Temporary radio installations
September 24, 2009 by Admin
Filed under CB and FRS Radio
Jimmy asks: If I accidentally touch a CB radio antenna, or if it is touching anything else, will it blow a fuse or break anything?
I will be putting in a CB transceiver in my car, but since it is just for temporary use, I will have the antenna inside the car. I know it won’t have much range, but it might touch something and I want to know if that might be a problem.
By the way, what does it mean when someone says to ‘key the mike’ on a two-way radio, such as a CB or an FRS radio?
A poorly-made ‘temporary’ installation, such as you describe, is NOT a good idea because changing or high SWR can damage your transceiver, and the radiated energy inside the car won’t be doing you very much good either.
I suggest you at least get yourself a magnetic mount antenna for your CB transceiver, and place the magnetic base slap bang in the center of your car’s roof. That way you will send and receive a decent signal, and won’t be radiating yourself. You can get power for your CB from the car’s cigarette lighter socket.
Of course, you could avoid the whole problem by using a pair of FRS walkie-talkies. They use UHF frequencies and are lower-powered than a CB. But for car-to-car contacts while you re driving, like in a convoy, they should be fine. They are also very convenient and low-key.
Oh yes… your final question. Keying a mike jut means pressing the transmit button, the PTT or push-to-talk switch on the side of a walkie talkie or on a transceiver’s microphone.