CB SWR

[3King]

quick question

I have no clue where to ask this, i know people are picky about questions asked in certain places. anyway, I just installed a new cb bearcat 880 in my truck, I am running co-phase with 4ft wilson tuneable antennas. I got it all installed and went to do the swr using an actual meter, And right out of the gate, I get 1.0 on both antennas, no tune adjustment no nothing. i have installed many many radios for people and always get 1.5 and better swr, but never right out of the gate, always have had to make an adjustment. i even checked the CAL and SWR setting on the radio it self, and everything was so close it was crazy. radio works and transmits clear as day, question is, is this normal??

im so confused with this and the fact it was 1.0 on 1 & 40 right out of the gate. just was wondering what anyone else would think.

 

[merlin]

Good antennas, good coax (phasing harness), and good install, should give good SWR.
Yea, I have installed a few antennas, base, mobile, semi with duals and had so little reflected power, my meter barely showed it.
Just consider you don't have to go the work of antenna adjustment that sometimes can be a headache.
You get down to 1.2:1 its not worth the work.

 

[3King]

Good antennas, good coax (phasing harness), and good install, should give good SWR.
Yea, I have installed a few antennas, base, mobile, semi with duals and had so little reflected power, my meter barely showed it.
Just consider you don't have to go the work of antenna adjustment that sometimes can be a headache.
You get down to 1.2:1 its not worth the work.

Yeah, Ive installed a few radios, i own a small business i run out of my home shop. This has legitimately stumped me that this happened right out of the gate, It is honestly making me feel weird like something might be off and its hiding and i may need to do another double check, It is really that weird. my swr meter i put my needle hugging the SET line on 1 & 40 switched to REF and i was expecting the needle to stop between at least a mid 1 and over 2, and it did not, that needle dropped like a brick to 1 on both. i even said to myself out loud, This cant be right ha.

 

[slowmover]

Use a pair of jumpers to insert an SWR meter between radio and each antenna separately as a worthy test.

Field strength on 4’ ain’t gonna be what I’d want as where it’s the pickup roof with a 6’ - 8’ single is going to be the performer.

The past 7-8 years I have yet to run into a co-phase pickup with the range afforded by roof mount when in communication from my big truck.

One of the best singles I’ve run into was a quarter-wave mounted in the open bed about half the distance from cab to axle.

That’s a nine-foot antenna. Range declines substantially with antennas under 5’, TX/RX, that it’s my lower limit.

— Longest antenna which center-mounted gets closest to 14’ total height

My U880, U885, and U980 are all a tad optimistic in SWR read. Not seriously such as to pose a problem.

.

 

[ind224]

Did you acually talk to anyone and get a reply? Or can you dial up a CB freq on a scanner and see if you can hear yourself? Sounds to me like it ain't broke so don't....

 

[slowmover]

For your future consideration (as this isn’t any longer 2008):

An NMO34b + WD640 whip (possibly longest-lasting and closest to invisible; research at this website):




Or a taller antenna on a Breedlove mount with SIRIO 5000 to emphasize range.






Remove & cap, or, with SIRIO, fold-over.


Ring terminal (everything fits under headliner):

2 in. Puck Mount w/ Quick Disconnect and Ring Terminal # 608

2 inch puck with quick disconnect Ring terminal connection.3/8 24 thread for the antenna5/8 hole to installModel # 608

breedlovemounts.com

Under 1” bend radius

https://www.pasternack.com/images/ProductPDF/LMR-240.pdf

Antenna feedpoint choke (12T on FT240-61)

FT240-61, ID=1.4", RFI Range 200-2000 MHz

Excellent for high power broadband RF transformers, RFI common mode noise suppression, AC/DC power cable suppression of high frequency harmonics, Ethernet, audio/video interconnect cables. coax cable All F240 singles (up to 9) individually labelled with specifications for easy identification.

palomar-engineers.com

Transceiver filter at radio

CMC-130S-3K 1-30MHz – MyAntennas.com

AM/FM/SSB with integrated NRC

https://www.amazon.com/Radioddity-QT60-Transceiver-Reduction-Programming/dp/B0CKL3FW56

2023 Best Mobile CB

Via mobile experience as an OTR truck driver. Several thousand hours annual use. Earlier references to the Qixiang factory’s new circuit board elsewhere. Several brands. The above possibly the best known example at present. Paired with the equally new Driver Extreme DRX-9010 External Speaker...

forums.radioreference.com

Here’s the real world:

You and I will be traveling same direction on the Interstate and you’re within a half-mile of me. But I’m having an extended conversation with someone you can’t hear at all. Nor can anyone else in our radius-mile. Yet that other man isn’t but 7-8/miles ahead.

Throughout the day and in every condition I’ll be hearing what’s to be heard while mobile based on antenna system performance + audio cleaned up by digital signal processing after HQ coax plus filters.

Distant Early Warning is what matters on the road. Risk reduction and problem-avoidance pays for it.

This is a world of mobile CB performance 99% have no idea even exists. It’s a fundamental, not marginal, change.

The EASE of communications will be what’s so startling having gone from what you have now, to this.

Best start is disconnecting coax and tracing SNR problems on power harness while underway, first (headlights, defroster & wipers all on; charging gear; ignition; etc). Then reconnect and do the same (vehicle noise on power or antenna?)

SWR around 1.5 won’t be that hard (just tedious).

Each aspect has details not hinted. So:


Mobile Install Bible


.

 

[slowmover]

AURSINC NanoVNA

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5VY7B6/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams

This is the other part of the revolution.

Better discussions & demonstrations exist, plus other functions will apply.

But you could start today with what you have.

.

 

[Blackswan73]

Best antenna I used mobile is the Hustler HQ-27. Still being manufactured by the original company

HQ27 - Hustler 55 Inch Steel CB Antenna

HQ27 - Hustler 55 Inch Steel CB Antenna

www.wearecb.com

B.S.

 

[prcguy]

quick question

I have no clue where to ask this, i know people are picky about questions asked in certain places. anyway, I just installed a new cb bearcat 880 in my truck, I am running co-phase with 4ft wilson tuneable antennas. I got it all installed and went to do the swr using an actual meter, And right out of the gate, I get 1.0 on both antennas, no tune adjustment no nothing. i have installed many many radios for people and always get 1.5 and better swr, but never right out of the gate, always have had to make an adjustment. i even checked the CAL and SWR setting on the radio it self, and everything was so close it was crazy. radio works and transmits clear as day, question is, is this normal??

im so confused with this and the fact it was 1.0 on 1 & 40 right out of the gate. just was wondering what anyone else would think.

Try grabbing one of the antennas with your hand, the SWR should go up. Or unscrew one antenna and the SWR should go up. If that works then your readings might be real. If you see no change then something is up with your measurements.