Should I be happy?

Galaxy DX 939 w/Wilson "Lil Wil" antenna in a Toyota Tundra:

Since I swapped out a lousy cheap antenna from Wal Mart for a Wilson "Lil Wil" the SWRs, or should I put it, I can't get bad SWRs with the Wilson. Little under 1.5 on 1 and 40, and little over 1 on Ch. 20. My power meter hits 8 on Ch 20 just keying the mike. Am I doing this right?

I learned quite a lot here in the past week just snooping around, plus from a renowned cb shop in Ontario, CA.

A thought occured to me about my ground plane on the roof of my Tundra. My Tundra is white as is the camper shell, and white usually contains Titanium as a dioxide, a metal. I know the shell is fiberglass, but I wonder if the paint on the shell serves as a metal ground plane?

Edit: Possibly ferrous material in the dirt on the roof might be enhanceing the ground plane?

In the photos, you can see I mounted the radio in the Center console. When folded up it serves as a seat back with a headrest. I pulled out the headrest, re=drilled some holes on the mounting bracket and got some expanding lugs that fit where the headrest goes in. Feels solid enough.

 

>>Turbo-TProvided you calibrated the SWR meter (if it has a calibration adjust) then yes the SWR's look good. But the >>"8" I am presuming is your dead key reading? Seems a bit high IMO unless the radio has been modified.

The Galaxy has automatic SWR calibration.

It is a new radio, never been modified, refurbished or returned. I wrote Galaxy tech dept about the 8 watts, but haven't gotten a reply yet. Is dead key where you just press the key without any sound input? That is what I was doing.

>>The Lil Wil is definitely a step up from the China Mart antennas, though I will say the Wilson 1000 would make you >>happier.

The cb shop brought out a Wilson something that looked huge, seemed out of place on top of my pickup. I think what I got is plenty good. After the excersize in futility I had with the Wally World antenna, with this Wilson it dosen't get any better imo.

 

I was just snooping around in another forum, not a member, and someone with a DX929 is getting 8 watts like what I see in my DX939. In one reply someone said using a radio meter is no good, have to use a real meter for output measurements. I think I'm ok.

 

The way I understood it is that it's auto CALIBRATION, not SWR settings. I know there is no way around getting outside and manually adjusting the antenna. And yes it has a high SWR alert led too.

Even though I'm showing 8 watts, I suspect now that it is in fact in compliance with FCC regulations at only 4.

I'm a local delivery boy of rock/sand/dirt here in LA & general area. We use a cb when we see each other, otherwise it's nextel or my verizon when I need info now. CB is indispensible when communicating in the mines, but that's with my company supplied Cobra 29 in the transfer.