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General lee and swr problems.

Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by Dark_Majesty_06, Aug 10, 2011.

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  1. Aug 10, 2011 #1
    Dark_Majesty_06

    Dark_Majesty_06 Road Train Member

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    Jun 15, 2009
    Poplar bluff, mo
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    I just bought a general lee and a rk 56 off of a family member. I seem to be having problems transmitting and receiving. I'm not getting out very far at all. So I took it to a cb shop in carlisle, pa and the guy said when he opened it and tested it that it was peaked and tuned and pushing as much power as it could being barefoot. Really all he did was tweak a few things so that my voice sounded good when I transmitted.

    I had him check my swrs, and according to his meter they were sky high. He found out that I had a broken antenna so he replaced it with a generic, adjustable fiberglass antenna. That still didn't lower my swrs to anywhere close to where they should be. He check with a different coax, and still my swrs were high. He came to the conclusion that I had a bad ground on my antenna.

    I have an 06 freightliner century, and do not have my antenna mounted on the stock position. I bought a generic mirror arm bracket, and he thinks that isn't grounded and is what is causing my swr problems. He suggested that I put my antenna, which is a generic fiberglass adjustable tip antenna back in the stock mounting location with my aftermarket coax. I'd really like to keep my aftermarket bracket. Where would be a good location to ground my antenna bracket on my 06 century?

    Lastly, I'm looking for a good antenna. I really like the Wilson 5000s and the large k40 coils they sell at pilot. I just have one single antenna set up. Does anybody know which of those two the general lee would respond better to? Thanks for any and all help.
     
    Dark_Majesty_06, Aug 10, 2011
    Dark_Majesty_06, Aug 10, 2011
    #1
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  3. Aug 10, 2011 #2
    northbamatrucker

    northbamatrucker Light Load Member

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    Oct 6, 2009
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    I have my General Lee hooked up to a Predator 10-K and the swr is under 1 on my 06 columbia. But before this antenna I had a wilson 2000 trucker and it was also below 1.
     
    northbamatrucker, Aug 10, 2011
    northbamatrucker, Aug 10, 2011
    #2
    Dark_Majesty_06 Thanks this.
  4. Aug 15, 2011 #3
    jessejamesdallas

    jessejamesdallas Road Train Member

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    Republic of Texas
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    You can try and run a ground strap from your after-market mirror mount to a good grounding point and see if that won't bring your SWR down...It's a "Hit and Miss" fix, sometimes you can get lucky and running a ground strap off the mount will work, but not always...

    As for as differences between the Wilson 5000 Trucker antenna and the K40 or even the Cobra antenna, IMO there's not enough of a difference to consider one way or another...

    I have the best luck with the Predator 10K Antenna's myself, and won't use anything else. But I'm not going to say they work any better than the others you mention. But I will say I don't have any problems with high SWR or Problems with people hearing me either...:mrgreen:
     
    jessejamesdallas, Aug 15, 2011
    jessejamesdallas, Aug 15, 2011
    #3
    Dark_Majesty_06 Thanks this.
  5. Aug 16, 2011 #4
    WA4GCH

    WA4GCH Road Train Member

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    Aug 12, 2009
    Seminole Florida
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    :biggrin_25512: Under 1 :biggrin_25512:
     
    WA4GCH, Aug 16, 2011
    WA4GCH, Aug 16, 2011
    #4
    BTShepp Thanks this.
  7. Aug 16, 2011 #5
    josh.c

    josh.c Road Train Member

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    Feb 22, 2009
    Knoxville, Tn
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    His truck, a Freightliner Century, has a plastic bumper. The door skins and most of the body are aluminum.
     
    josh.c, Aug 16, 2011
    josh.c, Aug 16, 2011
    #5
    cuzzin it Thanks this.
  8. Aug 17, 2011 #6
    kc0iv

    kc0iv Light Load Member

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    Mar 31, 2010
    Parkville, Mo
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    What test equipment are you using when you plot the results on the Smith Chart?

    Leon
    (kc0iv)
     
    kc0iv, Aug 17, 2011
    kc0iv, Aug 17, 2011
    #6
  9. Aug 17, 2011 #7
    AZS

    AZS Honk if anything falls off

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    Sep 30, 2010
    PHX, AZ
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    Got a general lee myself and a quick question, when I key the mic the lights in the meter dim a little and then return to normal when I un-key, normal?

    I'm driving by the Walcott cb shop tomorrow going to ask them to look at my whole setup.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2011
    AZS, Aug 17, 2011
    AZS, Aug 17, 2011
    #7
  10. Aug 17, 2011 #8
    kc0iv

    kc0iv Light Load Member

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    Mar 31, 2010
    Parkville, Mo
    0

    You must use a different Smith Chart than what I learned on. Granted I haven't use one for many years but I think I could if I had to.

    How can you determine the line impedance with a VOM? When you are trying to determine the unknown impedance of the load and it's phase angle it takes more than a VOM.

    Am I to assume you have all these pieces of test equipment?

    Anyway this is getting way off topic so I'll end it now.

    Leon
    (kc0iv)
     
    kc0iv, Aug 17, 2011
    kc0iv, Aug 17, 2011
    #8
  11. Aug 17, 2011 #9
    WA4GCH

    WA4GCH Road Train Member

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    Aug 12, 2009
    Seminole Florida
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    Last time I use one was in 1982 at the SPERRY MICROWAVE R&D lab i worked in it was to track matching at 96 GHZ ......
     
    WA4GCH, Aug 17, 2011
    WA4GCH, Aug 17, 2011
    #9
  12. Aug 18, 2011 #10
    AB7IF

    AB7IF Light Load Member

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    Jun 11, 2011
    Somewhere, Ar
    0
    Most people just run a short ground strap from a mount bolt on the bracket, across the arm to one of the Torx screws holding the mirror arm to the door, keeping the bracket as far out as possible away from the door.
     
    AB7IF, Aug 18, 2011
    AB7IF, Aug 18, 2011
    #10
    Dark_Majesty_06 Thanks this.
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