APPLICATIONS
TRANSCEIVER
THEORY& TROUBLESHOOTING
INTRODUCTION
CB Transceivers differ greatly from model to model.
Some may use tubes, transistors, or ICs while others
are hybrids made up of more than one type of active
components.
Most transceivers, however, follow standard block
diagrams. By studying the block diagrams for various
types of transmitter and receiver sections, it is easier
to interpret the manufacturer's schematic diagmms.
The following block diagrams cover the most com-
mon types of CB transceivers. Each diagram also
contains notes as to the type of troubleshooting tech-
niques-signal injection or signal tracing-that may be
AM TRANSMITTER
lnject
Audio
Measure
Frequency
I
l'
Inject
RF
'l-
Test
E E t = <_
Crystals
Fig. I4-Typical
An AM transmitter requires two signals to provide the
amplitude modulated output that is fed to the an-
tenna. The first is an RF signal operating at the CB
channel frequency. FCC rules require that this signal
must be supplied by a crystal controlled oscillator.
The RF carrier must be within .0O5Voof the specified
channel frequency.
This RF signal is amplified and fed to a stage or set of
stages that can be modulated. One common method
of providing this modulation is to take.the output of
AM RECEIVER
There are two basic types of AM receivers in general
use. Lower priced receivers use single conuersion
used with the CB42 CB Analyzer.
Tl:e CB42 is equipped to inject signals into any stage-
from the antenna input to the speaker of a receiver,
or from the microphone to the antenna output of a
transmitter. When used for signal tracing, the fre-
quency counter becomes a valuable tool. A second
tracing aid is a high-sensitivity volt meter such as the
Sencore DVM38 used with a RF probe such as the
Sencore39G3.
The block diagtams cover AM transmitters and
receivers, and then SSB transmitters and receivers.
I
Frequency Measure
RF Power
Modulation
% off channel
Frequency
usescope adapter
AM transmitter.
the audio amplifier and feed it to the collectors of the
RF amplifier transistors. The bias on the collectors
now changesin step with the audio signal while the
RF signal is applied to the base of the driver transistor.
The result is amplitude modulation of the RF carrier.
Filtering stages (TVI filters) are added at the output
of the RF amplifier to eliminate any harmonic con-
tent which would cause interference in other com-
munications bands.
superhetrodyne receivers. In this receiver, the incom-
ing RF signal is mixed with the signal of a local oscil-
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