Antenna Mounting

If you can't get it to tune, perhaps your meter, the coax, or the antenna is bad. I'm not sure what you mean by "portable" antenna either. Do you mean a magnetic mount?

 

Antenna issues are generally 95% grounding issues
Believe it or not they do have many antennas that are"brand new" and junk out of the box.

What brand and year trucks are you attempting this on ?
I'll assume fleet slip seating here ....... ?

 

If you are just slip seating then don't try to worry about perfect tuning to 1:1. If you can get it below 1:3 then you will be out of danger or harming your equipment.

I know some guys that slip seat. They went and got one of them Visegrip mounts, 18 foot a quality coax and the longest Francis fiberglass antenna. And they actually perform pretty good with a box stock or peaked and tuned Cobra or Uniden running barefoot.

 

I'm in a new International Pro Star Eagle with a dual antenna system and my SWR is through the roof! Antenna light comes on when keyed as well. I bought two firestiks but I think it's either the coax or there's no ground. How exactly do you ground the antennas?

I was told to use 12 gauge wire and mount the wire between the antenna and mirror mount and run out to the frame somewhere.

Just not sure what to do and don't want to burn my radio out. The firestiks are 3 foot (it's a midroof, they stick out over the roofline pretty good but should I sell these and get taller ones?)

I can't seem to find a cb shop willing to come out and do the wiring. I've thought about buying 2 18' runs of RG59 for the duals, I also have 18' of rg58 I could run for a single system but I really don't want to jerry rig the coax out the door and all like I did with the freightshaker.

I'm running a peaked Cobra 29 with an echo board that worked great in the volvo just using the factory run coax and a 4 ft francis. Any ideas?

 

vice grip mount is a good idea, but i dont think i PERSONALLY would go with a francis.... maybe a wilson silver load, if you like the fiberglass....