Wow - after completely changing out all the coax in an attempt to tune my new Cobra CB from regular coax back to the coax that was designed for the Diamond K400 mount, reworking the ground plane on the mount (even tho it was good before) I finally got it!
Thanks to RFJTOY for confirming, by using his antenna, that it was only my anttenna that had gone bad. I suppose a simple ohm meter test would have confirmed that early on, but that's hindsight. There was absolutely no continuity on the old antenna - none. One too many hits from tree branches I think! Got my new antenna in and tuned it up and got both channel 1 and 40 down to a very very good 1.5 on the SWR meter! That's a very good reading. I was picking up channel 19 traffic from the freeway about 3+ miles away with hills too. Very happy.
Gotta also say thanks to Bradon for letting me borrow his SWR meter that confirmed that my very old meter is still in great shape. Super offroad community pulling together to help. I appreciate it!!
I confirmed the bad old antenna by stripping of the plastic sheathing. The wire that winds up the antenna has a small spot solder joint at the base and tip. The tip had completely broken off. I suppose the very intermitent use I got was when enough jostling of the antenna allowed for contact.
Just glad to now have two working radios back in the cruiser. Very happy moving the head unit of the ham up into the dash below the radio and having the CB in the mic with the Cobra. Happy with the results despite the frustration of finding the root cause of the CB problem being a silly little $20 antenna only!
Thanks to RFJTOY for confirming, by using his antenna, that it was only my anttenna that had gone bad. I suppose a simple ohm meter test would have confirmed that early on, but that's hindsight. There was absolutely no continuity on the old antenna - none. One too many hits from tree branches I think! Got my new antenna in and tuned it up and got both channel 1 and 40 down to a very very good 1.5 on the SWR meter! That's a very good reading. I was picking up channel 19 traffic from the freeway about 3+ miles away with hills too. Very happy.
Gotta also say thanks to Bradon for letting me borrow his SWR meter that confirmed that my very old meter is still in great shape. Super offroad community pulling together to help. I appreciate it!!
I confirmed the bad old antenna by stripping of the plastic sheathing. The wire that winds up the antenna has a small spot solder joint at the base and tip. The tip had completely broken off. I suppose the very intermitent use I got was when enough jostling of the antenna allowed for contact.
Just glad to now have two working radios back in the cruiser. Very happy moving the head unit of the ham up into the dash below the radio and having the CB in the mic with the Cobra. Happy with the results despite the frustration of finding the root cause of the CB problem being a silly little $20 antenna only!
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