UHF Radio

Brian

Does your radio have a 'squelch' knob or button? This can be adjusted to eliminate the static, however by increasing the squelch you do decrease the reception range slightly, (ie the signals that are on the edge or your reception range you will no longer hear).

As for improving the reception, forget about bigger aerials they do help but the two main things you need to look at are: (1) Does your aerial have an electrical base, on a lot of aerial set-ups this will be a long narrow metal cylinder approx 10-20mm in diameter and about 30cm long with the aerial sitting on top of this. Not having one of these will drastically reduce your reception range. Without seeing your set-up the easiest way to check would be to ask at a proper radio communications mob. (2) Aerial location; although putting the aerial on the bull bar is the preferred method and may look better in some peoples opinion, roof mounted is definitely the way to go, take a look at any of the prime-movers driving around, they will all have their aerials up as high as practiably possible. I found that by shifting my aerial from the roof to the bullbar cut my reception range by atleast half, I have since moved it back.

I have a gutter mount bracket that allows me to fold the aerial down when not in use and for undercover carparks, it has one of the electrical bases I descibed above with just a little 60cm metal whip aerial, and on flat open country regular get a range of 15-20km

Is your cruiser a petrol or diesel?

The ignition coil can cause interference with a radio, more often if the antenna cable runs near the coil. It's ignition interference if it sounds like a popping sound and increases/decreases with engine revs.

Fridges can cause it too. If the interference comes on when the fridge cycles then you may need to earth the fridge to the body. Engals have a terminal for this, not sure about other brands.

Trace the antenna cable and reroute it so that it doesn’t run parallel to existing wiring looms for any distance and check the connections at either end.

Somewhere to start.

I've been lucky and not heard such static on any of my UHF's to date (2 of ). I'm told that typical vehicle ciruits won't do it because the are the wrong format - HF yes, but UHF should not pick up things like fridges, EFI etc. I have such issues in my own car - they show up on the long range HF and the 27meg CB HF, plus the car radio (badly) but not a whisker on the UHF's. Could be more likely the radio itself or the antenna setup.

Hi Brian, I have a TX 4400 set up as a base station and with the 6db base antenna I get lots of bursts of static that I assume are other people talking who are too far away or in a poor location tobe heard properly. I have found that the Squelch control doesn't seem to do a lot even when turned up fully. There is a transformer on the power pole approx 50 mtrs from my antennas but the static doesn't sound like the usual transformer noise. If most of the noise is on Ch 40 it could be truckies just out of range as I experience, but I would check out the possibilities as mentioned earlier.
Cheers Darryn

Hi Brian A,
Do it by the numbers,
Check and clean earth conections,probably the most important.
Check antenea mount,clean and make sure good clean and tight.
Check coax cable for brake in the insulation,fix with insulation tape..or replace

maybe a engine noise supresor..I think they mount on the power line ?
Have your radio serviced,by a known retputable tech.

Adjust your squelch just until the white noise stops..we really only need to comunicate with or travelling buddies,but if you get in trouble by your self dont forget to turn your squelch off as it will retard your send.

Once you check all the above and still have it....its probably just out of range transmission..like the broken garble you hear,but there just far enought away they only send niose.I'm no expert but I would aproach it in a manner similier to this.Hope this helps
JD4WDActivist