An SWR of 1.5 is not bad considering the CB antenna design and lack of an efficient Fround Plane for the antenna Since you have an SWR of 1.5-1 and 4watts output this most like then appears your antenna system is not the issue......I suspect that you have the Squech adjustment up "to tight". meaning do this to try to help problem
1. Turn up audio while in CB mode
2. Decrease Squelch adjustment control until you hear Squelch noise (Sounds like static) the increase the squech up till just past the point you stop hearing the squelch noise. The issue her is .the tighter (Higher the Squelch ) is set the the lower (poorer the receiver can receive) the receiver sensitivity (Able to hear a signal). You may need in a "noisy area, city etc) need to turn up the squelch as the CB is a "carrier Squelch" receiver and is suseptable to outside nose sources, Power lines, etc. It still is possible that the receiver wothin the unit has an issue but I would try this first.hope this helps............MArty.

 

I recall another post with the same issue and I think when he found the issue it was the coil.

 

My CB seems to work fine in all modes except when I switch it to headphones, then I can barely hear it....but the radio works fine in headset.....

 

First of all, your SWR of 1.5:1 is just fine. If you get it lower, you won't notice the difference.

Second, your problem to me sounds like the front end or your receiver is out. I have seen this on several different radios. You can still receive, but your receive is really week. One way this can happen is if you are too close to somebody running a lot of power (big linear) when they key up their mic. Also lightening can cause this if I remember correctly. I would find me a good CB shop (not that easy any more) and let the tech check things out. This after I followed the other suggestions of checking all the grounds. I don't think it will be a ground problem, because you state your xmit seems to be fine. Grounds are much more critical when transmitting than when receiving. That is why I think it is the problem I mentioned above. A good CB tech can fix that easily if he has the parts.

You don't show your location. If you want to find a good CB tech near you, PM me. I am a member of a CB forum and one of my friends is one of the old time CB wizards from way back. I am sure we can find a good tech you can trust within a few hundred miles of you at least.

 

I have the oppisite issue. My CB worked fine but then started recieving but not transmitting, so by reading this thread I should be checking all of the grounds. Is that what you guys in the know think the problem usually is?
Thanks
Santa

 

Hi Casper, Ok here's the reason, to make a CB Transmit its like a light bulb, you need Power and Ground to light the light because it make an electrical "short" to light the bulb. To "receive/hear" its not necessary to make a short you hear using the ground side only. SO What your symptoms are saying is that Something is not connected somehow. I would start by taking a tester and hooking it up to the battery + side and touching the "plate" in the tour pack to make sure you have a good ground. What kind of antenna are you using? If its one with a spiral wire wrapped under the coating it could be broken in side it or where it attaches at the bottom. That happens all the time. Also I have seen many times the coax PL2509 end of the cable the two pieces come loose or the connection is somehow corroded or broken. And just putting a new end on it solves the problem. Also it could be the CB connections in the actual box that HD uses to connect all the radio options through. But lets start there and see what you come up with.

 

From what I understand about checking for SWR is that 1 is the best ever although almost impossible to attain. All the meters I have seen or used only go down to 1.
I have checked, cleaned and even used a jumper cable to go from the tour pack ground plate to a structural componnent of the bike. I have tried two different antennas. I did buy the audio and electrical shop manual on ebay and will get it by next week (with a little luck).
Thanks again.

 

Grounds are always good to check. But, if your radio is working fine and just not transmitting, my first suspect would be the mic cord. If that isn't the problem, you will need a competent cb technician to check it out.

 

If his antenna is broken, he is not going to be able to transmit "fine" as he stated in his first post. Given the information the OP provided, I'll put money on my educated guess that his receiver has a problem, and it is a internal problem requiring diodes, capicitors and stuff to correct.

 

Is your speaker switch in the correct position? I always keep mine all the way down. It's a 3 position switch. Bottom of switch should be all the way down.