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[Sklywag]

With adapters in place

[sportygordy]

Sklywag,

just curious, did you measure the output power with your SWR meter? Does the CB radiovput out the norm 4 watts?

[Sklywag]

I have measured 4 different radios and they were all less than 3 watts.  2.4 to 2.9 was the range.

[SERK3]

I have no expirence with CB's on a bike but years in a big truck, If your CB has a mike gain on it try turning it down a little, most of the time that will stop feedback thru speakers. Make sure the coax is not touching (tie wrapped) to any electric wires. Get a true CB ant. not one that works with the AM/FM CB. Steel ant. is better but will be hard to find one without a huge center load. My suggestion is get a Frances fiberglass ant. very little if any thing you will have to do but install it on your bike, just make sure its grounded good. As far as finding a stock CB doing the max. 4 watts, good luck, you can take it to a CB shop and have it TURNED UP to maybe 6-8 watts but what is more important is how much it will SWING, Eample i run a CONNEX 3300 HP, deads keys 7-7.5 watts swings about 50, the swing is what lets you reach out there and touch someone. I have my CB set up to where i can flip a switch where it dead keys 2.5 watts swing appox. 27, then turn the kicker on and will do around 550 watts. Like i said don't know if any of this works on a bike or not, but i have always run a BIG radio and works for me, forget about the kicker part on a bike it would melt the bike down.

[sportygordy]

I have measured 4 different radios and they were all less than 3 watts.  2.4 to 2.9 was the range.

I looked at the loading coil on mine last night.. WOW,, it's junk, no wonder these CB's don't work well. If you are really serious in using the CB radio it wouldn't take much to improve the antenna system. Skywag, did you measure the power at the radio port and power meter terminated? Just curios if the radio is putting out 4 watts and the loss is through the junk antenna system?

[Sklywag]

No, unfortunately I did not have a 50 ohm termination to measure it into a correct load.  I have replaced the entire system on my SE with a Firestick designed for no ground plane.  Since MC's do not have a good ground plane, not enough meta surface area on any MC, it is worth going to a no ground plane system.  I saw no difference in power from when I had a 3.5 to 1 match, original antenna un tuned, 1.1 to 1 tuned match on the original antenna or the 1.1 to 1 match I have with the Firestick.

I am using the Firefly, 3' antenna & the matched cable from Firestick.  Then trimmed the antenna via its tuning stud that is built in to a < 1.1 to 1 match

It works quite well, very clear but still quite limited range with the no ground plane & the low power.

[sportygordy]

did you bypass the stock loading coil? I betcha the loading coil is killing the output power. Also, the Firefly, 3' antenna has a loaded coil built into the antenna. These loaded coils kill the output power at the antenna load. It would be interesting to check if the radio is putting out the normal 4-watts at the radio output. I would think it does, since the radio is made by Midland. Midland produces quality stuff.