Bearcat 980SSB - hardly any range.

[Jordancemery]

Hello, I am a noob when it comes to CBs but we recently started off-roading so want a way to keep in touch with everyone we ride with.

I bought a Bearcat 980SSB because the reviews looked great. I am also using a 2’ firestik II tunable tip. I originally had a co phase setup but now I am using just one antenna to troubleshoot.

The problem is I am getting very little range at all, maybe 75-100 yards line of sight.

I thought maybe I was getting electrical interference with other electronics in the side by side, bought a noise filter and still running into issues. My swr on both channel 1 and 40 is about 1.10. When I check the antenna it says pass, and the Rx says pass. I also calibrated using that function.

I am just not sure what I am doing wrong. Thought the cable was bad and tried a new one same results there. Even brought it somewhere and they had the same issues and could not figure it out, charged me the $80 and said sorry we don’t know. Hmm

Any help would be great!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

 

[Jordancemery]

Yes I did all of those things. It doesn’t make any sense. I even called a cb store today. I am going to change out the 2 foot firestik antenna and put a 4’ I have my doubts it’s that but I’ll try anything at this point.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

if that Firestik is a no ground plane (NGP) it requires a certain length coax cable that is not grounded at the antenna base. If you have the shield grounded at the antenna end, the "magic ain't gonna happen" . In fact even if properly installed Firestik antennas are pretty terrible. You should install a properly mounted (drill the damn hole) NMO style antenna. Of course you also need a counterpoise like a metal roof and chassis.

 

[prcguy]

Hello, I am a noob when it comes to CBs but we recently started off-roading so want a way to keep in touch with everyone we ride with.

I bought a Bearcat 980SSB because the reviews looked great. I am also using a 2’ firestik II tunable tip. I originally had a co phase setup but now I am using just one antenna to troubleshoot.

The problem is I am getting very little range at all, maybe 75-100 yards line of sight.

I thought maybe I was getting electrical interference with other electronics in the side by side, bought a noise filter and still running into issues. My swr on both channel 1 and 40 is about 1.10. When I check the antenna it says pass, and the Rx says pass. I also calibrated using that function.

I am just not sure what I am doing wrong. Thought the cable was bad and tried a new one same results there. Even brought it somewhere and they had the same issues and could not figure it out, charged me the $80 and said sorry we don’t know. Hmm

Any help would be great!

Need pictures of the antenna, mounting location, closeup of the mount, etc. So do you currently have a co-phasing harness and two mounts with just one whip installed, or a single cable to one mount and one antenna?

 

[Jordancemery]

Need pictures of the antenna, mounting location, closeup of the mount, etc. So do you currently have a co-phasing harness and two mounts with just one whip installed, or a single cable to one mount and one antenna?

Thanks for the reply!

So I have a couple different things going on. I have a cophase setup, in which i have two mounts, with two firestik antennas. I just switched out the 2' antennas and added two 4' firestiks instead, thinking maybe not enough height. I have a picture of that setup with the mounts to each. I have a cophase coax from the CB, there are no T's or other connections. I will include a picture of that cable which is connected to the CB. I receive SWR of about 1 on Channel 1, and then on Channel 40 about 1-1.10. I will also include a picture of that.

When i was troubleshooting, I also ran a single coax cable (not cophase) so that i could just try a single antenna, thinking that the cophase was my problem. However, i still get the same results. The SWR on Channel 1 with the single is about 1.10, and the SWR on 40 is 1. When i have the single antenna coax hooked up, i have disconnected the other cophase cable from the other antenna not in use. I cant imagine a cable not connected to anything would cause any issues.

 

[prcguy]

The mounts look put together ok with the insulating washers in the right place. I might take an ohm meter and check the center pin of the PL-259 at the radio end to ground to make sure there is no short in the coax or mounts. Is the truck cab and roof metal or fiberglass, etc? If its all metal and the mounts are electrically bonded to the metal cab I see no obvious reason why it shouldn't work well especially with the VSWR showing very good as it is. Unless there actually is a big problem and the built in SWR meter is giving wrong info. If the cab is fiberglass or insulated you would have a very hard time getting those antennas to match well.

 

[robertwbob]

defective radio or broke mic wire?

 

[niceguy71]

I think I've seen a couple of posts on people trying to get a radio working on a side by side...... I guess they are mostly fiberglass and I don't think anyone has gotten a cb to work worth a darn on them.
hopefully someone can help... I'll be watching to see if I can learn anything

 

[robertwbob]

antennas are not pointing up straight. just kidding. why are you on local setting?remove 1 antenna. ,dual antennas must be about 7 ft apart for starters plus fiberglass roof will never work right.
id suggest a marine no ground antenna . but before spending another dime ,id get that 980 and mic checked by cb shop or get a friend n hook it to his antennas to see if it works. hate it but im not fond of the 880 980 radios.2 of em not used much n screens dying and very noisy

 

[Wser577]

antennas are not pointing up straight. just kidding. why are you on local setting?remove 1 antenna. ,dual antennas must be about 7 ft apart for starters plus fiberglass roof will never work right.
id suggest a marine no ground antenna . but before spending another dime ,id get that 980 and mic checked by cb shop or get a friend n hook it to his antennas to see if it works. hate it but im not fond of the 880 980 radios.2 of em not used much n screens dying and very noisy

Has anyone checked output wattage, are finals ok?

 

[slowmover]

My Uniden radios from this series have been fine (knock on wood).

There’s a “basic” somewhere being missed or overlooked.

One antenna will work out better. Cophase is a big truck thing. Avoid for personal vehicles.

.

 

[niceguy71]

My Uniden radios from this series have been fine (knock on wood).

There’s a “basic” somewhere being missed or overlooked.

One antenna will work out better. Cophase is a big truck thing. Avoid for personal vehicles.

.

SlowMover you think it will work on a fiberglass side by side????.... I know they get semi trucks to work... but that has a huge metal engine and frame..... I've seen mower junkie get 7 miles off a ride on lawn mower...... but he at least had a metal hood!

 

[slowmover]

SlowMover you think it will work on a fiberglass side by side????.... I know they get semi trucks to work... but that has a huge metal engine and frame..... I've seen mower junkie get 7 miles off a ride on lawn mower...... but he at least had a metal hood!

My experience is private vehicles and fleet trucks.

@mmckenna has had some comments about golf carts/4-wheelers.

@merlin and @prcguy may also have proffered something (past yet others).

I’d say the hard part is Search Terms. I’d use brand names also as part of a search, here, and generally.

.

 

[robertwbob]

Why

My experience is private vehicles and fleet trucks.

@mmckenna has had some comments about golf carts/4-wheelers.

@merlin and @prcguy may also have proffered something (past yet others).

I’d say the hard part is Search Terms. I’d use brand names also as part of a search, here, and generally.

.

I suggested marine antenna for fiberglass structures like side by side

 

[Varmonter]

Are not co phased antennas 75ohm coax??or supposed to be?

 

[prcguy]

Are not co phased antennas 75ohm coax??or supposed to be?

The antennas are expected to be 50 ohm, the phasing harness is made of 75 ohm coax of a specific length and the end result is it becomes a 50 ohm power divider for a 50 ohm radio to feed two 50 ohm antennas. If you were to make the phasing harness out of 50 ohm coax the results would vary a little depending on coax length but in general you would have two 50 ohm antennas each with a 50 ohm feedline and at the common point the radio would see about a 25 ohm load and a 2:1 VSWR.

 

[Varmonter]

The antennas are expected to be 50 ohm, the phasing harness is made of 75 ohm coax of a specific length and the end result is it becomes a 50 ohm power divider for a 50 ohm radio to feed two 50 ohm antennas. If you were to make the phasing harness out of 50 ohm coax the results would vary a little depending on coax length but in general you would have two 50 ohm antennas each with a 50 ohm feedline and at the common point the radio would see about a 25 ohm load and a 2:1 VSWR.

Since the original poster started with a cophase system and is now using just one antenna should he be using 50 ohm coax as well...or does it matter??

 

[prcguy]

Since the original poster started with a cophase system and is now using just one antenna should he be using 50 ohm coax as well...or does it matter??

Single antenna should use 50 ohm coax unless under some special circumstances. Using only one side of a phasing harness leaving the other open is going to cause problems.