As low on the truck as that mount sits, you’d probably want the longest shaft you can get for the Wilson.
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New User needs advise
- Thread starter Kelly S
- Start date
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
If it won't tune then probably too much metal near it. You need to get the mount up and away from the metal of the cab. Any metal near the antenna will affect the SWR.
One thing I learned about that stud mount is if you run the screw in too far the coaxial center pin won't make contact and you end up with an open circuit.
SIX-SHOOTER
ICOM CENTRAL.7610,9100,PW-1,HEIL FIN & HEIL PR-781
I have several Cobra 29 LTD models (Bluetooth,Chrome,& Regular models) & even on my Dummy Load the SWR warning light flickers when I speak into the microphone with an almost Perfect SWR.I don't pay any attention to the Idiot light because I know the radios are working just fine.
SIX-SHOOTER
Six Shooter with the freightliner junk antenna the light flickers with 1:2 swr however very low range under 1 mile. With the wilson connected it is solid red with 3 plus swr.
SIX-SHOOTER
ICOM CENTRAL.7610,9100,PW-1,HEIL FIN & HEIL PR-781
What is the wattage output from the radio? Have you attempted to tune the Wilson at all? The PL-259 connector could be bad or the coax as well?
SIX-SHOOTER
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Bone stock 29, so 4 watt. Not sure where to go with it. With the swr on both channels 1 and 40 reading about even (3:5). I understand the concept of tuning the antenna with one channel being higher or lower. Don't understand how to lower the swr with what I have. I have another coax that I haven't tried yet.
Remindes me of a sterling I drove years ago. I played with antennas, grounding, coax and brackets for a year before I got a good match.
What really did it for me was a ground from bracket to top hinge, then to bottom hinge then to frame. I also grounded the cab to the frame.
What really did it for me was a ground from bracket to top hinge, then to bottom hinge then to frame. I also grounded the cab to the frame.
Im feeling your pain. It's a mission now. Lol
www.k0bg.com and read the sections on mounting, grounding and bonding. Once you have you'll see the reasons why yours isn't working.
Any mount that doesn't have horizontal metal directly underneath it is going to give you a poor experience. Also as others have said, having vertical or near vertical metal shadowing the antenna, such as the door frame, is going to seriously affect tuning.
Unfortunately as time goes by newer trucks are getting harder and harder to install CB antennas of any decent length and have them work worth a damn. When I started truck driving 25 years ago I drove a 10 year old truck and it was simple then as it was a low height cab so it was just throw a 5ft antenna with a stainless steel whip in the middle of the roof and happy days. 20-30 miles on stock power was no problem, the lower height meant your antenna wasn't smacking overhead objects all the time.
If you're willing to get a drill out and drill a hole in the roof of the cab to install a fixed mount even a short 3ft antenna which I normally wouldn't recommend to anyone will work much better than you trying to use a 5/6ft one where you're currently trying.
Any mount that doesn't have horizontal metal directly underneath it is going to give you a poor experience. Also as others have said, having vertical or near vertical metal shadowing the antenna, such as the door frame, is going to seriously affect tuning.
Unfortunately as time goes by newer trucks are getting harder and harder to install CB antennas of any decent length and have them work worth a damn. When I started truck driving 25 years ago I drove a 10 year old truck and it was simple then as it was a low height cab so it was just throw a 5ft antenna with a stainless steel whip in the middle of the roof and happy days. 20-30 miles on stock power was no problem, the lower height meant your antenna wasn't smacking overhead objects all the time.
If you're willing to get a drill out and drill a hole in the roof of the cab to install a fixed mount even a short 3ft antenna which I normally wouldn't recommend to anyone will work much better than you trying to use a 5/6ft one where you're currently trying.
These are the Pro-Comm mounts for the new model Cascadia as shown in pics. 7’ Skipshooters on Predator studs under Hustler quick disconnect.
And my attempts at a CMC choke.
There was a point near where I got out of it (skip was tremendous at that time) that, if I could hear them, they could hear me.
Power was from fuse panel under passenger dash.
Galaxy 99V2 (50W approx) with MFJ tuner, Palomar Engineers 12V filter, Rig Runner Power Distribution on back of Tac-Comm TR-2 Radio Carrier.
A Uniden BC-20 as the ClearSpeaker was at the house.
Looks like I had an RK56 hooked up that day.
On such a low mount, I suspect the 7’ skipshooter is also a better antenna choice than a Wilson with a 5” shaft.