Antenna Tuning

I was at a rally last week (folks that pull 5th wheel RVs with a semi) And checked a half dozen or so antennas with the RigExpert AA 33 Zoom. Most of them needed to do some bonding before anything could be done to help them. But one guy had this "rubber ducky" antenna mounted on a Cascadia. It was on the plate that use to hold the dome antenna for satellite communications. It was right on the back of the cab, in the middle, level with the roof. First check was 15:1. A couple of turns of the tuning ring and it dialed in at 1.4:1 on 19, 1.9:1 on 40 and 1.2 on 1. Couldn't get it any better than that. Just goes to show, where you mount your antenna and how, makes a big difference! I was surprised it tuned that well. 150 - ProComm 15 Inch Rubber CB Antenna

 

I bet you are right, but he just wanted it to work. He's not a CBer, but people always comment about our rigs going down the highways (I ain't gonna say "and byways". What's wrong with using a Cascadia for a toter? Most are Volvos because of the Ishift (a lot of the folks never drove a Class 8 truck before getting their toter) and their sharp turning radius, not to mention used ones are plentiful these days. But, we had about every thing at the Rally from new Petes to old W900s, mostly Volvos though. (The photo makes the sleepers look a lot longer than they are. It is a pretty wide shot. Guess the photographer didn't make the right adjustments.)

 

I put a lot of miles on a Cascadia and you are correct! My Volvo is the quietist truck I've ever driven, even better than the newer KW T680.

 

I've seen perfect SWR on the stock Cascadia antenna, even the one that is hidden in the roof. But they won't get out much more than a 1/2 mile. I always reasoned is was sorry coax and the multiplexer that lost all the signal before it ever got to the antenna.