Cascadia CB

Maybe someone on this thread can help ----> CB Radio Forum

 

I had to shell out quite a bit of coin to get a good setup for my 2019 cascadia. Not sure why, but some antennas just couldn't even get in the ballpark, kind of like you are saying about yours.

The ones that had an absurdly high SWR:
4' Firestik II
4' K40
Wilson 5000

The ones that worked (below 2 SWR):
4' Truck Spec
Sirio Bull Trucker

The one that got me 1.1 SWR across all channels:
7' Skip Shooter

-I also bought a pack of 6" flat braided grounding straps and connected my drivers door hinge bolts to the bolts on the cab, near the door jam for extending the ground plane
-I had a TA tech check the electrical ground from the antenna to the battery, and it was good, so I didn't bother messing around with that (there is a lot of misinformation about this on youtube/forums saying you have to actually use straps to get to the frame or battery... not true with my setup, and a total waste of time)
-I used a 9' coax cable. It was the perfect length for routing through the dash to a hollow shaft near the arm of the door/doorjam and out of a little hole that was protected by a grommet in the firewall. The cable was then routed back up behind the outer body panel near the mirror up to my mirror mount adapter assembly. My radio sits on top of the dash (not sure if all cascadias are like this, but my 2019 company truck had an access port for cables there, and a little metal plate with a strap for securing the radio
-The hardest part of the install was the external speaker, as I had to mount it high up on the passenger side, above the storage compartment in that little storage space that extends across the width of the cab, above the windshield. I had to remove a bunch of paneling for this. The speaker cable goes down behind the storage upper passenger storage (glove box looking thing), through the arm, down behind the passenger side dash and back up into that little port near the radio. None of my cables are visible at all, and the external speaker is sitting up straight, kind of pointed inward to the cab, and secured with 3M double sided tape. This was the only spot I could find that wouldn't cause a lot of feedback at higher volumes.

 

I solved it on the Cascadia up to the 2017 models, then I retired. You don't have to go thru but about the first few pages to see what I learned. With pictures. I tried everything before hitting on the solution. Cascadia Antenna Solutions

 

I have not gotten around to checking the SWR of the internal-- just plug-n-play, but had no complaints on any of the six Cascadias I have driven over the last several years. My little radio gets out as expected.

However, I am thinking about upgrading my radio to one with SSB capabilities, and wondering what the internal antenna can handle in output.
For that matter, I am also a licensed ham, and wonder if I might be able to use it for 10 meter work, but not real interested in doing so at 4 watts.

Anyone have any specs on it?

 

The biggest thing about the cascadia with the low mirror mounts are..
Rf grounding.......Must used a 8" or less wide braided ground strap..Connect door side of hinge to cab side of hinge..Remeber to clean off any thread locker or corrosion.....

Antenna choice.......Although many will "work" not all will perform very well..A predator 10k will do well but you will need a long base shaft to get coil away from the cab and thats gonna strain mount ALOT...
ANY 5 foot fibreglass will work but same prob as the 10k style(or k 40,sirio bull trucker,wilson 2000/5000 ect style)..Whats needed is a tall top loaded fibreglass antenna with about 20 deg foward degree lean..Why the lean you ask,when the wind hits it at speed you will see..

Those two ideas i just posted will make a huge diff so stop blameing the radio,no mods needed or kickers(unless ya wanna go big but thats more work and $)....
Sooooo many blame the radio and 95% its the antenna set up..Get that right 1st,spend your time and $ on that 1st and even a bone stock "non"super duper peak n tweeked,golden screwdriver abused will reach out and sound good..