No swr? good? bad?

Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by nshore harleyguy, Jun 4, 2014.

  1. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    So I just ran new (rg8x) coax to my mirror mount wilson 2000. Ground is good (i replaced the factory ran ground) With my Cobra 29 I am not getting any reading at all on the swr meter. Needle doesn't even move. I am in the middle of nowhere surround by mountains and no highways and will be until tommorow morning. Once I am out on the highway I will be able to test it out. Can here a some distant transmissions. Even with my old setup I never could really raise anyone from this location anyways . I know the meters built into the radio are not that accurate and will try it on my separate meter next week when I get home. Before I was running the factory mirror mount (the mount that has the antenna screw into the mirror housing) and was getting a slight reading of swr (just a hair over 1). All that I did was change to an actual heavy duty bar mount and brand new coax.

    Is the lack of movement on the meter an issue?
     
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  3. handlebar

    handlebar Heavy Load Member

    Put the meter selector on the "RF/S" position so you can see how much signal is contained in the noise you're receiving, and so that (as long as the transmitter is working), the meter will swing to the right. Ignore the SWR settings until & unless you get zero indication when you hit the PTT switch.
    Is your RF Gain pot all the way up so that you'll be able to hear signals (including noise) that's out there to hear? Squelch knob all the way counterclockwise so you don't choke off any potential incoming signals?
    Is the "CB/PA" toggle in the "CB" position? If not, it'll be trying to work as a public address system, and you won't hear anything unless you've got an external speaker plugged into the "PA Speaker" jack.

    Please post what'cha got after trying those. BTW, you *did* put the nylon washer on the antenna mount on the top of the mount, under the antenna threads, right? Otherwise, your antenna is grounded (think of it as "wasted") by trying to use the vehicle's DC ground as an antenna. Worse than a dummy load; this one will burn out your rig.

    Did you install the coax ends yourself, or install the cable as an all-in-one assembly, or...... There are lots of ways for even experienced techs to foul up the installation of a coax end connector; all it takes is one teensy strand of the shield touching the inner pin of the plug.

    Leave the ANL/NB switch off until you get noise to try & kill. It can give a false negative when there are weak signals that are lost in ignition noise.


    BTW, unless you're familiar with how to set the "calibrate" function of the SWR metering, you're likely to get zero all the time. That's why I suggest ignoring it until you see the "RF/S" meter readings.
    73
     
    LGarrison Thanks this.
  4. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    I am getting static and some occasionall skip. In the mountains in VT where I am I hear a woman advertising for a truck wash in PA. Maybe the mountains help but I have always heard alot of far away chatter here.

    Just checked and nylon washer is in the correct spot. Coax cable is rg8x astatic brand. The meter is working fine in s/rf mode and all other switches are in the proper position. On the upper part of the meter where it has the Swr 1 is at the very bottom of the range where the needle sits could no movement on the meter mean that my swr is a 1? Antenna has not been trimmed or modified in any way. So I tried it with whip slid all the way out vs all the way in and it did not make a difference.
     
  5. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    I understand how to use the calibrate used it with my previous setup (differnt lower quality coax and factory mount) and was getting a reading a little less than halfway between 1-1.5.

    One of the reasons I changed the setup was because I was getting the ant. Warning light all the time when I would key up and now I am not getting that
     
  6. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    Also bought the lenth of coax with ends already on it. Was gonna make my own but didn't want to screw it up LOL
     
  7. jessejamesdallas

    jessejamesdallas Road Train Member

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    News flash.......You don't want the SWR meter to move! If it doesn't move when you Key-up, and the antenna warning light in not coming on, and you can hear and talk to people, then you're a winner!
     
  8. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    Drove up to maine this morning and radio seems to be working great
     
  9. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    I was thinking that. It was just odd to me all my setups In the past the needle would move just a hair higher than 1
     
  10. jessejamesdallas

    jessejamesdallas Road Train Member

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    If you just want to double-check your meter to make sure it's working, just disconnect the antenna from the coax and then key the Mic...Needle should jump up in the red...Wouldn't try and modulate tho with the antenna disconnected...could fry the radio.
     
    handlebar Thanks this.
  11. nshore harleyguy

    nshore harleyguy Medium Load Member

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    I have an actual SWR meter at home gonna try that out once I make it back there. For now it seems to be working great
     
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