$25 Tune vs $40 Tune

Thanks for the replies. I gave up on it for today as I lost sunlight and patience..lol. I did set it as Truckerjo suggests but not Step 3 as I read that SWR over three on all channels is most likely a coaxial problem. I'll look at it again but I have one quick question: My antenna's are mounted on my mirrors with the factory mounts. (2005 International 9900i). Should I have grounded the antenna to my mirror bolts with the small wire that comes attached to the antenna? (I did, btw.)

I did solder on a new connector to the right side but as I said earlier, the continuity tests all checked out ok. The CB worked well before I tampered with anything. I broke one of my stock antennas off in a tree last week and figured now was the time to replace them.

Thanks again, all.

 

Okay let me see if i can explain this...

Some say it is easier just to hook both your antennas up and set SWR.. This will work fine...

Now if you are picky you will want to set each antenna before as I explained...

When you set the standing wave of an antenna you are tuning that antenna in... if you hook both of them up and set the SWR you are really tuning it as a system and the antenna's have standing wave but as a hole, it works fine that way (that part is kind of hard to explain) now if you do each antenna separate then each antenna is set to "its" standing wave, then when you hook them both up to set the SWR as a system(standing wave) you want to move each antenna the exact same to keep each antenna close as possible from its original Standing wave setting...If the SWR on channel 40 is greater than that on channel 1, your "antenna's" is considered to be long.. you would want to move each antenna tip down just a hair (move them down the exact same amount till you get your SWR correct, and of coarse, If SWR on channel 1 is greater than that on channel 40, your antenna is considered to be short, so raise them the same)
By starting out with each antenna set to its own SWR match, then moving each antenna the exact same in tuning the "system" you will have a better chance in getting both antennas standing wave being closer to perfection lol...

Hope that helps... you can't set each antenna then hook them both up and expect the swr to be good... you changed the entire system by hooking them both up...

 

There is your answer if your SWR is the same and high on all channels the problem is in your Coax system. You did the right thing with checking each individual antenna. Now you need a good co-phase harness and it should be fine. I know allot of the freightliners i drove had a co-phase harness from the factory but when you started measuring them they were way off and not at all right. May be the same here your stock harness may be way out of whack and with your original antennas it was good but once you tuned the new antennas to be right which is what you should do then the harness became an issue. The easiest way to find out is get a good quality co phase harness and for testing purposes just string it in place and check you SWR if it is good then you can go back and run it properly thru the right areas to get it all nice and hid out in the truck.

 

Nothing more than just a basic tune is all that's needed...unless you like wasting money. The power you see at cb shops is fulse power caused by harmonics that are caused by a over modulated radio and or a very poorly tuned radio and that dosy meter reads it as power. Tell your tech to put the meter on RMS instead of peak and you will really cry!!!! Oh wait, no cb shop will do it because they dont want you to know the truth!

You may think that your big Galaxy is doing 50 watts, more like 15 watts to 25 watts is what the radios puts out. A cobra 29 will not do 50 watts with just a final change. more like 10 to 20 if your lucky unless you change to mosfets and then it waay more than just a final change to get it to that level....... but as long as most of you see it ( that big swing ) on a meter you will gladly hand over as much money as they say it costs!

You boys would be very very pissed if you knew what it was that most cb shops really do to your radios, you really would!

 

i like my radio guy, he will tell you the truth... when he does his peaks he will tell you that a 8w uniden is about the highest the radio can handle and the highest he tunes it to. hes had people fry boards by switching out to bigger fuses when they have popped them when they tried getting unidens to 12w, its great to have someone honest and who knows what they are doing. and will do it right infront of you.

on side band my galaxy gets about 28w and im #### happy with it.

 

"Some say it is easier just to hook both your antennas up and set SWR.. This will work fine..."

"you can't set each antenna then hook them both up and expect the swr to be good... you changed the entire system by hooking them both up..."

exactly. you use 50 ohm line with a single antenna and 75 ohm line with dual antennas, especially if you're looking for the favored bi-directional pattern to both the front and the rear of the tractor-trailer. those two harness lines need only be one of two possible lengths to obtain the pattern mentioned above. although the wrong lengths in many instances will provide favorable swr readings the pattern will not develop because of improper phasing and performance is noticably poor.

 

yep ....

Phasing antennas is not easy .... it does take some work.

 

Running two antennas is more trouble than it is worth IMO. If you want the dual look, use two antennas, one working with a good coax and one dummy antenna. That way you also always have a spare antenna!

 

Yep ......

For phased antennas to be of use you would have to have a switch so when you go around a turn you can change the direction.

I tried this on 6 meters and had a trunk full of wires ....