Cut in small sections. If you do too much, you're screwed. Take about 1/4" at a time until you find the sweet spot.
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cobra 29
- Thread starter crmzendrgone
- Start date
Cut in small sections. If you do too much, you're screwed. Take about 1/4" at a time until you find the sweet spot.
the stock whip length for a lil wil antenna is 36".
so, about 34.5" sticking up out of the base with the antenna buried all the way down in the base.
wilsons are pretty good antennas, and are well designed.
meaning that the stock length whip should work just fine, and you should be able to achieve an SWR of 1.5 or below on 1-40.
its ok to start with a longer whip, but make sure you dont cut it down to less than 36" total length.
if you start getting very close to that length in your trimming, and your SWR still wont dip below a 2, then chances are you have a mounting issue, an issue with the coax cable, or an issue with the plug on the end of the coax cable.
you arent putting anything in between the magnet and the cab of the truck are you? (some people like to put cloth, or whatever in between them to save the paint on the vehicle.)
this can mess with the SWR, and should be avoided.
you should be fine with the antenna mounted on top of the cab of the truck, so if you cant get the SWR down, i would suspect cable or connector problems.
coax cable does not like to be pinched AT ALL!!!
if the cable has been pinched in a door enough to flatten it at all, or has any "dog legs" in it, you should probably just buy a new antenna.
you seem to be using the internal SWR meter in the radio correctly, just remember that you have to re-calibrate every time you change channels.
the internal meter will get you close enough. (i actually find them to be somewhat accurate for the most part)
i have used a lil wil before, and you will notice that the range on that antenna is somewhat limited, just because of its size.
depending on what you want to use your CB radio for, you might consider upgrading to a wilson 1000 in the future.
you may find that the lil wil does what you need it to do, or you may find that you cant reach the people you hear.
good luck,
LC
so, about 34.5" sticking up out of the base with the antenna buried all the way down in the base.
wilsons are pretty good antennas, and are well designed.
meaning that the stock length whip should work just fine, and you should be able to achieve an SWR of 1.5 or below on 1-40.
its ok to start with a longer whip, but make sure you dont cut it down to less than 36" total length.
if you start getting very close to that length in your trimming, and your SWR still wont dip below a 2, then chances are you have a mounting issue, an issue with the coax cable, or an issue with the plug on the end of the coax cable.
you arent putting anything in between the magnet and the cab of the truck are you? (some people like to put cloth, or whatever in between them to save the paint on the vehicle.)
this can mess with the SWR, and should be avoided.
you should be fine with the antenna mounted on top of the cab of the truck, so if you cant get the SWR down, i would suspect cable or connector problems.
coax cable does not like to be pinched AT ALL!!!
if the cable has been pinched in a door enough to flatten it at all, or has any "dog legs" in it, you should probably just buy a new antenna.
you seem to be using the internal SWR meter in the radio correctly, just remember that you have to re-calibrate every time you change channels.
the internal meter will get you close enough. (i actually find them to be somewhat accurate for the most part)
i have used a lil wil before, and you will notice that the range on that antenna is somewhat limited, just because of its size.
depending on what you want to use your CB radio for, you might consider upgrading to a wilson 1000 in the future.
you may find that the lil wil does what you need it to do, or you may find that you cant reach the people you hear.
good luck,
LC
Cool good to know! I was going to buy the wilson 1000 but was restricted on money do to the ball and chain. But trust me that will be my next purchase.
I am not and am glad to know that it can affect it.
first off what is dog legs? and I think that could be an issue of mine. I will post pics of everything. I was told by the sales guy that the coax cable is small in diameter so it can be ran through the door jams and be ok.
Ya definitely does not do what I am wanting.:headbang
Then I want to install this little jewel, but I have no idea if it is good not good???
well i see alot of issues first and foremost id get a swr meter .radio shack has
1 thats actually accurate.next were are you parked when doing swr?buildings
can affect readings.and before ya trim anything get the external swr meter
then check ch. 1 then 40.
if ch 40 is higher than 1 trim the whip
if ch 1 is higher lenthen it by pulling it up a little
most likely you should have to trim itbut i wont reccommend doing
that before checking it on a external swr meter.ones in radios are JUNK
and far from accurate
fyi dont hookupo that 250 box untill your swrs are straighterned out or better yet id wait
until ya get the 1000
When I have checked it I was in a parking lot at my daughter school so. . .
Thanks for the 411 on the 250 I hadn't planned to until I can get a better antenna.
I was told the I "MIGHT" be able to run the 250 with my present set up on low, True??
will this one work.http://www.frys.com/search?search_ty...wr+meter&cat=0
The one at radio shack is like 45$ is it worth it?
Thanks for the 411 on the 250 I hadn't planned to until I can get a better antenna.
I was told the I "MIGHT" be able to run the 250 with my present set up on low, True??
will this one work.http://www.frys.com/search?search_ty...wr+meter&cat=0
The one at radio shack is like 45$ is it worth it?
Bad link. The rat shack meter is worth the $45 but, This is a better meter and worth far more than you will pay Site Disclaimer - Custom CB radios Don't forget the jumper.
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yes that meter is good probly even better. im thinking of getting
that exact meter myself.as far as the 250 with current id say no
for 2 reasons
1/ swr way too high. id say no higher than 1.2 -1.3 with amp. lower is better
2/ even if swrs are good i dont think the lil wil will handle that much
so better safe than sorry again id say no. and yes u will need a 3 ft.
run of coax .the meter will tell ya what coax goes where.and follow
that exactly how it says
hotrod,
what experiences have you had that give you the impression that the SWR meters in CB radios are "far from accurate"?
this seems to be a very prevalent assertion and im wondering why others' experiences are so vastly different from my own.
i have used MANY internal SWR meters over the years and they always seem to be within .1 to .2 points of what the external meters show.
that is, unless someone has been inside the radio tuning things that they dont know about.
also, running an amplifier with an SWR of under 2 is acceptable. not preferable, but it can be, and is done all the time.
i guess if your intention is to give a newbie the best case scenario, then i can understand why you say that.
crmzendrgone,
you have run your coax through all kinds of things that could have affected it in a negative way.
"dog leg" is a general term for something that has been bent or kinked and retains some of that shape.
it is used because of the similarity to a dog's rear leg and how the knee bends.
your coax looks like it definitely has some issues. the kinks on the roof look like they are from past installations.
the worst two are the one that the door closes on, and the one running underneath the plastic floor trim piece.
that one is a definite no-no. just think of all the people that will step on it and eventually ruin it.
here is a short tutorial on how coaxial cable works and why we use it instead of just using a length of speaker wire or something.
think about the term "co-axial". it means that the relationship between the center conductor's "axis" and the outer shield braid's "axis" determines the impedance of the cable. the impedance refers to the inductance, capacitance, and resistance that make a particular cable 50 ohms, 75 ohms or whatever.
all CB radios have an output impedance of 50 ohms, which means that we want to use 50 ohm coaxial cable, and we want to tune our antennas for as close to 50 ohms as we can get it.
make sense?
draw a circle about 1" in diameter on a piece of paper. now draw a bigger circle around it, say about 3" in diameter.
the smaller circle represents the center conductor, and the bigger circle represents the outer shield.
if you drew these circles perfectly using the same center point, the distance between the circles would be 1" all the way around. this 1" of space would represent the dielectric of the coaxial cable.
does that make sense?
if you were to deform the outer circle in such a way as to change that distance to, say, 1/2" on one side; then you would have just changed the impedance of the cable.
now, how much it changed and whether or not it was enough to negatively affect things is the real question.
my answer to that question is always the same. if i think there is the slightest chance that the shield has been brought closer to the center conductor, i replace the cable.
i may be more of a perfectionist than others, but my antenna systems always work, and last for a long time.
im sure you can see how this relates to all the kinks and "dog legs" in your coax.
is this the cause of your SWR woes? i dont know. all i can say is that your pics made me wince a little bit. LOL
hotrod brought up a good point about having buildings, other cars, metal poles, etc... within 20 feet or so of your vehicle when you are checking your SWR. it should be avoided for an accurate reading.
also, you need to have all the doors, including the hatchback closed to get an accurate reading.
yes, this means you have to pinch your cable to check your SWR. LOL
the lil wil antenna can handle an amplifier that puts out about 100-150 watts, but i wouldnt go over that at all, and i wouldnt do it if your SWR is 2 or more. (yes, 1.1 is the goal, but 1.5 is perfectly acceptable)
adding an amp into your system brings with it a host of potential problems and is something that has caused many a new CB'er to throw in the towel.
aside from all the mounting and wiring issues, they can mess with the computer in your vehicle.
i only mention this as something to check before you spend the time, money, and effort required to permanently install an amp.
oh, and because i know you are thinking it; no, you probably wont be able to replace the cable on your current antenna.
hope this helps,
LC
what experiences have you had that give you the impression that the SWR meters in CB radios are "far from accurate"?
this seems to be a very prevalent assertion and im wondering why others' experiences are so vastly different from my own.
i have used MANY internal SWR meters over the years and they always seem to be within .1 to .2 points of what the external meters show.
that is, unless someone has been inside the radio tuning things that they dont know about.
also, running an amplifier with an SWR of under 2 is acceptable. not preferable, but it can be, and is done all the time.
i guess if your intention is to give a newbie the best case scenario, then i can understand why you say that.
crmzendrgone,
you have run your coax through all kinds of things that could have affected it in a negative way.
"dog leg" is a general term for something that has been bent or kinked and retains some of that shape.
it is used because of the similarity to a dog's rear leg and how the knee bends.
your coax looks like it definitely has some issues. the kinks on the roof look like they are from past installations.
the worst two are the one that the door closes on, and the one running underneath the plastic floor trim piece.
that one is a definite no-no. just think of all the people that will step on it and eventually ruin it.
here is a short tutorial on how coaxial cable works and why we use it instead of just using a length of speaker wire or something.
think about the term "co-axial". it means that the relationship between the center conductor's "axis" and the outer shield braid's "axis" determines the impedance of the cable. the impedance refers to the inductance, capacitance, and resistance that make a particular cable 50 ohms, 75 ohms or whatever.
all CB radios have an output impedance of 50 ohms, which means that we want to use 50 ohm coaxial cable, and we want to tune our antennas for as close to 50 ohms as we can get it.
make sense?
draw a circle about 1" in diameter on a piece of paper. now draw a bigger circle around it, say about 3" in diameter.
the smaller circle represents the center conductor, and the bigger circle represents the outer shield.
if you drew these circles perfectly using the same center point, the distance between the circles would be 1" all the way around. this 1" of space would represent the dielectric of the coaxial cable.
does that make sense?
if you were to deform the outer circle in such a way as to change that distance to, say, 1/2" on one side; then you would have just changed the impedance of the cable.
now, how much it changed and whether or not it was enough to negatively affect things is the real question.
my answer to that question is always the same. if i think there is the slightest chance that the shield has been brought closer to the center conductor, i replace the cable.
i may be more of a perfectionist than others, but my antenna systems always work, and last for a long time.
im sure you can see how this relates to all the kinks and "dog legs" in your coax.
is this the cause of your SWR woes? i dont know. all i can say is that your pics made me wince a little bit. LOL
hotrod brought up a good point about having buildings, other cars, metal poles, etc... within 20 feet or so of your vehicle when you are checking your SWR. it should be avoided for an accurate reading.
also, you need to have all the doors, including the hatchback closed to get an accurate reading.
yes, this means you have to pinch your cable to check your SWR. LOL
the lil wil antenna can handle an amplifier that puts out about 100-150 watts, but i wouldnt go over that at all, and i wouldnt do it if your SWR is 2 or more. (yes, 1.1 is the goal, but 1.5 is perfectly acceptable)
adding an amp into your system brings with it a host of potential problems and is something that has caused many a new CB'er to throw in the towel.
aside from all the mounting and wiring issues, they can mess with the computer in your vehicle.
i only mention this as something to check before you spend the time, money, and effort required to permanently install an amp.
oh, and because i know you are thinking it; no, you probably wont be able to replace the cable on your current antenna.
hope this helps,
LC
Yes it answered my questions and it is very good information.
Now for future installs can the wilson 1000 antenna have the coax replaced if it gets out of shape?
Now for future installs can the wilson 1000 antenna have the coax replaced if it gets out of shape?
i guess i should clarify that statement.
you can replace the coax on pretty much any antenna; its about how difficult it is, and how well the antenna will go back together afterward, and whether or not you can find replacement parts for the parts that get damaged in the process.
ive never replaced the coax on a magnet mount, as i rarely ever use them.
basically, you would have to peel off that bottom piece of plastic, un-mount the magnet itself, unsolder the old connections, and solder in the new cable just like the last one was put in. then you would re-mount the magnet and use a new piece of plastic on the bottom.
you might be able to get one from wilson antennas, but i dont know for sure.
you should be pretty experienced with soldering cables to attempt this IMO.
i always run a roof mount. the one where you drill a hole in the roof.
they work better, and there's no running the coax through the doors and windows.
i think the number is about 30% better range than a mag mount, but that is just from memory so dont quote me on it.
LC
you can replace the coax on pretty much any antenna; its about how difficult it is, and how well the antenna will go back together afterward, and whether or not you can find replacement parts for the parts that get damaged in the process.
ive never replaced the coax on a magnet mount, as i rarely ever use them.
basically, you would have to peel off that bottom piece of plastic, un-mount the magnet itself, unsolder the old connections, and solder in the new cable just like the last one was put in. then you would re-mount the magnet and use a new piece of plastic on the bottom.
you might be able to get one from wilson antennas, but i dont know for sure.
you should be pretty experienced with soldering cables to attempt this IMO.
i always run a roof mount. the one where you drill a hole in the roof.
they work better, and there's no running the coax through the doors and windows.
i think the number is about 30% better range than a mag mount, but that is just from memory so dont quote me on it.
LC
i have a uniden grant xl that reads a 3. on swr after the calberation process.
on all channels. i tries 2 or 3 different external meters of different name brands
that showed 1.2 - 1.4. at both ends of the 11 meter band.i had a 2950 that showed
constantly 1 bar on swr and agin i tried 3 different meters all showed 1.2 -1.4 swr
on same mobile setup.now i do have a cobra 2000 gtl base that reads only
slightly higher. and your probly right someone probaly did go in the and turn things
this is why i DONT use them and will never reccomend the use of one.i always
use external meters and i never use an amp unless my swrs are 1.5 or less.
the advise i gave is just what i go by and by no means is the gospel
of cb. sorry i didnt mean to sound like it was