New Antenna is too long, what to do?

Probably not...in general you want to use a flat braid for "RF" grounding because it gives you a wider surface area for the radio waves to travel. but using old coax either taken apart like I was mentioning or just doing like what your talking about, I doubt you would be able to tell much difference in performance if any...

 

This replacement whip has a loading coil in the center that will make the whip longer electrically, but keep the physical length down...

 

So Sodman, is your Wilson 5k a roof mount?

Why is it you can't deal with it hitting a few branches?

Just wondering. I have a 9 ft whip on my truck, yep it hits tree limbs and bank canopies. I personally don't care about that or what anyone thinks. Because I can out talk everyone else. And it's dang near indestructible.

 

I would be interested to know if you see any change from channel 1 and 40 or even between say 1 and then go to the next band up to get a 80 channel spread on the readings but at least between 1 and 40. Here is something else that might work. Do the SWR check and while in SWR position keep the mic keyed and if possible grab the coax wrap your hand around it and slide along it's length while watching the SWR meter to see if you have and movement of the reading while sliding your hand along the coax if possible using both hands to increase the area your hands can cover maybe you can stick the mic somewhere to keep it keyed while doing this or even a rubber band or bungie cord. If you see meter movement while you are doing this you still may have an RF Ground issue at least this may give you and indication of the grounding. If you can post an image of the antenna and how it is mounted.

 

I need some more information,

First, what type of SWR meter are you using?
Second, Does that meter need to be calibrated before checking?

My thoughts,,,, maybe the hole you drilled, started at 3/8 then "bored" it out, that hole should be a perfectly round 1/2 inch hole so that nylon shoulder fits snuggly enough so the mount does not move on the inside bottom piece. If the brass center piece (center shank) touches the metal anywhere it will be messed up.




I would blame the coax before I would blame the antenna, while checking the SWR one time, keep the mic keyed up and wiggle the coax near the radio and the antenna, you might need someone to help. For now I would check the SWR on channel 19 only, until we determine if the coax, mount or I guess even the antenna is bad.

 

I would be interested to know if you see any change from channel 1 and 40 or even between say 1 and then go to the next band up to get a 80 channel spread on the readings but at least between 1 and 40. Here is something else that might work. Do the SWR check and while in SWR position keep the mic keyed and if possible grab the coax wrap your hand around it and slide along it's length while watching the SWR meter to see if you have and movement of the reading while sliding your hand along the coax if possible using both hands to increase the area your hands can cover maybe you can stick the mic somewhere to keep it keyed while doing this or even a rubber band or bungie cord. If you see meter movement while you are doing this you still may have an RF Ground issue at least this may give you and indication of the grounding. If you can post an image of the antenna and how it is mounted.

You need to eliminate the possibility that you have a bad ground.. That is why I suggested you test the system by pulling the coax through your hand wrapped around it like a fist while you are watching the response on the calibrated SWR meter while the mic is keyed. This is for a reason if you see a significant deflection on the meter while doing this I will promise you there is a bad ground. Also testing the Radio on 1 and 40 gives you feedback as to if there is much change from 1 to 40 if the readings are nearly identical this also could be because of a bad RF ground especially if you can adjust the antenna and it doesn't seem to make any change. What you like to see from 1 to 40 is a
reading that is different. Something like (EXample > 3 to1 on CH40 and 1.5 on CH1 ) this will indicate that the antenna is capable of being tuned. In the example above you shortin the antenna. These simple tests take a few minutes and can reveal allot about what is going on.. Assume nothing, Question everything, and Test it all

 

I also doubt the antenna is at fault...I'm leaning more to the way you have it mounted and the end of the coax where you have that wire soldered.......More than likely your antenna or maybe the coax is getting grounded out where you have it mounted.

Even if you have a poor ground, your SWR reading shouldn't hit 4 on a meter...9 times out of 10 when you have a high SWR of over 3, you have a bad ground with either the mount or the coax or one of the coax connectors.

One way to look at how the coax and antenna works, is think of the coax and antenna as your battery cables....You have a HOT and a Negative side....The antenna and the center conductor wire of the coax would be HOT, and the coax connectors and ground braid of the coax, and the antenna mount itself would be Negative...So if any part of the antenna or the center conductor wire touches the other, you end up with a short.

When mounting the antenna to a antenna mount, the top part of the mount where the antenna screws in will be HOT. And it should be sitting on top of a plastic washer to keep it from touching whatever you have it mounted on. (in your case, where you have your hole drilled)

On the other side where the coax connects there maybe or may not be another plastic washer, just depends on how the mount is made, main thing is to keep anything from touching the center conductor wire of the coax and the antenna itself.

Hard to tell really without being there to see exactly where the problem is, but I would start with the mount.