CB antenna options.

[Cruiserhead05]

The other day i got one of these whip holders in the mail from walcott. I want to put a standard whip in it and see how it does.

I stopped at radio shack the other night and got a 5 foot steel whip.

I love the setup, its receives better then my 4ft firestik, is taller, will put up to trees alot better, and it can hardly be seen b/c its just a steel whip.

For the life of my i cannot get the antenna to tune. No matter where i mount it, my swr is way over 3.

Any ideas, is my setup just wrong?

thanks
b.

 

[BMAN]

Sounds like you've got a ground problem. Check your install. I'll get some mandatory reading links for ya in a couple minutes here.

"You want to learn about antennas? What works and what doesn't and why? Go here: http://www.signalengineering.com/ultimate/index.html " from one of my many posts on the subject of radios and antennas.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bman,

I see your point but its using the same mounting system as my firestik, which seemed to have no grounding problems....

 

[Felix]

I'm CB and electricity illiterate, but could the longer antenna amplify a previously unnoticed ground issue?

I'm having a similar problem on the 4ft Firestik I just mounted on my front bumper. SWR over 3 on all channels. Assuming it's a ground problem, where on the antenna mount should I connect a ground strap? Again, I'm electrically challenged.

(Sorry for the hijack)

Felix

 

[BMAN]

CH05,

A little back ground on your mount point may help me out on this one. You want to be sure that your coax is not grounding center at any point. Did you check SWR at 1 and 40? Both High? One higher than the other?

Same q's to you Felix.

 

[Felix]

Thanks, BMAN, I'm going to bow out and let the experts focus on Brandon's issue. I think I found an answer to my question.

FWIW, I have swr readings that are buried in the red on channels 1 and 40, no matter what adjustments were made to the antenna. My hunch is that I'm not getting a ground through the thick paint on my bumper. Hopefully getting a metal on metal contact will improve things.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

heading out the door,
I'm using a firestik door jam mount on the rear hatch. both 1 and 40 are really high.

sorry. i'll check this later.

 

[BMAN]

Felix,
SCRAPE THAT PAINT!!! Not getting a ground where ya need it.

CH05,
Check the mount again sounds like the same thing to me. Next check that your coax isn't kinked or pinched. Did you change the coax ends?

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Bman,

same coax ends, and my cable is fine.

Maybe i'll add a ground wire and see if it helps things. But while were at it, could a simple 4-5 foot steel whip, and holder that i pictured above work? or is it a ghetto setup as far as cb's are concerned?

 

[Cruiserhead05]

hmm,

One thing i just caught. my SWR didnt change at all when i went from the whip to nothing at all. almost as if the whip isnt getting power or something.

Through the firestik back on, everything is good.

 

[Felix]

Brandon, so are you just going to stick with the firestik or try to figure out why the whip wasn't getting a connection?

I think I fixed my problem, too, but I need to get my hands on an swr meter to confirm. I went out with a multi-meter and found that the mount wasn't getting any ground at all. Scraped some paint off from around the mounting stud and got a good ground.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

I'd love to get the whip working as im not a fan of arb mounted firestiks and as it is now, the firestik gets takin off by trees too easily.

 

[Kofoed]

If your whip does not have a loading coil, you will not get it to tune, unless you add about another 3 feet to it.

If the whip is mounted on the mounted pictured, it does not have a coil.

 

[dfmorse]

A quarter wave whip on 27.125 Mhz is around 9-0 feet. Study some radio amatuer books on the subject for help. RadioSchack should be able to help u with this.

k0dar