CB antenna mounting
- Thread starter punisher1130
- Start date
punisher1130
Adventurer
Ok I went and got the whip, it definitely was the antenna. Got results as soon as I hooked everything back up.
Dock Rocker
Member
Make sure you put the little plastic washer in the right place with the fire stick. If you put it on the wrong side of the mount you ground it out and the antenna will not transmit. That little washer isolates the antenna.
That said it will read crazy on the swr meter.
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That said it will read crazy on the swr meter.
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punisher1130
Adventurer
I did, the mount is a firestik brand antenna mount with the directions for that little washer printed on the back, it said to put it on the top of the mount surface followed by a metal washer and a lock washer on top of that so that is what I did.
punisher1130
Adventurer
I think I spoke too soon, though I am able to hear voices more the static is still very strong and overpowers the voices and makes it hard to hear and most of the time I still cant make out the words.
4x4junkie
Explorer
It's quite likely external of your vehicle then.
Find a dirt road somewhere that is well away from other houses, businesses, power lines, etc., shut the engine off (shut everything off except your CB unit) and then see if you still have static. If you do, then something is likely amiss with your radio (or it just doesn't like that antenna or something).
If the static isn't present, then you were just in a noisy area.
Static interference around electrical/electronic equipment/populated areas is often a way of life nowadays on HF/low-VHF bands, which includes CB (I have someone down the street I suspect might be running a million watts of marijuana grow lights that spews out S-9+20dB of raucous wideband static from 10-50MHz when I drive past his house). Fortunately crap like this isn't an issue when you're away from town.
punisher1130
Adventurer
What about when I'm on the turnpike? I had the radio on this morning on my way into work and it was fairly quiet the whole way, granted I did hit some spots where static made its self known but a slight bump back and forth on the scorch ( seems to settle with the knob around the half turn mark) and it would go away. Although the only way I hear voices was with the static, never head anything with the static gone. Also when the clarify knob is used it seems things get a little worse noise wise, isn't that knob suppose to make things clearer or is that my miss understanding of it?
P.S. When I got a transmission while sitting at a light this morning, the SWR reading got up to 1.5 on the black line of the gauge, I don't know if it was dead on or not due to the angle I was at when looking but from my view it was touching 1.5, couldn't see the other lines though.
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4x4junkie
Explorer
1.5:1 SWR is acceptable... If it's 2:1 or higher you should then investigate why and try to correct it.
Clarifier is to tune in SSB signals (it doesn't really make a whole lot of difference on AM). I recall there being a pretty good description on how SSB works in the manuals for those radios (explains the clarifier control and how it "speeds up" or "slows down" a person's voice so you can make it sound natural while using SSB).
Have you had any successful contacts with anyone yet? Is anyone able to hear you OK?
Clarifier is to tune in SSB signals (it doesn't really make a whole lot of difference on AM). I recall there being a pretty good description on how SSB works in the manuals for those radios (explains the clarifier control and how it "speeds up" or "slows down" a person's voice so you can make it sound natural while using SSB).
Have you had any successful contacts with anyone yet? Is anyone able to hear you OK?
Grinder313
Observer
That alien talk was probably SSB transmissions. 36-40 is the SSB channels and 38 is the call channel. Put your mode selector on LSB next time you here the alien talk, then use the clarifier to fine tune the station in.
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punisher1130
Adventurer
Ok so then I'm good on the SWR then. I haven't tried with the whip yet but when I tried with the 4ft I don't think anyone heard me since I never got a response back. I will have to mess with it this weekend, I have another experiment to do with the truck so ill test the whip out while I am out.
punisher1130
Adventurer
I was getting the alien talk on the lower channels too but ill try out the LSB setting this weekend when I do my other tests.
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punisher1130
Adventurer
Ok I flipped the switch down to LSB and it sounds like I am picking things up easier though static is still a headache. I still have no clue if my voice is being broadcasted out since every time I radio out I never get a response back, but I am hearing convocations a little better but just not clear enough to make out what is being said. I have the scorch set to half dial which shuts off the static but comes back when the radio picks up people talking. I did try to get some help from a couple truckers at the truck stop but no one was able to lend me a hand so I will have to figure something else out to see if I am being hard but at least I seem to be making head-way on hearing people on it so there is progress there at least 
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