How to Increase Watts in a CB Radio?

If you own a CB radio, you likely have issues with increasing its range and power. Don’t worry; it is a very common issue, and we will show you how to increase watts in a CB radio for better sound quality. Let’s get started!

What Is a CB Radio?

This may sound redundant because you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t know what a CB radio is. But it is important to understand the constitution and functions of the radio before we learn how to increase its power. Here, we will show you all the various parts of the radio that you will need to get acquainted with.

Antenna

The antenna is one of the most crucial components of a CB radio. You can have a really good CB radio, but it does you no good if your antenna isn’t good.

Getting a good CB antenna is essential to avoid signal blocking and enhance range. Numerous CB antenna reviews on the internet can help you find your ideal pick.

Coax Cable

You can connect the antenna and radio through this CB coax cable. We have already emphasized how important the antenna is for the sound quality of your radio. So, it should be obvious that the cable connecting the radio and antenna is also crucial to the overall setup.

SWR Meter

This is used to test the output of your radio. While this is a very important part of the setup, there is no pressure on the overall quality. Any serviceable SWR meter will be enough for your current needs.

How to Increase the Power of Your Radio 

Now that we know all the essentials of a radio, it is time to know how we add watts to it, that is, how to increase its power. Everything we have learned so far will come into play now. We should connect the SWR meter to assess the output of the radio.

Grounding of the Radio

The sound quality of a radio often depends on where and how it is kept. You want to avoid signal noise, so keeping it in an open area away from trees and forests is better.

Modulation Adjustment

You can optimize the modulation through the body of your radio. This is an easy way to increase the radio’s power and improve the sound’s volume and quality. But you have to be careful not to increase it too much, as it might distort the radio frequencies.

Squelch Function/RF Gain Option 

Squelch is a function in the radio that clears the background noise. The RF gain option is a similar function that is available in newer models and is more effective. Your goal is to turn any of these to the point where the background noise is minimal, but the sound of the radio is intact.

Quality of the Antenna 

We have already mentioned how important the antenna is. Even the best CB radio won’t give you satisfactory sound quality unless you have a good antenna. So, if the sound of your radio is bad, chances are, so is your antenna.

In this case, the best solution is to get a new one. Buy a new antenna; get a solid coax cable to connect with the radio, and your sound will also improve.

Placing of the Antenna

The problematic placing of the antenna will naturally give you problematic sound quality. The higher the antenna is, the better it can receive and transmit signals. So, it is better to fix it on your car’s or house’s roof, depending on where you want to set up your CB radio.

Ensure Appropriate Reading of Antenna  

The lower the reading of the antenna on the SWR meter, the better it is. And the ideal reading is 1:5. But a lower reading than this is even better.

Dead Key Wattage

There is a dead key wattage pot on every radio. You must find, peak, and tune it to get dead key wattage.

Amplifiers

The last thing you can do is to get some amps. An amplifier can greatly boost the dead key wattage of your radio. This will add more power to your sound and greatly improve the loudness and quality of your radio. You can get a linear amplifier, which efficiently gives your dead key additional output power.

However, the dead key should be set below 10 watts as it may otherwise lead to the amplifier getting damaged due to overheating.

If it still doesn’t improve even after trying everything we mentioned above, then there is only one solution. Get a better radio. The issue may simply lie in the quality of the model you are currently using, and it may be time for you to upgrade it.

FAQs

Conclusion

And those were all the possible ways in which you can increase the power of your radio. Follow all the aforementioned directions, and your radio will sound exactly how you desire it to. It will also pump out the exact amount of power you need. Best of luck! Enjoy!