lots and lots of questions to get to here, so we will start with the "cb scene", then move on to antennas and such.
these days, cb radio is used for about 4 different things mainly. these are:
1. truckers and highway drivers getting road info, weather info, and truckstop info.
2. hobbyists trying to make contact with far away stations, usually just to confirm that they made the contact, these contacts dont usually turn into conversations. mainly because the skip zone moves around so much.
this is known as "talking DX".
3. locals chatting about daily events or whatever. these are getting few and far between because of number 4.
4. people spreading hate and discontent. this usually comes from boredom, and a lack of ability to play nice with others. most people just like to have a little fun, but some get their feelings hurt easily and take it too far.
sure, you will find exceptions, but they are just that.
if none of these things sound like fun to you, you might be more suited to ham radio, where people tend to be more apt to play nicely, but can be a bit "snooty" at times. (IMO)
i happen to have a lot of fun on CB radio, i joke with people that i have gotten to know on the radio over a number of years.
i talk about technical radio stuff to those that enjoy that sort of conversation. i get and give highway info when needed, and i make long distance contacts to people all over the country.
what i dont do is take it seriously. i never get mad at anyone no matter how annoying they are trying to be.
the way the game works is, you try to get the other person to lose their temper, and the first one that actually gets mad loses.
you said your friends acted like jackasses on the radio and it annoyed you.
let it go dude. dont be so serious and join in the fun. its just CB radio, no one will judge you. LOL
sometimes, when the channel seems empty, i will just key the mic up and say something stupid like, "well, whats really going on!" or something like that.
stuff like that will bring out all the "sandbaggers" (people who just sit in front of their radio listening and never keying the mic) and suddenly there are all kinds of folks keying up and talking.
remember, if people didnt want anyone to hear them, or break into their conversation, they would be using the phone. they are on the radio for a reason, so feel free to chime in.
ok, you wondered about how to get heard and why you are not getting out very far.
first, adding a 100 watt amp to your system would gain you about 2 S-units on someone's receiver. you decide if that is worth the expense and hassle or not.
the two main things limiting the distance your radio can cover are your antenna and your vehicle.
firestik antennas are "gimmicky" in my opinion. they are marketed and sold mostly to the 4x4 guys who use cb's to talk to their buddies while out in the boonies.
these fiberglass antennas are whats known as "helically wound" antennas, and are less efficient than an antenna with a coil and a straight steel whip.
the shorter they are, the worse they get out.
you want an antenna with a coil and a whip that is at least 5 feet long.
(unless you want to run a full sized 102" whip)
the second thing is, your car is mostly fiberglass. the actual antenna is only half of your antenna system. the other half is your vehicle body, which forms the counterpoise or "groundplane".
your car, being fiberglass doesnt provide much of a counterpoise for the antenna to work off of, thereby limiting the distance you can talk and hear.
i would be careful about adding an amp to this vehicle, if you have antenna problems, an amp will only make them worse.
do you have an external SWR meter to check your antenna with?
you really should, otherwise you have no idea weather or not your signal is radiating out from the antenna or coming back down the shield of the coax right back to the radio, and heating it up. possibly damaging the radio.
ok, thats it for now, hopefully i have given you some food for thought and maybe spurred some questions.
feel free to start a thread about any specific radio situation you find yourself in.
later,
LC
