Connex 3300 in a kw t680..

And you trust a radio meter...Hell you can put a dummy load on a and get a low swr..
If your getting a confirmed 10 + miles your one of the lucky few..

Just and fyi for future knowlage swr has nothing to do with recieve before you use that approach..

I dont know enough to explain why your meter doesnt move but its impossible to get a swr lower than 1...With all the plastics and lack of metal for antenna counterpoise getting 10+ miles is awfully lucky..Your ground wire dont act as counterpoise but it helps with static..

 

didnt say i completely trusted the radio meter but i have had 2 different meters hooked to my setup and one was right at 1 and the other was just under 1. and i never said or tried to say that swr had anything to do with receiving i was talking about burning finals out of a radio. and yes i have confirmed 10 plus miles more than once on this setup i run with same guys all alot and we have called it off mile marker to mile marker. and the only thing plastic on the factory peterbilt mount is the plastic cover on the outside of the mount. the mount itself is metal and it is bolted to the side of the metal cab.

 

Yes hi swr will burn out a radio cause of reflected power..
As for the range i didnt say you said it has anything to do with range..I said just incase you go down that road..
Ant dont like metal along side or top it messes with signals map and range cause of deflection....Get an analyzer on that and see what your ant set up is really like..
Re the plastics..Most if not all trucks today are mostly made up with plastics and fibreglass..The only metal that helps antenna is whats under it

 

Just something to look at from only one source anout low swr..
http://www.bellscb.com
I can look up more info if you like..
As i said before..Im not ####ting on your deal..With 90% of the drivers out there with all these newer plastic trucks haveing tons of issues and you happen to have a set up as you say,i have to question it..

 

Oh you may get a perfect SWR reading, but they won't talk over a mile, if that.

 

Dummy loads get a perfect swr but dont transmit past your beer can...Speakin of which,i saw video of a beer can(s) antenna that had some.range..

 

Are you meaning the slide out piece in the center of the opening or the entire long plastic trim piece that goes across the section of the overhead that the radio mounts into?

 

The whole plastic piece that goes around hole.