high swr

Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by espo83, Sep 12, 2013.

  1. espo83

    espo83 Bobtail Member

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    0
    Sep 12, 2013
    Chicago il
    0
    Hi i have a question to ask about my cb. OK i have a cobra 29lx and every time i key up the mic i get a CB antenna warning that flashes at me. now im running the 29 lx, k40 mirror mount, Wilson 2000 antenna, and k40 18' copper coax. I have tried tuning the antenna with the meter on the radio and got channel one down from a high 3 swr reading down to a 1 but channel 40 is at 2 swr and still flashing CB antenna warning. i know that if channel 40 is high i need to lower the antenna so i took the whip out and cut of an 1/8 of an inch and still the swr is reading at 2 for channel 40. when i was using my old setup two firesticks and the coax that came with the 2013 386 everything was reading a high 3 swr i changed it all out and its gotten a little better but how do i go about getting channel 40 and 19 down to a 1 swr instead of it being a 2 and flashing the CB antenna warning at me? oh yeah and the coax is a 95% shielding which i heard is the ground for the antenna don't know if that is true but that's what i heard. I would also like to try and do this all myself so i don't have to waste time sitting at a CB shop when i could be running and making money. please any help or tips would be greatly appreciate thank you in advance.
     
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  3. Turbo-T

    Turbo-T Road Train Member

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    708
    May 31, 2009
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    Make sure when you check SWR you're not near any buildings, cars, trees, etc...anything that can reflect a radio signal and send it back ni causing high SWR

    Don't speak into the mic when doing an SWR check - just deadkey it

    And invest in an external SWR meter. They're better than the radios meter.

    Also it would be a good idea to ensure the antennas are grounded. Is the cab made of metal or fiberglass? I hear some of the new trucks are fiberglass which doesnt give the antenna a ground plane, which will cause SWR issues.
     
  4. espo83

    espo83 Bobtail Member

    3
    0
    Sep 12, 2013
    Chicago il
    0
    Thanks Turbo-t I actually have a buddy that works at radio shack ill have him get me one with a jumper wire. Then ill adjust everything again
     
  5. espo83

    espo83 Bobtail Member

    3
    0
    Sep 12, 2013
    Chicago il
    0
    Thanks milwaukeetrucker for the link to cobra if i have this problem after i adjust everything ill open up the cb and adjust it
     
  6. K9OTR

    K9OTR Light Load Member

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    82
    Sep 1, 2013
    Rochester, NY
    0
    Could also be other things near the antenna causing interference (relfelction) On my personal truck if I put my Wilson lil'will in the middle of the bed, the SWR is off the charts, If I move it 3ft to one of the fender-wells, it matches perfect on 19. its strange.
     
  7. Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

    7,939
    8,278
    Sep 25, 2007
    Rosamond, SoCal
    0
    What kind of vehicle is this for starters. Run a external ground to your mirror brackets. Check your solder connections on your coax make sure they are not shorted out or open.Using the swr meter built into the radio is alright as long as no one hasbeen inside the radio playing. Check your grounds if you have a freightliner there are ene more possibilities if your using the factory harness.
     
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