Lincoln 2 plus noise in 2018 Chevy Silverado Z71 Help

[RC4]

Maybe I can take some pictures of my mount and see what you think? Might be helpful might not be.

 

[mmckenna]

I’m kinda nervous about moving my mount cause I am getting such a good swr. But might be my only option at this point. Thank you

Getting low SWR isn't hard to do if you install correctly.

Like I said, you need to fix the noise and/or move your antenna. Moving the antenna will be a good test.

 

[RC4]

You’re right.

 

[TomLine]

Do I run those on the power cables or the coax? Thank you

I would think ferite chokes go on wires near the noise sources.
ARRL book talked about a module between the battery post and it's connection to ground; but that may be for engines that shutdown at traffic lights. I found other sources that say get to get radio power from the posts.
This link: RFI Problems has some information. Scroll down and it shows the ferite chokes.
Looks like there a steering sensor on the steering shaft itself on the data bus sending 5 volt pulses, but the big rf source may be an assist motor down underneath. I read that it has 60 amp fuses so it's definitely a big boy.

I'm just a guy on the internet, so please be careful and consider that I may be wrong as heck. I still like the idea of using a magnet mount just to test various locations.

 

[RC4]

Not sure I like this mount

 

[ForestRunner98]

Your SWR is good even with a not so great mount. I have a McKinley and the receive is real sensitive. Ears like Dumbo!! Try to dial down your RF gain. I watched your vid and it looks like it’s a full tilt. Just my $.02

 

[RC4]

I’d like to try some ferrite but not sure what kind I should get.

 

[slowmover]

I’d like to try some ferrite but not sure what kind I should get.

I use Mix 31 and 61.

Effectiveness is correlated to the type of noise source.

The supplier I’ve used recommends treating source and victim. On the mobile rig this means (for me) trying ferrites at both ends of a cable (power or coax).

Sometimes a favorable change is accomplished, sometimes not.

As ferrite products are generally not expensive piece-by-piece, I fill a five gallon bucket and slowly pour it over the whole system (is how it feels). In aggregate, the money adds up.

I don’t see it as failure if ferrites don’t always work. There’ll be another place I’ll use them; etc. Friends and family have radio systems, etc.

Antenna mount is still the thing. Where, and how well bonded. Bad location increases all other problems.

Over the past four years and several big trucks I’ve arrived at the system I have now. Everything involved is longer, bigger and more expensive (heavier gauge power, for instance) than it would be in my pickup (where the antenna mount & associated is the highest cost past the radio).

Still, it’s a $300 radio in a system where TOTAL replacement cost is over $1,000 (spent over those years piece by piece; not including items not installed as of today).

Doesn’t mean you’ll spend as I have. Not the point. It’s to get the idea across that an installation IS NOT just a mop-up job after the radio and antenna are in place. MOST OF THE WORK IS YET TO COME.

Radio & Antenna are components that can be swapped for other. NOT CENTRAL, in other words. It’s the POWER and COAX as SYSTEMS which take the most work.

The other way of trying to say that “bad” antenna mount (location & type) increases the REAL problems. CATEGORY and DEGREE.

One WILL have noise problems even with “best” approach. But Category and Degree will be MUCH easier in effects to help reduce or solve them.

I thought I was patient in problem-solving. And, I can spend as I please (relatively) to aid this. RADIO is worth the effort to me as I depend on it (truck driver). My latest system has 600-hours of use since mid-August, and there’s more to do (time & tool access problems) in noise-reduction.

Its the quietest system I’ve yet had. But it’s not what it could be. A guy in a pickup or SUV is miles ahead of me from the beginning (simplicity). Yet few (almost none) exert the effort to start from scratch to get it right.

Those that do realize what Citizen Band is capable of doing. And that’s FAR from what the next thousand guys THINK it can do. (So don’t be swayed by “ignorant” opinion).

NMO roof mount (puck mount, on my pickup) is where the biggest problems are settled. MUCH easier to solve for noise problems afterwards. It’s most of the game.

Bed-mount can be done well, but there’s more work as well as less-effective TX.

The hood is pretty well worst (after bumper hitch).

Some radios (design and/or construction) have more sibilance (hash; of a type). Where their performance is high (PRESIDENT LINCOLN, in my case), that’s to be lived with as well as addressed. My “quieter” Galaxy 959 in the Kenworth is not its equal. The 959 was chosen for other reasons (beyond scope of this thread). Both need best installation possible, is the point. Both are affected by problems I’ve created or not remedied.

RF Bonds on the KW (and my pickup) are important in noise abatement after mount issues are finalized. Ferrites and chokes are great, and are MOST effective once bonding is addressed. (But they WON’T fix a bad antenna mount or location).

In Mobile, the vehicle is one-half the antenna system. Where the work lays.

Being systematic is the attitude necessary to satisfactory results..

www.k0bg.com

.

 

[TomLine]

Might try removing the paint under the bracket and using some non-coated bolts so the bracket gets the best electrical ground. Doesn't looks like a great ground having those zinc coated screws, but could be verified with an ohm meter. Consider your antenna system is using the fender and hood as ground plane. Hood might not be grounded that great either. Just throwing food on the wall here...

 

[RC4]

Might try removing the paint under the bracket and using some non-coated bolts so the bracket gets the best electrical ground. Doesn't looks like a great ground having those zinc coated screws, but could be verified with an ohm meter. Consider your antenna system is using the fender and hood as ground plane. Hood might not be grounded that great either. Just throwing food on the wall here...

Oh wow I would of never of noticed that haha! You have a very good eye cause those pics were not the best. So dumb question, what screws should I replace them with, stainless steel? I do actually get a pretty good swr around 1.5 or so. Wonder if the screws would help any with noise.
Thank you 🙏

 

[RC4]

I use Mix 31 and 61.

Effectiveness is correlated to the type of noise source.

The supplier I’ve used recommends treating source and victim. On the mobile rig this means (for me) trying ferrites at both ends of a cable (power or coax).

Sometimes a favorable change is accomplished, sometimes not.

As ferrite products are generally not expensive piece-by-piece, I fill a five gallon bucket and slowly pour it over the whole system (is how it feels). In aggregate, the money adds up.

I don’t see it as failure if ferrites don’t always work. There’ll be another place I’ll use them; etc. Friends and family have radio systems, etc.

Antenna mount is still the thing. Where, and how well bonded. Bad location increases all other problems.

Over the past four years and several big trucks I’ve arrived at the system I have now. Everything involved is longer, bigger and more expensive (heavier gauge power, for instance) than it would be in my pickup (where the antenna mount & associated is the highest cost past the radio).

Still, it’s a $300 radio in a system where TOTAL replacement cost is over $1,000 (spent over those years piece by piece; not including items not installed as of today).

Doesn’t mean you’ll spend as I have. Not the point. It’s to get the idea across that an installation IS NOT just a mop-up job after the radio and antenna are in place. MOST OF THE WORK IS YET TO COME.

Radio & Antenna are components that can be swapped for other. NOT CENTRAL, in other words. It’s the POWER and COAX as SYSTEMS which take the most work.

The other way of trying to say that “bad” antenna mount (location & type) increases the REAL problems. CATEGORY and DEGREE.

One WILL have noise problems even with “best” approach. But Category and Degree will be MUCH easier in effects to help reduce or solve them.

I thought I was patient in problem-solving. And, I can spend as I please (relatively) to aid this. RADIO is worth the effort to me as I depend on it (truck driver). My latest system has 600-hours of use since mid-August, and there’s more to do (time & tool access problems) in noise-reduction.

Its the quietest system I’ve yet had. But it’s not what it could be. A guy in a pickup or SUV is miles ahead of me from the beginning (simplicity). Yet few (almost none) exert the effort to start from scratch to get it right.

Those that do realize what Citizen Band is capable of doing. And that’s FAR from what the next thousand guys THINK it can do. (So don’t be swayed by “ignorant” opinion).

NMO roof mount (puck mount, on my pickup) is where the biggest problems are settled. MUCH easier to solve for noise problems afterwards. It’s most of the game.

Bed-mount can be done well, but there’s more work as well as less-effective TX.

The hood is pretty well worst (after bumper hitch).

Some radios (design and/or construction) have more sibilance (hash; of a type). Where their performance is high (PRESIDENT LINCOLN, in my case), that’s to be lived with as well as addressed. My “quieter” Galaxy 959 in the Kenworth is not its equal. The 959 was chosen for other reasons (beyond scope of this thread). Both need best installation possible, is the point. Both are affected by problems I’ve created or not remedied.

RF Bonds on the KW (and my pickup) are important in noise abatement after mount issues are finalized. Ferrites and chokes are great, and are MOST effective once bonding is addressed. (But they WON’T fix a bad antenna mount or location).

In Mobile, the vehicle is one-half the antenna system. Where the work lays.

Being systematic is the attitude necessary to satisfactory results..

www.k0bg.com

.

Oh wow! Thank you for all the info. I ordered some ferrite hope it helps.

 

[mmckenna]

Oh wow I would of never of noticed that haha! You have a very good eye cause those pics were not the best. So dumb question, what screws should I replace them with, stainless steel? I do actually get a pretty good swr around 1.5 or so. Wonder if the screws would help any with noise.
Thank you 🙏

It would be wise to replace those bolts. Standard steel bolts are fine. Stainless might be a good option, but don't use that if the bracket is aluminum. That can create some additional corrosion issues.

Grounding might be good, but if you are using the "18 feet of cable" trick, it can hide high SWR. I highly suspect that it's not going to solve your noise issues.

Ideally you should be using the shortest length of cable possible, good grounding at the base, and then tune for lowest SWR. But none of that is going to solve the noise issue. There's a lot of good suggestions above, and until you try those, you're just spinning your wheels.

 

[RC4]

It would be wise to replace those bolts. Standard steel bolts are fine. Stainless might be a good option, but don't use that if the bracket is aluminum. That can create some additional corrosion issues.

Grounding might be good, but if you are using the "18 feet of cable" trick, it can hide high SWR. I highly suspect that it's not going to solve your noise issues.

Ideally you should be using the shortest length of cable possible, good grounding at the base, and then tune for lowest SWR. But none of that is going to solve the noise issue. There's a lot of good suggestions above, and until you try those, you're just spinning your wheels.

I am using 18 of rg8x. Power to battery neg to chassis but the neg cable is kinda long

 

[mmckenna]

I am using 18 of rg8x. Power to battery neg to chassis but the neg cable is kinda long

The long negative lead can act like an antenna. You want it as short as possible. But I don't think that's your issue. The noise problem resolved when you disconnected the antenna, so that indicates that's the path the noise is using. Moving the antenna needs to be tried to see if the noise resolves. If the antenna/coax are picking up noise out of the engine bay, there's no magic that's going to resolve that unless you move the antenna or find the source of noise and address it.

As for the 18 feet of coax, where is the excess cable being stored? That can be a problem.
Getting rid of all that excess cable is a good idea. The 18 feet thing can hide high SWR from the radio. Might look good on a meter, but it won't make the antenna work if it's got issues, just hides the problem from the SWR meter.

 

[RC4]

The long negative lead can act like an antenna. You want it as short as possible. But I don't think that's your issue. The noise problem resolved when you disconnected the antenna, so that indicates that's the path the noise is using. Moving the antenna needs to be tried to see if the noise resolves. If the antenna/coax are picking up noise out of the engine bay, there's no magic that's going to resolve that unless you move the antenna or find the source of noise and address it.

As for the 18 feet of coax, where is the excess cable being stored? That can be a problem.
Getting rid of all that excess cable is a good idea. The 18 feet thing can hide high SWR from the radio. Might look good on a meter, but it won't make the antenna work if it's got issues, just hides the problem from the SWR meter.

Coax is a lose wrap under my carpet where my feet are basically. But yes I understand what you are saying. I am by no means An electronic guru haha but I’m trying the best i can. I appreciate all the help

I was talking skip a few days ago like crazy so I’d assume my swr isn’t all that bad. And I am just going off what my radio tells me not anActual SWR meter. I’ve had 3 different radios in truck since all this started and all of them are saying it’s around 1.5 1.4 sometimes lower.

 

[mmckenna]

Coax is a lose wrap under my carpet where my feet are basically. But yes I understand what you are saying. I am by no means An electronic guru haha but I’m trying the best i can. I appreciate all the help

I was talking skip a few days ago like crazy so I’d assume my swr isn’t all that bad. And I am just going off what my radio tells me not anActual SWR meter. I’ve had 3 different radios in truck since all this started and all of them are saying it’s around 1.5 1.4 sometimes lower.

Yeah, getting rid of all the extra coax will help. All cable has some amount of loss in it, so using less cable means more signal getting to/from the radio. Probably not a big difference, but it's not helping. Also, all that cable rolled up near the electronics in the dash may not be a good idea. If you can cut the cable to length and install a new connector (or get someone to do it for you) it would be a good idea.

 

[RC4]

Yeah, getting rid of all the extra coax will help. All cable has some amount of loss in it, so using less cable means more signal getting to/from the radio. Probably not a big difference, but it's not helping. Also, all that cable rolled up near the electronics in the dash may not be a good idea. If you can cut the cable to length and install a new connector (or get someone to do it for you) it would be a good idea.

So I don’t want 18 feet?

 

[mmckenna]

So I don’t want 18 feet?

You want the exact amount of coaxial cable to get from your radio to your antenna. No more, no less. If the SWR changes after you shorten the cable, then the antenna was never tuned. You'll want to address that if it changes.

 

[RC4]

You want the exact amount of coaxial cable to get from your radio to your antenna. No more, no less. If the SWR changes after you shorten the cable, then the antenna was never tuned. You'll want to address that if it changes.

So I need to take 9 feet off then? Haha

 

[mmckenna]

So I need to take 9 feet off then? Haha

I would.

When I install antennas mounts, the coax gets cut to length, I live about a foot in chase I need to reterminate, but that's it. Done in on CB installs, VHF, UHF and 7-800MHz. It's industry standard.