2020 Cascadia Skipshooter Installation

Hey guys. Finally got around to upgrading from the stock in-dome antenna to a 7' Skipshooter.

I bought the ProComm mount and have installed it. I also bought a Firestick 'Fire-Flex Coax' with a firering connection.

Installation instructions for coax show a bolt I don't have. I'm getting antenna warning message on my Cobra 29 LX and I think it's because of how I have mounted the coax without the bolt. Instead, I'm using one of the components that came with the mount. (See picture below.) I don't have a regular coax and would prefer to use this firering type connection because I think it looks better.



I did make sure to mount the raised shoulder up toward the mounting bolt. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, just not sure what. Newbie alert!

 

I tried flipping the firering end of my coax over and now it seems that I get the antenna warning message only if I talk loud enough? For what it's worth, while flipping through the channels to accomplish calibration, I heard some people talking on channel 11. They were faint but I could make out most of what they said. It seems they couldn't hear me though.

While I waited for a response, I painted my PEX tube black and installed it over the antenna. I wrapped some duct tape around the antenna base to thicken it so it would hold the tube in place.

 

Ok, so I called Right Channel Radios (since that's where I bought my coax) and talked to their tech support. Turns out that I am right about having it hooked up wrong because I'm missing a critical piece: a firering compatible stud. (Firestik FireRing Compatible Stud)

They're going to ship that to me as fast as they can. Though the owner (Pat, the guy you see in their videos) advised against this stud. He doesn't recommended anything over 5' on this stud. My options were to try it anyway or return my firering coax and go with another coax that wasn't the low-profile ring style (it is a regular PL-259 connection) and wasn't black (it was braided and silver in color; Wilson CB Coax with FME & Boot - 18'). I decided to take my chances with the stud because I really wanted the cleaner look of the ring connection and I didn't like the silver color of the coax alternative they suggested.

As far as external SWR meter, I don't have one yet. I'll order one today. I have braided grounding straps on order from Amazon already. They're supposed to be here tomorrow.

 

Ok, so a follow-up call with RCR led to the conclusion that all I needed was a 3/8" x 1.25" M24 hex bolt and locking washer. No stud needed. So I went to the local hardware store and bought those. I then reinstalled the pieces like this, from top to bottom: antenna -> stud -> locking washer -> ProComm mount - > firering coax -> hex bolt.

Notably missing from this compared to the instructions is a flat washer and a nylon insulating washer. I didn't notice these in the instructions before. I'm out of time today to redo things to install those.

Just for grins, I tested calibrating things and it's worse. No static noise even with squelch all the way down and RF gain all the way up, just like it is when the radio is on but no antenna is connected. So it's acting like no antenna is connected. No amount of knob turning on the calibration knob will bring the line up to the CAL mark on channels 1 or 40. Built-in SWR is at 3.25. The self-test functions show voltage passes but power output and antenna tests fail.

This is all I know at this point. I'm going to try to find time tomorrow to take it all apart and install those two other washers like it shows in the diagram. I'm thinking it has something to do with that, but maybe someone here has a better idea as to why? I'm a CB newbie so I could be very wrong. Is the lack of these two washers causing a short?

Grounding straps coming tomorrow. RCR is shipping an external SWR meter and jumper coax, but those won't be here until after I'm back out on the road. I'll install that when I come back home in two weeks.

 

Ok. This confirms what I was thinking from the provided installation diagram. I'll try to install that tomorrow morning. Thanks!!

P.S. What would I touch the probes to to test for the short? I have a tester left over from a college physics project, just not clear how to test in this case.

 

This is the exact image I was referring to. I failed to notice the insulator the first go-round.