A device for setting up radios. Installing the antenna yourself or how to avoid common mistakes. Installing a car antenna

SB radios (CB, “CB”) are those that operate in the civilian frequency range, namely 27 MHz. Registration is not required to use this device. The frequency is divided into a so-called channel grid. At the dawn of radio communications, there were only 40 channels. But after this quantity became insufficient, they began to be broken up and designated with alphabetic symbols. Thus, correct configuration of the radio requires the correct installation of channels.

Radio communications are actively used by taxi drivers and truckers as they are more reliable than mobile communications. There is no need to pay the operator for the call and depend on its coverage network. But the disadvantage is the limited range, as well as the possibility of interference and channel congestion.

But if you choose and configure the antenna for the walkie-talkie correctly, you can achieve high-quality, stable communication over a wide distance. Of course, the range depends on the equipment itself. Somewhere it is 5–7 kilometers, and there are models with more than 20 km. But the importance of a good antenna is often underestimated. But in many ways it determines the signal reception range. Do not rush to buy a very expensive walkie-talkie, it may be that such a price is due to the presence of a large quantity not always required functions. And if you connect a good antenna to fairly budget equipment, you will achieve no worse results.

Antennas for car radio can be divided by installation type:

• for mortise;
• magnetic.

The mortise antenna is mounted in the body. Moreover, when installed on a hood or wing, it loses its effectiveness by 30–40%. It must be installed as far as possible from vertical metal parts that are located parallel to the base of the antenna.

Magnetic antennas do not require insertion, and, as a rule, they are used on passenger cars. On large trucks they may fall off due to vibration. Such a radio antenna can be easily installed and removed, and transferred to another car.

Antennas for car radios also vary in size:

• Long ones with a pin of about 2 meters create the highest quality and stable connection.
• Medium ones from 90 to 170 cm, have a lower gain and operate at a shorter distance. But they are more convenient because they do not touch overhead obstacles such as bridges, tree branches, and power lines.
• Short 65–70 cm, comfortable and not so noticeable, but providing a short reception range.

The most effective are long mortise ones. But even a good antenna needs correct installation and setting.

Installation

An important factor for a good signal is the correct installation of the antenna:

• Attach to the top of the body on a stable base.
• Installation on bumpers, doors, mirrors reduces efficiency.
• Install vertically unless otherwise stated in the instructions. If you need to install at an angle, you first need to mount it and then adjust it. Exactly in this order, and not adjust and then tilt.
• The surface area on which the installation is made should be as large and flat as possible.
• Try not to place it on the hood or trunk.
• The antenna itself and the connecting cable should be located as far as possible from sources of interference, for example, the ignition system.

Settings

Before using the radio antenna, it must be configured. If this is not done, you will not receive the stated reception quality indicators. Setup instructions:

1. The setup must be carried out under the same conditions as when the vehicle is used. That is, among other cars, and not in the garage.
2. Install the antenna securely on the vehicle. There is no need to hold it suspended in your hands.
3. You will need a device called an SWR meter. Connect the cable at one end to the antenna, and the other to the SWR meter in the ANT connector. Next, connect the device to the station (Trans connector and station antenna connector).
4. Set the FWD/REF switch on the SWR meter to the FWD position, and set the SWR/PWR to SWR (some models may not have this switch).
5. Press the gear and use the regulator to set the instrument needle to the end of the scale.
6. Set FWD/REF to REF position. Record the device's readings. The ideal value is one.
7. Next, measure the SWR sequentially from the very high frequency to the lowest.
8. If the minimum SWR values ​​are at a frequency below the operating frequency, then it is necessary to shorten the antenna. If it’s the other way around, then increase it.

The following options are possible:

• The SWR in at least one of the grids is below 2. This means that the antenna is working and installed correctly.
• SWR is 2.5 everywhere – Perhaps somewhere there is deterioration in contact with the body. And check the integrity of the connecting cable.
• An SWR greater than 5 means the antenna is not working.

Walkie-talkie antennas are classified as follows:

• Spiral broadband - short length, low efficiency.
• Dipole artificially extended - average efficiency, but works in good quality in a narrow frequency range.
• Single-band dipoles are the most effective of those presented, but they are longer and operate only in one range.

For your walkie-talkie model, you can choose a suitable antenna for changing. You can configure and check their performance in the same way. But in the case of portable walkie-talkies, the overall characteristics are important for high-quality communication over long distances.

These are the principles for selecting, installing and configuring antennas for a walkie-talkie. You can select the appropriate types based on the purpose of use and on what vehicle the installation will be carried out. If you know more good models antennas or the secrets of their installation and configuration, be sure to share your opinion in the comments.

How to install a walkie-talkie on a car is often asked not only by truckers, but also by owners of smaller vehicles - small trucks, minibuses, etc. Having a portable intercom on board can actually be very useful - especially if the car is on long-haul flights.

To install a radio on a car yourself, you need to have quite specific skills. So ordinary car owners have to either carefully study the installation recommendations or trust the installation to professionals. But in any case, it is at least advisable to familiarize yourself with the methodology for selecting and installing a car radio!

Choosing a radio for a truck

Before installing the walkie-talkie in the car, you need to select the model of the intercom for the car. At this stage there are no special difficulties:

• The range of such products is extensive, so choosing a walkie-talkie can be done without difficulty;
• Today there is a de facto standard for such devices, and more than 90% of walkie-talkies on the market meet the requirements for compatibility and power.

What radio stations are used to equip private facilities?

• Almost all motorists use CB standard radio communications (CB or Citizen Band) for on-air conversations. civil band);
• Negotiations with other machines and stationary objects are carried out at a frequency of 27 MHz (channels C15EA for AM modulation and C15E for FM modulation). The amplitude modulation (AM) mode is still considered as the main one. But today more and more drivers are switching to FM modulation - primarily due to best quality sound and more efficient communication in the city (9FM in Samara);
• The power of the radio station directly determines the maximum communication range and its quality. At the same time, you need to keep in mind: walkie-talkies with a power of up to 10W do not require registration with government agencies. This simplifies the process of equipping a truck with a radio;
• Useful feature car radio - noise suppression system. Its use can significantly improve sound quality even with not the best reception.

When choosing a radio for a KAMAZ or other truck, you should pay attention to the location of the controls. They can be placed:

• On the radio body;
• On the remote panel;
• On the tangent.

Here you need to think in advance about how it will be more convenient to use the walkie-talkie - by pressing buttons on the device’s body, or by controlling the receiver using the push-to-talk switch that you will hold in your hand.

How to properly install a radio on a car?

If you have the skills and enough simple equipment You can install a radio on a truck yourself. The installation process can be divided into several stages:

• Selecting a location for the radio transmitter;
• Installing the radio itself and connecting it to the power system;
• Antenna installation and connection;
• Setting up the antenna and checking the functionality of the radio.

Each stage has its own subtleties and nuances that need to be taken into account.

Selecting a location

The first thing you need to decide is where exactly the radio will be installed. A niche or other installation location must meet the following requirements:

1. The device should be at hand, but not interfere with driving or block the view;
2. It must be possible to connect to on-board network;
3. Air flow from a stove, independent heater or air conditioner should not enter the device.

When installed in a passenger car, the radio is usually placed either on the side of the driver's seat (in a special pocket) or near the front passenger seat.

When installed on a Gazelle or minibus, the device can be placed on dashboard or in place of the glove compartment.

In trucks, radios are most often placed in the upper part of the cab - and the PTT is placed on a special bracket within direct reach of the driver.

Connecting the radio to the on-board network

After choosing a location, installing the radio station on the car involves connecting the power. In principle, it is enough to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations set out in the instructions. But it’s worth listening to the advice of experienced specialists:

• Most radios are designed to operate with a voltage of 12V. Power for the walkie-talkie is usually taken from the battery terminals. It is also allowed to take the “plus” from the battery, and the “minus” from the car body (a screw or bolt is ideal);
• The wire providing connection to the positive terminal is protected by a fuse;
• If there is a need to increase the length of the wires, it is advisable not to use twists. The wires are connected by soldering and then insulated with heat shrink tubing;
• Ideally, it is advisable to lay conductors in a plastic corrugated cable duct;
• It is advisable to install a radio power switch in the cabin, rated for a current of 20 A.

Important! If the walkie-talkie is used quite rarely, you can use the cigarette lighter socket to provide power. With skillful modification of the device, such a connection is completely functional and safe!

Antenna installation and connection

Antennas for car radios come in two types - mortise and magnetic:

1. The former are more efficient, but they are more difficult to install;
2. Antennas on a magnetic base are easier to attach, but their efficiency is lower.

Any antenna must be in contact with the metal of the body. If the device is mounted on a special bracket, then it is advisable to protect the contact point from corrosion by applying a special compound.

When laying antenna cable Usually they operate according to the following algorithm:

• It is not advisable to lengthen or shorten the cable (its length ranges from 3.5 to 5-5.5 m) - this negatively affects the quality of communication;
• When laying the cable, we place it in such a way as to avoid strong bends and creases. Moreover, you should not wind up excess antenna cable into a bay;
• The cable from the antenna is laid under the casing, secured to the load-bearing surfaces with polymer ties. It is not recommended to fasten the cable to the wiring harnesses - this will lead to an increase in the number of interferences.

Antenna setup

For correct settings antenna, a special device is used - SWR meter:

• We connect the SWR meter to the radio (RTX connector) and to the antenna (ANT);
• We set the switches on the SWR meter to the SWR and FWD positions;
• We turn on the radio to transmit and, with the PTT button pressed, use the CAL knob to set the SWR value to 10;
• Move the SWR meter switch to the REF position and press the PTT button again. If SWR is 1, everything is fine, if the value exceeds 1.5, adjustment is needed.

During the setup process, we change the length of the antenna pin, and then repeat the operations described above again. We do this until the SWR during the control measurement is as close as possible to 1.

Operating a walkie-talkie in a car

Despite the fact that modern models of intercoms are characterized by fairly high reliability, the risk of their failure remains. Most often, problems arise when the radio is used incorrectly.

To avoid such problems, you need to follow the recommendations for using such devices:

• When connecting, be sure to observe the polarity of the voltage;
• Do not supply voltage more than 14.5V to the transceiver;
• Avoid turning on the radio without an antenna;
• During operation, try not to expose the device to mechanical stress (shocks, jolts), and also ensure protection from moisture and exposure to aggressive environments.

In addition, if you do not have sufficient qualifications, you should not open the radio station housing or make design changes to the device circuit. This can also lead to either failure of the radio or a reduction in its working life.

Installing a radio on a car

Assessing the complexity of the upcoming task, many decide not to install the radio on the car themselves, but to entrust this task to professionals. This approach has a number of advantages:

• You can get advice from a specialist on selecting the optimal radio model specifically for your vehicle;
• The radio will be professionally installed and connected to the on-board network in the selected location. In this case, all connection risks will be assumed by the installer company’s employees;
• Qualified specialists will configure the device, ensuring stability and high quality of communication.

Such a service as installing a walkie-talkie on a car in St. Petersburg will not require too much financial investment from you. The cost of installation ranges from 500 to 2.5 thousand rubles, depending on the list of works. So, by contacting our company, you not only guarantee the ideal performance of the intercom, but also get the opportunity to save money.

Information from www.eraglonass.ru

Typically, a car does not have space for a CB radio. We fix the bracket on a strong and rigid surface: firstly, vibrations are harmful to the station, and secondly, it will not fall off in an accident. Back panel must be ventilated - behind it is the transmitter radiator. And the panel with the speaker has its own requirements: it cannot be pressed, as this muffles the sound.

In a passenger car, stations are usually placed in the receiver socket, on the side of the driver's seat, on a shelf at the feet of the front passenger, and sometimes on the instrument panel. In a truck they are often mounted above the glass. The usual place for the PTT is next to the station, on a special tongue. No less popular is fastening with an elastic band to the interior mirror bracket.

Antenna station sets its load - without it the device may burn out! The main element of the antenna is an elastic metal pin. Its minimum resonant length should theoretically be equal to a quarter of the operating wavelength. For CB this is about 2.7 m. But such a whip can bend the roof, so antenna manufacturers shorten the rod. The loss of “electrical” length is partially compensated by matching and extension coils located at the base of the antenna or in the middle of the whip.

The length of the waveguide cable from the antenna to the radio is not arbitrary - it is a multiple of the wavelength divided by twice the dielectric constant of the insulation. The usual length is from 3.6 to 4 m. You cannot lengthen, shorten, pinch or wrap the cable around the antenna; it will not work with such a “beard”.

The antenna can be attached to the drainage groove, but then it will “shoot” mainly towards the roof of the car. The most best antenna- embedded in the middle of the roof: the cable and connections will always be dry, and the operation diagram will be almost circular. But not everyone will decide to make holes in the roof, which is why antennas with a magnetic base are so popular. Alas, they do not have good contact with the “ground” - and the efficiency is lower. By the way, the thickness of the rubber gasket under the base of the antenna affects the operation of the system. And one more thing: the antenna must be re-installed exactly in the place where it was tuned, otherwise the standing wave ratio (SWR) will change.

Nutrition usually connected through the cigarette lighter, but it is more correct to take the “plus” from the backup fuse or a separate socket. There are many electrical devices in a car that create interference: high-voltage ignition part, xenon headlights, generator, various relays, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to install a filter, for example, ferrite “latches” on the supply wire. They are worn closer to the radio station. There are also special adapters - such, for example, is produced by the Berkut design bureau.

An antenna is a resonant emitter. Until you configure it correctly, it won’t really work. When choosing it, we proceed from the operating frequency indicated in the passport - for CB it is 27 MHz. To match the antenna with the radio, we use an SWR meter. We connect it between the radio station and the antenna cable. We turn on the radio station on the working channel in frequency modulation (FM) to the transmission mode - and see what the SWR is. If it is more than 3.0, the station may burn out.

To tune the antenna We change the length of the pin, achieving an SWR close to unity. The pin has to be either shortened or extended. Sometimes it makes sense to further adjust the location for the antenna on the roof. After tuning to the main channel, we check the SWR on adjacent channels - higher and lower. If the parameter changes, then the antenna is working. If a station (for example, ALAN 9001 or VEKTOR Navigator) has a built-in SWR meter, it can be used to monitor the matching directly while working on different grids.

The range of local communication with a tuned antenna depends on its height above the ground. This distance can be approximately calculated using the empirical formula: Dmax = 4.1(√ h1 + √h2), where Dmax is the maximum possible communication distance in kilometers subject to line of sight; h1 and h2 - antenna heights from the ground in meters. Natural and artificial obstacles in the signal path reduce this distance. Clearings, open water, and working from higher ground can increase range. Solar activity fills the range with additional buzz and conversations from around the world. (Experts expect special troubles with maximum solar activity in 2012!) Let us remind you: the signal from FM is heard further than from AM, and SSB - single-sideband modulation - has the longest range.

It is impossible to improve communication with amplifiers. A super-powerful station only generates dust, interfering with work on neighboring channels. A power of 4 to 10 W is enough to operate at a distance between machines of 10–15 km, but this is usually the limit of what is possible. For comparison: my local communication record at 4 W is about 46 km.

So, you purchased a MegaJet radio station and installed it in your car. And now the most interesting thing remains for you - setting it up. But how to do that? The method of randomly pressing buttons will not work. Reading the instructions, which are replete with scientific radio engineering terms, is also not very interesting and takes time. We offer you a short article with practical advice to set up your radio station:

• The first step is to switch the radio to 240 channel mode. To do this, you need to enter the combination “AM/FM -> ON”;
• If you pressed the buttons incorrectly, you can reset all settings, to reset the settings you need to press “CH9 -> ON”, “Reset” will appear on the screen;
• To switch to the Russian grid, you need to dial the combination “DW/M2->ON”. After this, you will see on the screen that the frequencies end in 0. On the Euro grid, the frequencies end in 5, please note that most often drivers and truckers use the European band grid;
• You can check the radio in this way by turning on, for example, the channel for truckers C15E AM at frequency 27.135, where “C” is the grid, “15” is the channel number, “E” is the European band grid, “AM” is amplitude modulation;
• You can configure the antenna yourself. You can install your original antenna or purchase another brand that is compatible with your radio.

To fully configure your radio station, in any case, you need to read the instructions or use the help of specialists.

But if you don’t want to deal with the instructions or you simply don’t have time for it, then we suggest using the services of our specialists in setting up and programming radio stations. They will professionally complete the work in a short time and give you valuable recommendations and tips for use.

To set up a radio antenna in a car, you need to debug its standing wave ratio (SWR). This simple process ensures the radio works. To make the adjustment, you need to acquire a special device - an SWR meter. When purchasing an antenna, you should remind the seller about setting the SWR, otherwise even instructions on how to set up the radio will not help ensure its smooth operation. Moreover, an antenna without adjustment can cause breakdown and failure of the radio. The SWR meter device operates in different ranges: for example, to work with a twenty-seven MHz walkie-talkie, you will need a device operating at the same frequency. In addition, most of these devices determine the real output power walkie-talkie, which often does not coincide with the information on the product packaging. To start tuning the radio, the FAC meter should be connected to the gap between the radio and its antenna.

While choosing a walkie-talkie is a simple matter, setting it up will require some knowledge. The instrument pointer must be set to zero. After this, you need to turn on the device, then press the transmit lever on the radio or push-to-talk. The instrument needle will instantly determine the real standing wave coefficient. Ideally, it is slightly higher than one, but in general, the lower, the better. If the ratio is high, the transmission will be of poor quality. The reason for the overestimated coefficient lies either in the transmitter, or in the antenna, or in the connecting wires. Since making a walkie-talkie a well-functioning gadget is a matter of comfort, this task will require scrupulousness. The radio needs to be tuned to one of the grids. Most often this is grid C. When working with the fifteenth and nineteenth channels, it is better to tune in the middle - on the seventeenth channel. After tuning the channel, moving the antenna is prohibited.

In view of this, the location for the antenna must be chosen carefully, since by moving the magnetic base even a short distance, the user will certainly disrupt the SWR settings. After you have finally installed the radio, you can begin setting up the antenna by slightly unscrewing the screws on its base. The pin must be lowered inside the coil or raised to achieve the optimal position. The main thing is not to overdo it with lifting, otherwise when driving the pin will fly away with the headwind. You may have to resort to radical measures and break off the excess length with pliers. When buying a pin separately from a coil, you should not believe the seller’s words that the antenna is tuned. This can only be done on the user's car by pairing it with the radio. Now, knowing how to independently configure the radio in your car, you can enjoy the perfect sound produced by yourself!