I finally received my home base CB radio. It was marked as ‘for parts’ on eBay. The seller claimed that it powered up but he did not have an antenna test. It is often the case that when sellers do not have the capabilities or the experience with items that they will mark them as parts only.
So far, I have had pretty good luck buying cheap. My CB works, I think. I am able to transmit and receive. That doesn’t mean that everything is as it should be. When I key the mic, sound also comes out of the speaker. I don’t think I need that and I certainly don’t want that, but maybe that is what it is supposed to do? I am on the path of trying to find out.
There is one other thing that is wrong, the volume button is wobbly. I haven’t gotten into it to the point that I have figured out what is wrong. But, presumably something is wrong with the mount. The volume controls still works fine. Trying to figure out some information, I ran across the video below.
If you watched the video, then you would have seen that the host was trying to encourage people to be adventurous. Using your intuition, there are some problems that can be diagnosed and solved just because you are paying attention. This doesn’t have to be about electronics either. I won’t deny that it would be a lot better to have a little bit of high level theory to go along with your gumption. But, nevertheless electronics could be as simple as a fuse.
When my wife and I were on our honeymoon, we visited some of her family in Mexico. They had a microwave that was not working. I looked at it and found a fuse that was blown. We replaced it and the microwave worked once again. Everywhere we went, I was the hero that fixed the microwave. It was kind of embarrassing actually. To this day, I still do not know anything about microwaves. I didn’t even know that they had fuses. But, I looked around and found a potential problem that turned out to be the fix. All because I had some fundamental knowledge and a willingness to look.
When I look back, I kind of wish that I had studied physics instead of chemistry. In today’s silicon world, I would probably get more use from a better grasp of electronics than chemical reactions. We had a couple of weeks of circuits in general physics. I cant remember much about anything. But, this is all stuff that I can learn, especially if I keep going down the rabbit hole.
The reason I posted this video is because this philosophy applies to much more than radio repair. It just so happens that this is a weak area for me. Car problems, leaks even business problems can be approached this way. What do I know? What doesn’t seem right? Follow the trail and validate each step. If nothing looks wrong, then maybe the problem is too complicated for your knowledge level. As such, there is no harm in escalating the problem to a higher level.
Back in the early 2000s, the check engine light came on. At that point, I had more time than money. I purchased an OBDII scanner (for $450!) and plugged it in. I found out the code suggested that the gas cap was loose. Because Oregon prevented us from pumping our own gas, I had no idea what was going on in that area. I reset the code and tightened the gas cap and the problem was solved.
In many ways, I felt kind of stupid spending that kind of money for a tool that had a no cost fix. But, I still use that scanner today and even though you can buy one for $30 now, I have probably gotten my money’s worth through the years. I would have felt even stupider towing my Volvo an hour away to find out the same results. When you know, you know.
End Your Programming Routine: If something is not working you have my permission to see if you can figure out what is wrong with it. You never know when the problem is a simple fix. Look at it this way, when something is broken how can it get more broken? Just be mindful of what you are doing so you can put things as they were.
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