New to the cb radio thing

I think his username says it all. lol

 

All antennas can be tuned. The type used with dictate how they are tuned. Old style fiberglass antennas are "trim to tune". Where you will have to remove the weather cap, put out small increments of the inner wire winding, and clip small amounts and recheck your SWR meter. Newer style fiberglass whips have an adjustable tip on them so you can add length or shorten to bring your antennas into a resonant length for optimal SWR. Trucker style antennas will have a small allen screw where the radiating element slides into the mast (just above the coil), which is loosened and the whip can slide up or down to lengthen or shorten the antenna...... It is best to move the antenna in 1/4" increments and recheck until SWR is equal on channels 1 and 40. Many antennas come tuned to a certain degree, but still needs to be adjusted. Remember that any SWR reading over 3 can damage your radio. 1.5:1 and below is optimal.

And most likely your antenna mounts are 3/8"X24 stud type. Most non mag mounts are the 3/8''X24 stud.

I would replace your factory coaxial cable with better quality. If you are co-phasing your antennas (having two antennas hooked to one radio) you will need a 75 Ohm cable, like RG59. For single antennas you will need a coaxial cable with an impedance of 50 Ohm like RG 58, Mini 8/ RG8X. The RG8X will have a higher performance than the RG 58. It has less attenuation (power loss between the radio and antenna feedpoint) and also a higher power handling. If you are running a stock radio, or one with mild tune the RG 58 will be fine. If you are running a high power export or an amplifier, I'd opt for the RG8X.

 

Good luck, I'm in a 2012 Cascadia, the coax is run behind the panel where the window curtain slides around to the windshield so that the radio is mounted in the opening to the right of the compartment above the drivers head. There are two screws in this panel but there are some clips that are not visible and there are a lot wires and stuff back there so it would be best to remove all of the paneling to do what you are talking about. Update us on how it goes.

 

My CB has saved many lives over the years. It's a very important tool. Cell phones go dead, CB's don't. My radio is more than likely out of your price range. I use Wilson antennas and good coax. A good radio shop will advise you & charge you nothing. I use a Magnum Delta Force that has been worked on. Other things when I need to get out. I never worry about getting "walked on" as I use my brain before my mouth.

 

Suggestion: do a search for "adding a ground plane" or "counterpoise" to CB antennas on "plastic truck bodies" within this section of the forum. I've got a couple of suggestions posted: one makes the antenna mount into a vertical dipole, which restores the "Phantom half" of the antenna; the other uses self-stick aluminum or copper foil stuck to the roof under (above) the headlines to simulate a metal roof. Either will work better than the stock antenna mounted on or next to a Fibreglas® cab, and for a small investment in $$$ and an hour or so of labor to install the counterpoise.
Certainly there are other solutions, but these two are the ones that have served me best as a commercial two-way radio dealer and installer.
Happy hunting-- I've posted the solutions in so many places on this forum that's it's become easier to just post the search terms.
73

 

With the mirror mount I installed I seem to have a good ground to the door. I was concerned before I mounted it seeing as most of this truck must be made from tupperware. And I didnt hide my coax, just laid it along the bottom of the dash and run it out the door. Better coax will be my next upgrade, I got the el cheapo truck stop junk. Im happy with how things work, I can send and recieve as far as really is needed. But who doesnt want something a little better?

edit to add: I missed the part about running to the radio cubby. My mount is on the dash. No I dont just have a big ol cable hangin down my windsheild!

 

IF by "short range" you mean "1/4 mile", you'll probably be Ok. If you mean the 4 or 5 miles most truckers expect from their CBs, a brief search function seen ab0ve will give you a raft of ideas about how to maximize your radio range on a "Plastic Truck" At the risk of blowing my own h0rn, several inexpensive and effective solutions for turning an RF Black Hole into an effective radiator. 50 years of amateur and commercial tw0-way radio can d0 that.
73and happy trucking.