What type of plug do I need?

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lexx
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What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

Hi, I need a little help. I have a handheld CB with an external antenna socket that looks like a the phono sockets you get on hifi equipment. What I want is an adapter to use an external antenna. It's a Grandstand P2004. Cheers!

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ChrisMagpie
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

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lexx
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

Thank you so much Chris!
The Collector
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by The Collector »

That looks mighty familar Lexx ;)

Just remember you wont find many people on channels 2, 14, 21 and 39. Most people gas on 19 and don't even bother moving to another channel nowadays - how rude :roll:

If trying to chat to another more-distant user on those particular channels it'll help though. Just ensure you still SWR the external antenna in if possible though.
lexx
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

The Collector wrote: 06 Oct 2018, 14:51 That looks mighty familar Lexx ;)
Was you the seller? :D I'm pleased with it, it's in good nick. Yeah, not too hopeful about finding much activity with it, I just have this crazy obsession with anything to do with radio. I've recently moved and haven't got an antenna set up as yet, but at my last house I had some luck with a homemade dipole in the loft, so might try that again.
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LeakyFeeder
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by LeakyFeeder »

Reminds me of the old Burndept plod radios
lexx
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

Well my adapter arrived today from ebay, and somehow I've managed to get the exact opposite of what I wanted: 'PL259' male to female phono. I've ordered one from Knight's now anyway, like I should have done in the first place. :s
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by The Collector »

Hiya.

Yeah, I sold 2 of those recently and the buyer of one of them was Lexx***** so thought it might be you ;)

Typical eh about the connector. Fingers crossed the right one comes soon.

If you let us all know whereabouts you are - and maybe if there was someone local on here - they could give you a shout at a pre-arranged time on one of your radio's 4 channels.
I did the same with a chap that bought a few things from me a couple of years ago. I gave him a shout and he came back to me on his Harvard handheld from 3/4 of a mile away.
lexx
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

The Collector wrote: 14 Oct 2018, 08:34 Hiya.

Yeah, I sold 2 of those recently and the buyer of one of them was Lexx***** so thought it might be you ;)
Hi. Yeah despite the strange choice of channels it seems like a quality product. I know it's practical use is limited but it fills my strange and geeky desire for a hand held CB on a tight budget. :| )

I have been able to test it as I also have an Intek M-795. I live in Carcroft, Doncaster near the Asda. I'm still limited by my antenna which is a homemade horizontal wire dipole. I could probably get away with a roof antenna here but I don't know anyone who could put it up.

I only usually pick one guy up clearly (channel 19), who I think is in the Bentley area. You must know him, he's always selling something.
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by The Collector »

I'm miles away near Bristol, so definitely wouldn't know of this chap lol.

The easiest large aerials to stick up have got to be a Silver Rod-type or an Antron/Imax 2000. They should get you quite a bit more distance than your horizontal di-pole. You can pick up a Silver Rod-type for about a tenner on ebay if you're local to one to collect it and if lucky with the bidding. They're only £30-odd new anyway. That'd probably double your range. Try and get the aerial's base up clear of roofs if possible.
lexx
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

The Collector wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 12:35 I'm miles away near Bristol, so definitely wouldn't know of this chap lol.
Ha, you never know. I suspect he's using a warp reactor for power.

The cost of the antenna itself isn't so much a problem as getting it up. I don't think I'm up to it. I can't even hang a picture straight!
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by The Collector »

Doncaster's a bit far, or I'd have offered to lend you a hand.
A pair of T&K brackets, a few expanding rawl-bolts, a 22ft alloy scaffold pole, a couple of U-bolts and the aerial itself is about all you need...and maybe a bit more co-ax ;) I've seen people fit one to a broken rotary washing line before now though!
I appreciate some people aren't as hands-on, DIY-wise or physically capable, same as I'd be piggin' useless with plastering for example so I wouldn't even try to do a wall in the stuff!

I had a guy turn up a couple of weeks ago to pick up a boxed Harvard WT44 handheld he'd bought from me on ebay. He couldn't get more than about 200yards on his mobile set-up so I told him to pop round rather than me posting it (he was only 3 miles away) and I'd take a look at it. Turned out his PL plug was shorted and the ground-plane earthing wire from his roof-rack to the car body was non-functional due to a bad hanging-out connection and corrosion. I told him what was wrong and how to rectify them. I messaged him a couple of days later to check and say I'd give him a hand if he hadn't done it, but he'd sorted them both and gone from 200yards to about 20miles. It just shows what damage a couple of stray wires can do!
lexx
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Re: What type of plug do I need?

Post by lexx »

The Collector wrote: 27 Oct 2018, 12:59 It just shows what damage a couple of stray wires can do!
Well I'm actually pretty good with that side of things, just not so confident attaching stuff to walls, but until I find a way to get a proper antenna up outside, I'll have fun seeing what I can do with these bits of wire. With the last one I made I caught some skip (if that's the right terminology) and had a crystal clear chat with a guy in Cleethorpes, which is a good 50 miles away, and received from overseas (though they couldn't hear me). That was just a half wave wire dipole like this one, in the loft. I do understand I'll be much better off with a proper outdoor one though.
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