Antenna Grounding ?

WingRider, aluminum IS a good conductor. Maybe not quite as good as some metals like copper or gold. However, aluminum is certainly a conductor.

 

It's a very good conductor. Take a look at the high voltage utility lines on the towers. Guess what, 99.9% of them are aluminum.

 

20 lashes, repent, repent!!

 

I'm no where close to knowing much about CB's, but are you sure you're grounded? I do know you need to get to bare metal to get a ground. I use one of those vicegrip type mounts on my Fr8liners, and as long as I get to bare metal on the mirror arm, it works well. Before I went out and burned some bucks, I'd check and make sure to be on bare metal.

 

That's what I did on my F250 with my antenna mounted on the plastic mirror arm. That works for me. Maybe you're right and did trim too much off.
Hopefully someone that knows more than I sees your thread.

 

Using the calibration feature on the "radio" isn't "setting" SWR
Your pitching horseshoes if you believe such.

Antenna's with "stingers" are a "one time" shot,once a stick is tuned to a
chassis configuration its "used up"(if trimmed),any sort of relocation requires a new stinger and recalibration with a "PROPER" meter to achieve conclusive results.

The calibration feature"built-in" to some radio's "ONLY" zero or baseline the "radio". An additional meter is required to determine stinger adjustment(raising,lowering,trimming etc) to achieve proper SWR level