CB kills Cummins

[Axekicker]

After adding a 'Quad' box to my truck a few years ago I discovered I could only 'listen' to my CB. If I keyed-up to talk, it killed the motor... via 'RF' getting into (I assume) the innards of the 'Quad' box and interfering with it's control of the 5. 9's electronic-controls. I'm no radio-novice... been CB'ing since 1964... . so I 'RF-strapped' my truck and 'RF-choked' the living daylights out of the 'Quad' box... all of the 'Quad' wiring looms... . and the Quad 'gauge' monitor mounted to my pillar. Nothing has helped to-date. I'll figure this out eventually... but my Question here is... has anyone else had 'RF' problems like mine, with their Quad-box or any other manufacturers 'box'? If so... did you find a solution, short of removing the 'box'??? Oh... I'm running a 4-watt 'stock' Galaxy 959 mounted to the CB-floor-plate Geno's sells. It's wired directly to the battery... Red-and-black cables 'RF'-choked... everything properly grounded... verified good coax (LMR400... the good-stuff)... . antenna 'tuned'... the-works.

Tired of 'just-listening'... .

 

[ata]

Are the postive and negative wires from the radio hooked directly to the battery. That would be my only thought.

 

[Hitec.Redneck]

Where is your antenna mounted on the vehicle and what kind is it?

 

[Axekicker]

Where is your antenna mounted on the vehicle and what kind is it?

It's a Sirio 5000... mounted on the center of my tool-box in back of my cab. I've experimented with lots of mounting locations; magnetic v. fixed mounts, several antenna-types from 102" whips to the 'Viper' to the Sirio-5000 and nothing makes a difference. Experimented with different coax cables (mini-8 to LMR-400)... different routing (out-the-window to thru-the-floorboards... . and everything in-between)... no difference. I even purchased medical grade lead-sheilding and wrapped the 'Quad' box in it... . then 'layers' of aluminum foil over that! Nothing... :{

 

[Axekicker]

Are the postive and negative wires from the radio hooked directly to the battery. That would be my only thought.

See my original post above... .

 

[Rattler]

Mine has problems too. If the truck isn't running the CB works fine, but when i start the truck, i get lots of static on the CB. It sounds like a gasser with solid core plug wires coming over the radio. Any thoughts? Randy

 

[odinjunior]

Owners manual for my '09 says the CB will cause problems. I don't have it here so I don't remember exactly what it says but I'm interested. I would like to install a CB in the future.

 

[p-Bar]

You guys "match" your antennas? This could help

 

[DaveHess]

Mine has problems too. If the truck isn't running the CB works fine, but when i start the truck, i get lots of static on the CB. It sounds like a gasser with solid core plug wires coming over the radio. Any thoughts? Randy

Randy I have the same issue. I am picking up alternator whine. In order to get rid of it I have to turn the RF Gain down (Uniden Pro538W). When I do that I shorten the range of the radio. If I run the RF Gain way up, I have little to no squelch adjustment left. I sent the radio to Clays Radio Shop in Texas for the Performance Tune-Up and to have a noise filter installed. Although I am not a CB radio expert by any stretch, I am pretty sure I was ripped off because nothing changed. I don't know if I am reading into this issue too deeply but my last Uniden using the same power, ground and antenna. The mike went bad so instead of simply changing the mike I opted for a new radio with weather. Very stupid move on my part. I am now looking at a Cobra 29LTD/NW Classic. I would love to get some input here because I am a total loss.



P-Bar: My antenna is a 5 foot Fire-Stik with an 18 foot Fire Wire cable. I ran the excess cable under the carpet in a loose figure eight about 16 inches long and 6 inches wide. I did not cable tie any one section together. The antenna is mounted on the front bed bulk head on the drivers side. 41 inches of the 60 inches of antenna is above the cab. I use an SWR meter and check it once in a while. The readings have been consistantly Channel 1: 1. 2, Channel 19: 1. 4, and Channel 40: 1. 2. To me that curve is backwards. I have checked all connections between and including the antenna and radio connections with a DVM and everything that should be "open" is open and everything that should read ground reads ground. My power comes from a secondary Painless fuse panel and the radio has it's own circuit. I used a chassis ground under the dash. Like I said above, the ground and power are the same as the last radio.

 

[Grumpytrkr]

If so... did you find a solution, short of removing the 'box'??? Oh... I'm running a 4-watt 'stock' Galaxy 959 mounted to the CB-floor-plate Geno's sells. It's wired directly to the battery... Red-and-black cables 'RF'-choked... everything properly grounded... verified good coax (LMR400... the good-stuff)... . antenna 'tuned'... the-works.



Tired of 'just-listening'... .

This is odd. I have a Galaxy DX 949, peaked and tuned by Walcott CB shop, mounted on a Geno's mount, wired hot all the time, via the power seat harness. I use a wilson roof mount antenna, (no mag mount, punched a hole in the roof) and I have zero problems with mine. I can talk when I want, and don't have any problems. I have never heard of this problem before. I sure wish I could give you an answer. I did run the coax on the passagner side of the truck, but I doubt if that makes any difference.

 

[Axekicker]

You guys "match" your antennas? This could help

'Matching' is what you do if you run 'dual' antennas. If you mean did I 'tune' my antenna... . yes. I used a Sencore CB-49 and got a 1. 1-to-1 VSWR after tuning the Sirio-5000.

 

[Axekicker]

This is odd. I have a Galaxy DX 949, peaked and tuned by Walcott CB shop, mounted on a Geno's mount, wired hot all the time, via the power seat harness. I use a wilson roof mount antenna, (no mag mount, punched a hole in the roof) and I have zero problems with mine. I can talk when I want, and don't have any problems. I have never heard of this problem before. I sure wish I could give you an answer. I did run the coax on the passagner side of the truck, but I doubt if that makes any difference.

Thanks for the reply 'grumpy'... Question: Are you running any kind of 'box' on your truck? Or... are you running a 'downloader'? I think that's the 'root' of my problem. As soon as I get a day-off (laugh... cough. . ) I'm going to pull my 'Quad' box and all wiring and put the truck back 'stock' and see what it does. That will tell me if it IS the box... which I'm pretty sure it is... but this test will-tell. Some component in my system is acting like an 'antenna' and picking up 'RF' (radio-frequency-waves) from my CB-radio and feeding it into the electrical system of the truck or the Cummins-computer. If I can find the component that's acting like an 'antenna' I can RF-choke it... but until I do... I'm limited to 'listen-mode'.

 

[steved]

This has been discussed before...



Contact Quad and they will upgrade the deal to reject the extra RF you are introducing... good for something like 40 watts?

 

[Grumpytrkr]

I do have an edge powerbox.

 

[steved]

From what I remember, this only affects the Quadzilla products...

 

[Axekicker]

This has been discussed before...



Contact Quad and they will upgrade the deal to reject the extra RF you are introducing... good for something like 40 watts?

I did! That's the box I'm running. Supposed to be 'immune' to RF... . Since I've had the box I've emailed them numerous times about it but 'no-ones-home'. Jeremy's always been helpful @ Quad... but not this-time!

 

[steved]

Then I would guess they didn't send you an upgraded part... everyone I've read about was cured with the upgraded part...

 

[p-Bar]

'Matching' is what you do if you run 'dual' antennas. If you mean did I 'tune' my antenna... . yes. I used a Sencore CB-49 and got a 1. 1-to-1 VSWR after tuning the Sirio-5000.

single antennas need matching too... .

 

[Rattler]

I don't remember having any problem with my setup when i had an Edge E-Z, i think it started when i went to the Juice box. Maybe conflicting electronics? Randy

 

[Andres]

I have a quadzilla on one and smarty loaded on the other. Single antennas on both. Both are affected by transmit.