CB in a 4 wheeler

you will have to tune the antenna. wilson makes good magnet mount antennas if you want different antenna

 

Well you didn't say what size magnetic antenna yours was. You also didn't mention where on the vehicle it was mounted.

For one thing, you want to tune the antenna for the lowest SWR. That means you will have to adjust the antenna up or down until you get as low of a 1.1:1 SWR as you possibly can on all 40 channels. A 1.5:1 SWR is however, acceptable.

Once you have the antenna tuned to the lowest SWR, the light should go out, provided the coax on the antenna doesn't have a short or the coil inside the antenna base doesn't have an open. Make sure too that the antenna is secured tight in the base and that the coax is secured tight on the rear of the radio.

Also when you do the SWR check you want to be away from anything that might reflect the RF back into the antenna. I.E. an open parking lot away from metal phone poles and other objects makes a good place to check SWR, but trying to adjust SWR next to a building can cause issues.

Another issue is where the antenna is placed. The best spot is on the roof in the dead center of the vehicle. I've seen people with pick up trucks that mount the antenna on the bed rail right directly behind the cab and the antenna is maybe a foot taller than the cab....but yet they wonder why the SWR warning light on their radio comes on and even better why they can't talk anymore than a mile. I've also seen people mount short little antenna on the bumpers that too have high SWR's and can't get out very far.

If more CB operators would learn about how a CB antenna works, they'd be amazed at how far one can get out, and the use for an amp would diminish, IMO. Remember, the antenna will make or break even the best CB radio. So get the best you can buy, place on the roof of the vehicle and tune for the lowest SWR.

 

The antennas that wal mart sells is tuneable, they come with an allen wrench to loosen the whip to adjust it, if yours did not, go back to radio shack and ask for it. then you need a swr meter to get it set right. good luck. i have a wal mart antenna for my one radio and its set 1.1 on the swr meter, works good, but then the antenna goes on top right in the middle.

 

I'm not sure if your antenna is tuneable but I would think so. If it has an allen screw that undoes it, see if you can move it up some and take a reading with an SWR meter.

I like the Wilson line of mag mounts. I recommend nothing less than a Wilson 1000 for basic use.

 

wilson or k40 mag mount

 

i have used the antenna walmart sells and could never get it tuned low enough. went for wilsons lil wil and have been pleased with it