected (underlined digit). When selected, the cursor can be moved by depressing the mic up and down buttons at the same time and then the digit above the cursor can be changed up or down with the mic buttons.

In the HR2510 tested for this review I also noticed the receiver seemed quieter and clearer. I'm not sure if it was my imagination. I didn't want to contaminate the new socket with the old soldered chip leads, so I didn't install the old chip to make the comparison. It may be that the Chipswitch emits less computer noise back into the PLL and supply voltage line than the original chip does.

If you're considering or have already decided to get the Chipswitch, your next decision is to have it installed or install it yourself. I will give you some information that will help you to decide. If you're not experienced with printed circuit board soldering, DON'T ATTEMPT IT! The traces and pads on these boards lift and damage very easily. Your soldering equipment must be of a high quality and your tips in good condition or damage will be the result. Damage to the copper plating attaching a trace from the top of the board could result in a broken, or worse, an intermittent connection. The hardware installation guide is full of warnings and disclaimers including that the Chipswitch is a static sensitive device and requires static handling. A grounded wrist strap and 3 wire soldering iron is required.

The best insurance against board damage is a temperature controlled desoldering station and soldering iron. Unless you're in the business of repairing circuit boards, you wouldn't want to pay the cost of a desoldering station. A temperature controlled soldering iron is quite expensive as it is. Whatever you do, don't go to Radio Shack for your soldering equipment. Their equipment may be all right for some jobs, but it is nowhere near good enough for this work.

On the next page is a list of equipment that I recommend for this work. The desoldering station is an option for individuals with money to through around or a have tremendous amount of work that would pay for it. It can be substituted with the Soldapult as long as great care is taken to insure the soldering iron is removed before the trigger is pushed to remove the solder. Otherwise the Soldapult will kick the soldering iron tip into the circuit board and a heated board damages much more easily.

The model numbers listed are manufacturer numbers and can be ordered from many electronic tool suppliers across the country. The prices will vary .. shop around. The CE # refers to Contact East part numbers and the prices listed are their current prices at the time of this printing. To order from Contact East Call (508) 682-2000 and ask for sales.

If you want to do the work yourself and play it safe, the chip can be cut out by snipping the lead at the body of the chip and heating the connection while removing the pins' one at a time from the top of the board with a pair of needle nose pliers. Be careful not to use any more heat than necessary. Then the holes can be cleared and cleaned in preparation of the socket or the Chipswitch. Before you start, test the radio completely.

C319, the capacitor soldered across the CPU must be removed from the chip and can be installed to the back side of the PC board from pin 32 to 53 but the leads must be insulated from the circuit board. Also to remove the CPU board all the connectors must be unplugged the only 4 that can get confused are J301, J307, J311 and J312. These should be marked before they are unplugged. Swapping J307 & J301 will damage the radio! Below is the assembly drawing of the CPU PC board for your reference.

If you choose to have professionally installed, installation costs run from $35.00 to $60.00 across the country.

I've installed over 60 of these in the past without any problems. Chipswitch told me that the chips were 100% pre-tested and my experience proves it to me. Every claim they make is true. If you want the features of the more expensive BF rigs, the Chipswitch does it. It won't turn your radio into a $1200.00 radio but it makes it more fun to use. I say it's a "Class A" upgrade that will increase the value of your HR2510, HR2600 or Lincoln. I commend Chipswitch for their innovation, quality and complete documentation ... I'd like to see more quality products like this one in our marketplace. GREAT JOB GUYS! ©^CBWI

How To Make The Best Solder Connections

Working on the mic wiring article, I realized that soldering is one of the most important elements in successful mic wiring. It can make the difference between a job that works or not, and determines how long the connections last. Many of you are not set up with soldering equipment, so I've compiled a list of inexpensive tools you can purchase from Radio Shack to do small jobs. The Soldering iron I selected is more expensive than the others but will work better and last longer than the cheaper version.

NOTE., USE CAUTION WHEN USING SOLDERING EQUIPMENT, THE SOLDER AND IRON TEMPERATURE CAN EXCEED 8000 F AND CAN CAUSE SEVERE BURNS IF IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH SKIN OR CLOTHING.

When you first buy a soldering iron, you should always "tin" the tip. This is done applying fresh solder to the tip as it heats up the first time it is plugged in (always use SN 60/40 resin core solder). Every time you use it to make a connection, wipe it on a damp sponge and add a small amount of fresh solder to the tip. Don't leave it plugged in and unused for any extended period.

When soldering wires, first they need to be tinned. Take a piece of scrap wire and strip the insulation back about 1/2". Twist the strands tight in the same direction they are twisted. Holding the wire in a vise, wipe the iron tip on the sponge and add a little solder to the tip. Touch the iron to the bare wire near the insulation and as soon as the solder begins to melt run the iron and solder together down to the end of the wire adding very little solder on the way. A well-tinned wire will be shiny and the impressions of the strands will still be visible but it will be one solid wire. If you bend it and the strands separate, you haven't used enough solder. If the strand impressions aren't visible, you used too much solder. Remember, always clean the tip on the sponge before each time you solder. Cut off this section and strip it back another 1/2" and keep practicing until you are happy with the results. This is a very important element in making good solder joints.

Next take a mic connector, (don't use a din connector for this exercise) cut, strip and tin enough wires to fill all the pins in the connector. Next add solder to each of the pin connections. Then while holding the wire against the concave part of the pin, heat the pin with the soldering iron until the solder melts on the pin and the wire. Hold the wire perfectly still until the solder becomes solid again. The connection should be smooth and shiny. If it's bumpy and dull, you either moved the connection while it was still melted or you didn't use enough heat. There shouldn't be any stray strands of wire hanging off the connection either. With practice this skill can be mastered. ©^CBWI

Slick Tricks On Microphone Wiring

First we'll cover incompatibility. Some power mics leave the amplifier circuit connected to the radio audio pin. This is all right for most radios, the more expensive type in particular. Older power mic like the Turner +2, the old Cobra dynamics, old Radio Shack desk mic, and others didn't switch the preamp out of the audio path. Most CB and Ham rigs share amplifier circuits. It doesn't make sense to duplicate preamplifier and amplifier circuits for the transmitter that are already there in the receiver, so signals are switched to these circuits. This saves space and reduces cost. Many older and new inexpensive radios don't switch the radio mic amp off. That's what causes a squeal or loud buzzing through the speaker in the receive mode. This can be eliminated by adding a large value resistor say 47K Ohm to 100KOhm but the audio will be about the level of a stock mic. The only way to fix this problem is to put another set of contacts in to switch the audio lead. If you have a scrap mic you might rig something up. Generally it's not worth the trouble.

Have you ever had trouble with wiring a stock mic? What could go wrong? Many new radios have the same connectors and wiring but some mics will work on all radios and others only work on some. For example you can take a Uniden Pro 510XL and a Uniden Pro 76XL then swap mics. The 510 will still work (with slightly lower modulation) but the 76 won't have any modulation. The mics are wired the same, but the mic elements are different. The mic from the 76 has a dynamic cartridge, the type used in stock mics for many years. The mic from the 510 has a electret condenser cartridge, less expensive and has a small preamp built in, thus eliminating one preamp stage in the radio. Usually the hand held mics are imprinted on the back cover, if they are electret condenser. If you are not sure, just remove the back cover and if the cartridge is approximately 1/2" in diameter, it's a electret condenser. This type mic requires a DC supply voltage to work and these radios are designed for them. They are usually the cheapest cartridge the manufacturer can get their hands on and the sound quality is usually muffled. Uniden's seem to sound the best. If you have a radio that has an electret condenser mic, the best replacement is a good quality power mic such as an Astatic D104, D106M6 or a 575M6. If echo is what you want, the Sadelta ME-3 is very good, but the Road Noise EC-2018 is the best.

Another type of mic is the non-amplified crystal or ceramic type. These are Hi impedance mics and will only work on the older tube type radios like the Browning Eagles, Tram D201 and others. Hi-Z mics are 10,000 Ohms and up which won't match up to the newer solid state radios. These radios are Lo-Z and are around 500 Ohms. Power mics with Hi-Z cartridges have a preamp that will match both types of radios.

Next I'll cover the defective mic. There are many things that can go wrong with a mic. Most common is a break in the coiled mic cord. This can be at either end and usually intermittent, causing transmit or receive breakup. First you will need some way to monitor your results, a mic test box or a radio with another to monitor with, an Ohm meter, or a test light. The mic test box or the radio with a monitor radio nearby would be the best. To determine which end it is, hold one end secure while wiggling and bending the cord at the other end. Then do the same to the opposite end. If this test doesn't determine which end it is, the shield might be corroded A corroded shield will cause very scratchy audio as the cord bounces around. The solution is to replace the cord. If the cord is broken at the base of the mic, the cord can be cut back and repaired. Just cut the cord about an inch below the strain relief, strip it back the same amount as is left in the mic and remove and replace one wire at a time. If it's broken at the mic connector, write the wiring code down and cut the cord about an inch back from the strain relief, remove all wires, add fresh solder to the pins of the connector and reconnect the wires.

PTT switch connections can go bad and usually cause intermittent problems. You can test for this by holding the cord steady and wiggle the PTT key back and forth. Contact cleaner may solve the problem, but I've found it to be a temporary fix in most cases.

Power mics with no modulation, the battery & connections should be checked and cleaned if needed. On stock mics the cartridge can be checked with an ohm meter. Put one lead on each terminal of the dynamic cartridges you should get a reading of about 500 Ohms and hear a click every time you touch the leads of the meter to the cartridge. A suitable meter is available at Radio Shack, Part #22-221 @ $24.99.

Another reason you may have difficulty wiring a mic is that someone has modified it. The most common modification is the color code change when they replaced the mic cord. Mic cords aren't standard, they have all types of color combinations, and the shielded wire color also varies. Keep in mind that the shielded wire is the audio wire regardless of its color. I've seen mics from the manufacturer use the white or red wire for the audio connection while the blue wire was shielded. They work most of the time, but put them in a mobile and they squeal like a pig. The global market has made consumer products less standard than ever. The best way to determine the color code of a mic is to use and Ohm meter. The one listed above will work fine.

When dealing with a mic of unknown color coding, I start with the shielded wire and check that it's wired to the cartridge. Attaching one lead of an ohm meter to the shield and the meter lead to the shielded wire, press the PTT and watch for a reading of approx. 500n or listen for a click when you key it. On a 4 wire mic: Assuming the audio is right, next with the mic un-keyed and the meter lead is still attached to the shield, check for continuity (zero Ohms) to the remaining 2 wires. The one that reads zero Ohms is the receive wire. Make sure you lose continuity when you key the mic. Finally check the remaining wire for continuity to the shield while the mic is keyed. If it reads zero Ohms this is your transmit wire, you're all done.

The only difference in metering a 5 wire mic is that the shield is only connected to the cartridge and the 5th wire is the PTT common connection. See the diagram below.

Typical Microphone Wiring Diagram.

On a 5 wire mic: Confirm the audio leads as in the 4 wire instructions. Finding the common wire is a 2 step process.

Step 1: With the mic un-keyed, meter between 2 wires at a time on the three remaining wires until you get continuity (note which wires read zero ohms).

Step 2: Then with the mic keyed and one meter lead on the remaining wire connect the other meter lead one at a time to the 2 wires found in step 1. The wire that reads continuity again is your common wire (usually black or blue is common). The remaining wire from step 1 is receive and the remaining wire from step 2 is transmit. The following are some common wiring codes:

Notice the 5 pin female Cobra/Uniden code under the Sadelta column. It's a 4 wire mic, but it will work by jumping pins 2 & 4 together. This will work on most 4 wire mics.

Din Connectors are the toughest to solder. Sometimes the wires are too large to fit into the holes. In this case you can solder the wire to the side of the pin. On some connectors it's possible to flatten the pins making it easier to make a secure connection.

I've wired thousands of mics in my store using these methods. I hope you find this information as valuable as I have. Also the MT Plus mic tester is available through us @ $49.95. ©^CBWI 

Proper Base Station & Mobile Grounding

Proper grounding of your equipment is very important. Not only in performance but if you're running high power there are health risks involved with stray RF emissions. I know of cases where operators have gotten shocks while keying up and touching the mic to their lip. Proper grounding will correct this problem.

In setting up a base station it's recommended that you place a 8' ground rod into the ground directly below the antenna. Run a #8 solid copper ground wire from the U-Clamp attaching the antenna to the mast. Add a second 1/4-20 nut to the clamp. The ground rod and ground wire are available at hardware or electrical supply stores. Seal all these connections. Silicone rubber will work but it deteriorates in the weather. The best product is Coax Seal. It is a pliable plastic putty that never hardens or cracks. It stays weather tight indefinitely. I strongly suggest using it on all outside connections. One roll will do several connections. At $ 2.50 a roll, that's cheap insurance. Most antenna problems are connections ... Avoid them!

Next connect all the chassis together with copper braid and run another #8 wire to the same ground rod or place another ground rod near the equipment. The copper braid removed from coax will work fine. First strip the coax and slide the center conductor out. Then flatten the braid and tin about 1" at and drill an appropriate size hole at each end. Attach the braid to each piece of radio equipment using the equipment cover screws or ground connections provided by the manufacturer. The radio, amplifier, tuner, meters, TVI filter, etc., should be connected together and grounded. This will usually help in preventing RFI problems and RF feedback, which causes audio distortion and squealing in severe cases. In mobile installations it's recommended that the power supply come directly from the battery, both positive and negative. If a linear amplifier is used, it is mandatory for clean performance that both supply wires be at least #10 for up to 250 watts and are connected directly to the battery. Also inline fuses of a larger value than in the equipment should be installed at the battery. This will protect the vehicle from short circuits. I also recommend battery post extenders. They serve two purposes. First they make the accessory wires easily accessible after the installation. Second they keep your wire connections separated by brass from the post connection, extending the life of the connection. Also battery terminal protector spray further protects against corrosion. This can be purchased at any automotive store. I use NAPA Balkamp #765-1303 but any will do.

All that remains is grounding the radio to a local chassis ground with a piece of braid. If linear amp is physically attached to the radio, connect the two with a short piece of braid. If the amp is under the seat or a remote location, ground it to the closest chassis ground point.

These methods should improve the quality of your signal, outgoing and incoming. If you are experiencing alternator whine, a power line filter may help. All that remains is grounding the radio to a local chassis ground with a piece of braid. If linear amp is physically attached to the radio, connect the two with a short piece of braid. If the amp is under the seat or a remote location, ground it to the closest chassis ground point.

These methods should improve the quality of your signal, outgoing and incoming. If you are experiencing alternator whine, a power line filter may help. All that remains is grounding the radio to a local chassis ground with a piece of braid. If linear amp is physically attached to the radio, connect the two with a short piece of braid. If the amp is under the seat or a remote location, ground it to the closest chassis ground point.

These methods should improve the quality of your signal, outgoing and incoming. If you are experiencing alternator whine, a power line filter may help. ©^CBWI  

Here is a list of products that we have in stock to help with these connections:

Advertising Claims ... Smoke And Mirrors?

Advertising claims seem to be more hype than fact these days. If you're like me, you don't know what to buy, eat or whom to vote for. It's a shame, but when it comes advertising promises you're better off disbelieving everything until you can prove otherwise. This makes it difficult to make an educated decision. It could be worse, when it comes to almost all politicians, you bat 1000 if you don't believe a word.

In this article I don't intend to expose or point the finger at any particular manufacturer. The examples used are not intended to condemn them. But here I plan to show the games played with specifications and numbers.

The strategy of making products appear superior to their competitor's is the driving force in marketing. Not every manufacturer can have the best product. They only have to make the public believe they do. Equipment may have different features that appeal to certain segments of the population, and those are pointed out through advertising. More often when a manufacturer emphasizes a feature they imply more than should be, sometimes just in the naming it.

Cobra has been very clever in naming features on their radios. Dynamic comes to mind first. What did they want to imply with this one? Do they want you to believe that you'll blast through Re dynamite when you turn up this control? Even it's original name, mic gain, is misleading. The name and the advertising hype imply that this control inserts increased gain to the microphone. In fact it does nothing more than add resistance in the path of the mic circuit. A more descriptive name would have been Mic Cut or Attenuator. But I'm sure we all wouldn't have gone running to the store anxiously asking about the radio with the NEW Mic Cut control! If the radio didn't have this control it would operate as if the control was up all the way. And with the stock mic, the control needs to be wide open for you to be heard! The only time this feature has a benefit is once the radio has been peaked (power increased and modulation limiter adjusted or eliminated) and a preamp mic is used. And only then it's a convenience to cut the gain down from the front of the radio. Another Cobra invention was the Voicelock. This is nothing more than a clarifier, but the name implies that once adjusted you're locked on with the other party. A feature that no other manufacturer could boast about.

Uniden got on the band wagon to a higher degree. Some of their AM radios such as the Pro 510XL has advertising claims, on the outside of the box, of 7 Watt output. Once you buy it and read the enclosed manual specifications, you find out that is 7 Watt receive audio. In truth you're lucky to get 2 Watt receive audio without distortion. I believe the speaker is only rated at 3 Watts. But when the public picks it up off the shelf some of them think Uniden has found a way to skirt the law and their getting more for their dollar.

The biggest offenders are the antenna manufacturers. Some manufacturer's are forced to continue these practices of the past. Antenna gain is very important to the performance of a station, the higher the numbers the  better. Well, when rating an antennas' gain it has to be compared to some other source. Most agree that antenna gain should be measured compared to a 1/4 wave dipole. Manufacturer's, to increase the gain numbers compared their antennas to an Isotrophic source that is a theoretical antenna, and I feet some others made measurements compared to an un-tuned coat hanger. Today there isn't much choice in omni base antennas. They don't compare their antennas to the 1/4 wave dipole. If they did, you would see gain figures from 0db to 3.5db and not the 6.5 to 9.9db claims we all see.

Fiber glass whips are another area of misleading marketing. This started back in the seventies. Claims of 5/8 3/4, full and 1 and 1/2 wavelength antennas were on specifications'. These antennas may have up to 1 and 1/2 wave worth of wire in them, but they are 1/4 wave antennas. The truth is they won't perform as well as a 102" whip mounted in the same location. Although the length of wire in them may have a benefit in broadbanding the antenna, they appeal to our desire to talk the furthest by confusing the facts.

The latest marketing claim I've come across may actually be a bold face lie and could carry some legal consequences. In brief, K40 has come out with a new trucker antenna. Their key claim is that, it's coil using Litz wire, is more efficient than 3/16 silver plated wire. Wilson antenna is the only CB antenna manufacturer using 3/16 silver plated wire in their coil, thus this is directed against them. It wouldn't be a problem if it were true. The technical data on Litz wire indicates that is looses its effectiveness above 5 MHz and initial tests done on behalf of Wilson bear this out dramatically. More on this in a future issue. ©^CBWI  

First Issue

This is the first issue of CB World Informer. Thanks for subscribing, I hope you enjoy and benefit from the information provided. Back in 1990 1, with the help of my wife and a friend, tried to get a full blown magazine off the ground. It was called CB World Magazine. The CB public & manufacturer's loved the idea. But we ran into much opposition from many CB dealers across the country. At the time the only way to reach the vast number of CBers was through the dealers and most of them wouldn't carry it. So before putting any more money into it, I decided to give up on my idea. When CB Radio came out I carried it in my store and hoped it would be successful. While supporting it I also advertised in it. Truly, I don't think they covered or could cover the areas that most of you want to read about. My goal is to make CB World Informer^© a friend to the CB community and a place where you can find answers that will help make your hobby more enjoyable. If you like this publication, please help it to survive, spread the word not the paper. I don't want to spout off about copyright law. Just keep in mind, the more subscribers, the less the cost, the more information per issue. Feel free to give out the phone number and address over the air. It's 1-800-473-9708 and don't forget to mention we take all major credit cards. ©^CBWI 

Service Available

Many of you already know that I had a retail store for many years. I have also been working on CB radios for 30 years. It started as a hobby that kept me interested more than any other. CB got me interested in electronics. I have worked for a number of electronics companies. Holding positions from assembly, test, trouble shooter, supervisory, management, purchasing, engineering and others, I have had a broad exposure to the electronics industry. On my own I have done contract assembly, electro mechanical design, computer modification/service, CB service including being the only warranty service station, other than the factory, for Clear Channel Corps AR-3300 and AR-3500 and manufacturing the SP-la speech processor. What I enjoy the most is radio repair. To hear someone get praise for the sound of their station and to know you did the work gives you a great feeling of pride. Of coarse it can go the other way. Hearing someone get criticized for how horrible they sound will make you cringe. Keeping this in mind, I repair and tune every radio as if it were my own. ©^CBWI 

If you want something done to your equipment give me a call. I charge $25.00 for AM and $30.00 for AM/SSB transmitter/receiver tune up. Speech processor installation is $35.00. Turn around is 1 to 5 days. Call 1-800-473-9708.