CB users? help

[wee bugger]

I have a TTI TCB550 got from Maplins a few years ago and was working fine...taken out van, boxed, dry stored...put back in van and everything good except when I hit the PTT button i hear a click through speaker but no "TX" indicator on display, suggesting the mic is functioning in some way? I can clearly hear the local CB guys chatting about "fishing, lager and the skanks across the road" (all they ever seem to speak about), but they cant hear me...dont want to join them, just want to know i have a voice!

Have 2 ariels (inc cables) and both have same results

Had a look on CB forums etc but no luck/answers are like a foreign language to me

Thanks in advance

[California Dreamin]

Plain language: you have a transciever (incoming and outgoing signals). The incoming side of your rig is clearly working, so you have power etc, however the output side of your rig is obviously not working.
The fact that you don't have a TX light/meter displaying output leads me to think that you either have a faulty mic or something is wrong with the output side of your rig (PCB etc).
An aerial fault doesn't usually effect the output indicator, only that knowone hears you.

I'd try a different mic first.

Martin

[davegsm82]

Dependin how it's wired, there's usually a switch inside the Mic which disconnects the internal speaker in the CB when you transmit. It might be the action of this switch that you're hearing. There is usually a second switch which deals with the activation of the transmit function and also the TX light too.

Also make doubly sure that the PA switch is set to CB and not PA.

Dave.

[wee bugger]

Cheers, gonna try get hands on a different mic and rule that out first...unit has no PA switch (already have a separate PA in van )

[ghost123uk]

Is the mic plug / socket the usual chunky 4 pin type ? (as opposed to a more fiddly affair) (If it is, then there is an easy test that doesn't involve a new mic).

E D I T = pic of the more standard 4 pin type plug =

[wee bugger]

Yeah, its the chunky plug as above?

[ghost123uk]

OK, do the following :-

Assuming the "rig" is in the van.
A) - Make sure it is correctly connected to a properly attached aerial.
B) - Remove the microphone.
C) - Get a bit of wire, as thin as you like will do, and temporarily connect it to a good clean earth (door hinge bolts etc). You can get an assistant to just hold it
onto the clean metal earth, you can't get a shock from it.
D) - Turn it on, (preferably not on channel 19)
E) - Each in turn, touch the other end of the wire onto each of the 4 pins in the mic socket on the CB set.

Two of them will do nothing.
One of them will set it to receive signals (make sure the squelch is set to zero)
The remaining one should make the transmit ("tx") sign light up and the set will at that time be transmitting (you can check this with your SWR meter)

If earthing those four pins, one at a time does not cause any of them to set the unit into "transmit", then the set itself is faulty.
If earthing those four pins, one at a time does make one of them cause it go into transmit, then the microphone wiring (or it's switch) is at fault.

Let me ("us") know and we can go from there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

p.s. The four pins are Earth, Receive, Transmit, and Audio (from the microphone).
There are basically two "standard" wiring conventions (known as Cybernet or Uniden) but we don't need to get into too much detail re that here.

[wee bugger]

Cool...am away til Monday night (not in van) so will look at this later tomorrow, and let by know how I get on.
Thanks

[Oldiebut goodie]

ER - kids are off school again!

[wee bugger]

OK, do the following :-

If earthing those four pins, one at a time does not cause any of them to set the unit into "transmit", then the set itself is faulty.
If earthing those four pins, one at a time does make one of them cause it go into transmit, then the microphone wiring (or it's switch) is at fault.

Let me ("us") know and we can go from there.

So finally got time to have a look and earthing one of the pins as above makes it go into transmit mode, so looks like the mic. Next stop Ebay
Thanks again

[ghost123uk]

Ah, but do you know which type of mic wiring this set uses? Cybernet or Uniden?

Also, it is unlikely to be faulty other than a wire off, usually inside the plug. Easily fixed.

E D I T = I looked it up, if you are going to buy a new mic it's Uniden wiring, here is a suitable one = on Ebay



Edited for html error.

[ghost123uk]

Or a more original one here = http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/15108831 ... 108&ff19=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[wee bugger]

Just found a Uniden one for £10, but gonna have a teardown of mic first in case its an obvious, easy fix as you say...wife will be happier if i fix for free before spending money on a mic I dont really need, as have no-one to actually transmit too

[ghost123uk]

When checking the wiring, this might come in handy wiring diagram for plug link

[wee bugger]

"Breaker Breaker" it was a couple of wires needed resoldered! Sorted...says I'm now transmitting, just need to go and try and track the local users down to see if they can give me a big 10-4

Thanks for all the help