xmit
As far as transmitting goes, sometimes you have a dial marked "rf gain" on the radio. This adjusts the transmitting power output either up or down. If you are in close quarters, it might be easier for you to turn the gain down, you will sound less distorted to people very close by, but you will not be heard by those far away.
Sometimes you may inadvertently leave the gain down, so check that. Citizens band (11m) is not the greatest for long range transmissions, and I think the maximum legal wattage is still 4.
When comparing yourself to truckers, keep in mind that some of them have amplifiers running anywhere from several hundred to a thousand watts (them doing something illegal, how shocking I know)!
They usually have nice dual antenna setups with quality antennas too, not the norm on an rv. I would guess if you are getting a mile or two from a lower end cb mobile with no great antennas etc, you are doing well.
If you are interested in more range, look into getting a ham radio license, there is a whole new world to explore there!
I was a member of one ham club that had a series of repeaters, to with a radio smaller in size than a normal CB and a small antenna would cover pretty much half of Ca, and out to Vegas. Nice stuff!
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