Well there. Very little of that seemed helpful with the exception of upgrading to general, and the 20, 40, and 80 meter paragraph that sounds like good idea.

I should have proofread my op, I was not talking with the guy towing me via our radios. My radio does not operate on cb frequencies as I stated(detail to pay attention to) I was on and using the 10 meter band. I was being pulled out of a hole as I stated and not a mudhole as you stated( attention to details and whatnot) by a guy that was on and using a cb radio. One small detail that has eluded you is  I was asking if that and/or my antennas swinging around hitting the truck and each other is the reason my finals burnt out( the original question and reason for this thread). I  Also figured I would get some advice on how to avoid it in the future.

I don't claim to be a super hammy guru, lots I do not know I don't know a lot of the technical terms, what all the buttons and knobs on some of my equipment do or even all of the q codes but I'm learning.

I hope the day never comes where I need to sell anything to come up with $300. You call my radio junk, I have enjoyed it so far, aside from the one issue it has worked well and is easy to operate. The icom 718 is a pretty inexpensive unit at $4-600 I might look into that. If I were comparing the coveted icom 718 to the  yaesu I purchased from a local ham operator I wonder if it would be considered junk?

I just wanted some help man, thats all. Take care.

The advise about your antennas and your SWR issues are correct. The suspicion about you being a bootleg CBer may be unfounded, but the ham forum here is always helpful new hams, just not renegade 11 Meter Freebanders. Expecting a warm welcome by using a non type accepted export radio may be the only real issue guys have with your questions.

Ditch the dual 102 inch whips and use a loaded antenna like the Wilson 1000 on the roof of your vehicle to improve your antenna performance. A base loaded antenna on the roof will out perform the dual whips and provide you with a much better SWR at road speed or when stuck in a ditch.

Thank you.

...wave was great? What does that mean?

Your antenna question seems to have been covered well.

Since there's a strong undercurrent of offroading in your posts, here's an idea that may be useful. Keep the dual antennas, but feed them separately. Run one to a standard CB to talk to your wheeling buddies, and run the other to your HF radio of choice. Since they are on different freqs, each can be trimmed to best match their intended band. (or the hamstick idea for the 10m side would work too, and set you up for a license upgrade and 20/40 m use with an appropriate stick)

/thread

You have to admit, this is pretty much the FCC equivalent of mentioning a cut-up piece of hacksaw blade that 'might just' fit into your trigger group when asking questions at a gun shop.

Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should. I just wanted you guys to know what kind of radio it was I have heard the newer more digital types do not work like that. A cut and solder as opposed to just program type of radio. Does any of that make a difference as to how or why things burnt out, I'm not sure I'm just trying to paint the picture of what I had and how it played out when the event in question happened.

I did use the Toyota for a lot of off-road fun but never got around to putting a cb in it.

The two antennas did increased signal by a significant amount when I pointed my truck south. As said I will not be using two (for a single radio) in my new application, but I may put in a cb for emergencies while I'm working off the beaten trail in obscure cemeteries.

I do agree that the original and only real questions I had at the time of the op have been answered quite well along with some helpful info along the way, some not so helpful and bordering on downright condescending and rude. Some of those pinned threads mention that everyone here is and will be very helpful and friendly but in reality...well you can read the thread.

My questions have been answered by some helpful people and I thank them. The people that want to talk down to me because I don't know what I'm doing yet, or I don't know all the cool lingo, or I'm only a lowly technician have at it, this is my last post in this thread.

73

Something to keep in mind is at lower frequencies (like VHF "low band" and the adjacent 6 and 10 meter amateur bands) the size of the vehicle becomes smaller in terms of wavelength versus higher frequency bands, so antenna position on the vehicle exerts a greater affect on antenna performance. What you think of as the "antenna" is only half of the antenna - the ground plane/counterpoise that it's working against is the other half (simplified).

Nobody is looking down on your because you're a technician. People were dubious because you were describing what 99.999% of the time is a setup used for illegal CB/freeband operation. That community is the source of a lot of problems, the fallout from which also negatively affects everyone in the amateur community as well as other communications users. And most amateurs who have been around have encountered their share of freebanders who went and got an amateur license for a veneer of legitimacy, then just kept on with their freebanding.

With the sunspot cycle where it is, there isn't going to be much good 10m operation happening, other than Sporadic E prop and this isn't a good time of the year for E.

From your description you paid way too much for way too little radio if you're actually using it for amateur radio, but again, that's exactly the stereotype of the freeband CB community. If you're actually an amateur, sell that stuff and get a basic HF+6m radio like a Yaesu FT-450. If there's a decent E opening 6 may be more busy than 10. Some of the Maine grids are relatively scarce.

This is still the kindliest ham radio forum on the interwebs. I tried hard to believe, to give the benefit of the doubt, as did most of everyone else, even in the face of a potential CoC violation. Just sayin'...

You could try running 10 meter ham sticks , they would be a lot stiffer and the 10 meter ones are pretty broad banded.

My suggestion would be ditch the 10m rig, and get a 2m mobile. Smaller antenna to start to with, and probably more usable around Maine with the repeaters out there.

This.

ditch the 102" whips and bootleg golden screwdriver truckstop 11meter crap.

Get a 50-75 watt Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu 2meter or 2m/440 rig for emergency coms

( get a cheap stock CB for your 4x4 club trail coms. )

And per the FCC, is considered a "CB":

"The Commission’s equipment authorization experts in the FCC Laboratory have determined that the transceivers listed herein and other similar models at issue here are intended for use on the CB frequencies as well as those in the amateur service because they have built-in capability to operate on CB frequencies. This capability can be readily activated by moving or removing a jumper plug, cutting or splicing a wire, plugging in a connector, or other simple means. Thus, all the transceivers listed herein and similar models fall within the definition of a CB transmitter. See 47C.F.R. § 95.603(c). A CB transmitter must be certificated by the FCC prior to marketing or importation. 47 C.F.R. §§ 95.603(c); 2.803."

If it quacks like a (rubber) duck....