I don't care what type of antenna you want to run...But NO ANTENNA is going to perform to it's full potential mounted on the side of a tool box behind the cab period...
If your serious about wanting to hear and talk to other people on the radio, then 100% of your antenna needs to clear the top of the roof line...There is no "If's-and's-or-But's" about it...Second, the shorter the antenna, the more compromise your going to have hearing and talking...
Longer the better, and Height is Might...
A SWR of 1.5 to 2.0 is acceptable, but it would be better to see it closer to 1.1- 1.3 if your using a SWR Meter...There's better ways to set the SWR using a antenna analyzer, but most people find analyzers a bit on the pricey-side and just stick with the SWR Meters, which is fine...Get the antenna up on the roof, and you'll find the SWR will be much lower...right now the cab is affecting the SWR.
CB Issues
Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by evan_nugget, Mar 18, 2020.
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jdchet and Night Stalker10 Thank this.
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Oh boy, you guys need to look at the images.
jessejamesdallas Thanks this. -
Sorry guys. Been away for the weekend and couldn't see the replies. Thank you to everyone trying to set me straight.
Really the issue I'm trying to solve is that I don't hear ANY static from my CB, even with the squelch all the way open, and cannot pick up the many people talking when my buddy's CB can. -
I won't go into details about ground straps but it lacks an rf ground.
Sorry tired .., thanks corona.
There is a lot written about it on this forum, a simple search will help you. -
Simple...
Mount ant on top of the box but better on roof center....
No wires from ant to anywhere,it will add electrical length and throw off true measurement....
Bond everything with wide braided straps....Keep the as short as possible...
Ex....bond tool box to trk box...box to chassie..Do it in a few places..Its called bonding...
Leave rf gain wide open(all the way to the right)squelch all the way to left,mic gain/dyna mic far right....
3 basic types of ant..You have a base load..Next is a mid load like those predator 10k,monkey made big coil antenna...Lastly is a top load like a firestick,skip shooter and they will give you the longest ranges...
If i were you,mag mount a antenna to roof center and keep it as tall as you can except when you drive around cause then it will sway like crazy..4-5 ft will do fine..
Avoid those ant someone mentioned(blank on the name but wasnt fire stick)..
Dont like how that coax was so tight under the ant...That bend might be messing with things and in time its possible it will short out(inner core of coax will touch outter part(gnd)of coax -
I know sometimes drilling holes in the roof just don't feel like a option you would want to take, I really didn't want to go that route either on my truck, so I built a riser for the antenna to get it above the roof line...SWR is in the basement, and on my MFJ analyzer i get X=0 on all channels except the lower 6 channels where I have X=1...I could probably do some more tweaking and get those channels to X=zero too, but figured I was close enough...
The riser is just a 1x1 square metal pipe I had lying around, (but you can buy them at any Home Depot,) and it's attached to the bed floor with some L brackets I made from a old piece of angle iron...theres also a bracket that attaches it to the top of the bed rail for added support...I also added ground straps underneath the bed that runs from the mounting bolts to the frame just to be sure it had a good ground...nothing is attached to the toolbox...I had to move the toolbox back a few inches to make room for the riser, and to still be able to open the lid.
Last edited: Mar 22, 2020
stacks Thanks this. -
Im not 100% sure but in order to be reading 0 in resonance you would have to tune specificly for that freq....If i understand correctly you cant be resonant all across or most of any band..
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Evan, here's a great site that a lot of guys use for mobile antenna help. It has great info on bonding.
Bonding -
craig_sez Thanks this.
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