27 MHz radioworks,1-2-3-4 procedure

                                                          27 MHz RadioWorks Information Lab page6
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New Readers, Students, Contributors. This is a new Blog, still under construction. Please pardon our virtual dust and our Learning Curve. We will be adding photos and inter-active links very soon.This is a continuous learning class, which means the most recent BLOGS may have terms and information you are not familiar with, so you may have to go back and begin reading from page one. There is also a BLOG page with terms and definitions you can reference. Most of the content is FREE for all to read, and more advanced content is available to Students who have paid for class Tuition and Materials. Email for instructions on how to join the formal class. Thanx-"Professor" Edward
This is the blog before the real fun begins, some more information you need to know and some safety pre-cautions. Let me introduce you to the 
1-2-3-4 procedure of handling radio equipment, with regard to 12 volt systems and installations in cars and trucks. 
#1. The radio. A receiver, a transmitter, a transceiver ( did you look it up?) it don't matter which-you must have a radio to begin, even if you don't have a car, or anything else. You can even learn a lot of information from a broken radio,if that's all you can get. The knobs and the controls,the switches and the wires,the colors and the labels-familiarize yourself with all of it. Get a catalog, find one on the internet, start memorizing 27 Mhz radios (CB) any way you can.
#2.Antennas- to hear anything at all on a radio, you must have a commercially made antenna, and a cable to attach it with, if one is not included. The simplest and cheapest method is to get what's called a "magnet mount CB antenna" , because they are physically short,don't require any hardware, usually include a "coil mount" or a center coil that will give you better reception for local signals,and have the cable attached permanently.Antennas are given the #2 position before "power", for the safety of the radio and YOU. Applying electrical power without an antenna invites the disaster of permanent radio damage before you ever get to use it.If you have an older used radio and it is some how set to "transmit" and power is applied sans-antenna, it can blow out that portion of the radio and cost more to repair than it's worth.
#3. Power source. It may  be a battery,a fuse box,a cigarette lighter socket,some wires under the dash,a radio that comes with a built-in 110 volt ac plug,a separate 12volt power supply unit ( we haven't talked about those yet)or a row of flashlight cells in battery holders if you are making a portable set-up.There are lots of ways to make the radio light-up, but FIRST you must know about polarity. Polarity is the "electric snake".It can bite you 5 -ways from Sunday-what ever that means-unless you follow step-by-step procedures to ensure it doesn't.The most obvious is the colors RED and Black .presume the red one is positive, and keep it away from black wires, all other colors of wires(!),car bodies,metal,and your skin.
12 volt wiring done wrong is always catastrophic.it can damage your car,the radio,and you in the form of sparks,shocks,burns,and bright flashes from all the previous.So, here we say its a good idea to always wear eyeglasses,goggles,and any other protective gear you can tolerate.The inherent danger lies in the car battery itself.Some being capable of 60 amps or more, and that is HUGE from an electronics standpoint.Great for starting gas engines, totally unnecessary for any other function of your car.You can turn on AC and all the lights and hardly go over 20 amps, in most vehicles. Even the biggest and the best CB radios require less than six(6) amps in full transmit mode,so be car full with the auto motive electrical  environment.Following the boring instructions that come with the radio will at least give you more education.
#4. Microphone. None of us can really be trusted with a Microphone,so we save it for last, and hope it hasn't already been distracting us.the very last ingredient we need to use our CB radio for 2-way communication (LIU !)is a microphone.Don't even plug it in  until you have 1-2-3 above finished and working. It is the thing you will grab the most, 2nd only to the volume control.It will get more abuse than a vacuum cleaner,whether or not you ever slip and use fowl language!The mic doesn't just listen to your voice, it also "keys" the transmitter on the radio and pauses the receiver.Some mics have even more built-in features, we wont get into right now.Another key point to remember-the performance of your radio system depends more on the microphone, power supply, and antenna than the radio itself.You will find out why as the course progresses.

                                                1-2-3-4= radio, antenna,power source,microphone!

"professor "Edward-copyright 2010eal/nlbl