Specific Question New Setup

[rocknbil]

Greetings all,

Absolute newbie to CB, wife bought me a Cobra 29 Classic and am treading lightly to get an understanding of how to best use it. I plan to use it as a base station but may swap it back and forth to the truck (pickup, not big rig.) I have been reading tons of articles and videos so I'm past the theory part of CB, just not practical usage. :-D I have followed SWR calibration and **think** I have it right.

Before I go buying expensive cables, exterior antennas and climbing around in the roof drilling holes in my house, I decided to cheap out a little at first and have an FireStik HBA-5 antenna I'm experimenting with. I'm aware it won't perform anywhere as close as to a proper exterior antenna, but just to get started.

When I set it just outside the garage I get some encouraging signals on some channels.

The question I can't seem to find an answer to: I have checked the SWR cal and cal meter, it **seems** in order according to this excellent video. The SWR is well below 1 and 1.5 on 1, 20, 40. However when I actually try to request a radio check, the meter swings way over to the red. It this normal operation for the Cobra 29 or am I missing something important?

Thanks in advance for answering a likely repetitive question.

 

[WSAC829]

Pardon my very crude image editing skills.....

If your meter (when the CAL/SWR/SRF switch is in S/RF position) is somewhere between the 2 yellow lines in the photo above when you key up, you should be OK. It may bounce around a bit when you are talking. That's pretty normal.

If it's pegging the far right side of the scale, (by my orange line) that's generally bad, and usually a sign of a high SWR or a short in the coax.

However some internal meters are more forgiving than others. To get an accurate SWR reading i'd suggest buying or borrowing an external SWR meter. Something simple like this will suffice (and you'll also need to buy a short coax jumper like this). The SWR meter built in to the radio isn't normally 100% accurate, but will give you a general idea if your antenna is tuned "good enough" or not.

 

[rocknbil]

If it's pegging the far right side of the scale, (by my orange line) that's generally bad, and usually a sign of a high SWR or a short in the coax.

Thank you! It may not be going full right but definitely goes into the red, I will fiddle with it more. The coax appears to be RG-6 (?) provided with the FireStik, all brand new and I checked the torque at the base. Still fiddling with it to understand it all.

 

[WSAC829]

In to the red is fine. Slamming in to the far side of the meter is not. More than likely you are OK. Your SWR readings you posted are pretty good. If you were over 2 across the band i'd be a little more concerned.

 

[robertwbob]

instead of drilling roof for starters try securing a pipe to side of house and use nuff to be least 3 feet above highest point on roof then get a great quality base antenna and great coax. you will thank me later.
i use a sirio 2008 very rugged antenna.only thing it needs the radial rod brace option. ive scored many long dx contacs.its stood 3 years harsh winds still works great plus aluminum heavy wall construction

 

[bharvey2]

rocknbil, 1st order of business: Welcome to the forum. Jumping right into the radio stuff: If you are properly performing the CAL and SWR procedure as shown in the manual you want to get an SWR match of 2:1 or less for decent performance. 3:1 might be usable for short transmit periods but that much of a mismatch can be hard on a radio. Strive for a better match. With the meter switch in the S/RF position, The meter needle will swing fairly well to the right and may touch into the red if the SWR is at an acceptable level. Bear in mind that the built in meters and super accurate so adhere to what WSAC829 noted in his photo.

With regard to the the Firestik antenna, Did you mean IBA-5 ? I looked on their website and couldn't find any mention of an HBA but I'm hardly familiar with Firestik products. You might want to confirm the coax too. RG6 is a 75 ohm cable and is normally used for TV antenna and cable installations. A 50 ohm cable like RG58 is typically used for consumer CB installations.

Getting your antenna outside and higher in the air should definitely improve your radio's performance. A temporary installation is fine for a short while but getting something permanent should be a priority if you intend to pursue this hobby. You don't want to risk the antenna falling on someone or something or the dangers that arise from improperly grounded antenna systems. All in all, I think your heading on the right track. Keep studying and ask questions when needed. This forum can be a good source of information and the folks on here are generally pretty helpful.

 

[niceguy71]

welcome to the group,
I don't think a vehicle antenna will work for a base station.... it needs metal under it for a ground plane.... I fooled around with Firestick Antenna's many years ago.... they always show a decent SWR... very easy to tune.... but they don't actually seem to work!
BEST advise I can give you is to get rid of the firestick

I just tried one on a friends jeep a few months ago... the SWR was 1.7... but it would not work more than a mile... I found it didn't have a proper ground plane as no metal to metal contact..... it was actually using the coax as the ground plane???? you would think without a ground plane it would give me a terrible SWR right???? as without a metal to metal connection the antenna was basically just floating in the air not attached to the jeep or anything.....but it showed me a 1.7 SWR!!!!

the Firestick Antenna's generally show a good SWR even though it had no possible way to work without a ground plane, so I highly doubt it will work for you,
I have never had any luck with Firestick antenna's.... and you certainly won't get more than a mile or two using it as a base antenna.
I know your just playing around with it for now, I see people come in all the time trying to get a mobile antenna to work as a base station... like they set it on the air conditioner or on a pie pan or attach it to the gutter.... if you have a metal roof you may actually do good.... but without a metal roof, you're wasting your time.
as for the meter swinging over to the red when you try to get a radio check..... that sounds correct... when you are just listening to the CB the meter will show you how strong peoples signals are.... when doing a SWR calibration it will go to the red to set it...... but when transmitting it will show you how you are modulating... if your mic and voice and radio is working correctly the meter should swing up through the green to the red to show you that you are modulating at 100% if you are in the red you may have your mouth too close to the mic or have the mic gain set too high....
there are three meters on the CB's radio meter.... a SWR meter.... a Modulation meter ( only shows when you key the mic) and the signal strength meter ( always on if your antenna is plugged in)
for just playing around I would buy a MINIMUM 5 foot tall magnetic CB antenna and set it on a vehicles roof... you can also buy a 100 foot of RG8X coax and a barrel connection to plug the antenna and the radio and the 100 feet of coax all together.... you can run the 100 feet of coax out to the vehicle and place the antenna on the metal roof as high as possible and in the center of the roof...... then sit in the house or garage and play with it and see how it does.... unfortunately CB is pretty dead.... if others are using a CB within a few miles of you ... you might contact them or them you..... but with so few people using CB's now, the likelihood of finding someone a few miles away will be extremely difficult.
if you had a CB with Side Band ( SSB ) you could possibly talk skip all across the country... but on a stock Cobra 29 I don't think you will find many people in your neighborhood to talk to.
here is a cheap vehicle antenna to play with and a 100 feet of coax and a barrel connector.... with these three items you can kind of make a half ass base station ... it will only be as good as a mobile station but you can sit at home and try it out,,, and you can also use the antenna for your mobile... click the links below
100 feet of coax
barrel connector
cheap 5 foot CB antenna with free shipping

those 3 items will cost you about $120 bucks and let you play around and see if the CB is for you or not..... if you decide CB is to be your new hobby there is a LOT more to a base station install and a mobile install... but those items will allow you to play around and when you get ready to do the mobile check the forums and ask lots of questions before you start.
best of luck to you.
this is my mobile install... and my base station install... both work fantastic and I can talk all across the country.. but both were a LOT of work and expense.

my mobile install

my base station installation

 

[707ways2Sunday]

SWR swings higher with modulation is more times than not, in my experience, a poor ground connection (shield) make sure connections are tight and when they are tight, grab the coax close to the pl259 and wiggle it. There should be no play.

SO239s and PL259s these days are not always standardized. Sometimes when the threads bottom out the ground Connection is still lose. I purchased a 1:1 Balun for my DIY 4 element yagi that had that issue.

The SO239 bulk head connector in the Balun was too short so I replaced it and all was good. Just one example. I’ve seen the issue you described many times. Most times it’s just a matter of making sure those connections are tight.

 

[niceguy71]

SWR swings higher with modulation is more times than not, in my experience, a poor ground connection

??? When setting the SWR, you dead key the mic and set the needle to calibrate then flip it and read your SWR,,.....YOU can't have ANY modulation.
Rocknbil make sure not to have any background noise or talk into the mic while doing the SWR... But again you can't just hook up a fire stick that is sitting outside.... It needs to be connected to a huge mass of metal like a car for a ground plane

 

[WSAC829]

you can't just hook up a fire stick that is sitting outside....

You can if that's what it was designed for. Pretty sure this is his antenna:

Firestik IBA-5 Indoor CB Base Antenna | Right Channel Radios

Easily set up a free-standing base CB antenna in your home, apartment or campsite with the Firestik IBA-5. Fast Shipping, 120% Satisfaction Guarantee!

www.rightchannelradios.com

 

[robertwbob]

SWR swings higher with modulation is more times than not, in my experience, a poor ground connection (shield) make sure connections are tight and when they are tight, grab the coax close to the pl259 and wiggle it. There should be no play.

SO239s and PL259s these days are not always standardized. Sometimes when the threads bottom out the ground Connection is still lose. I purchased a 1:1 Balun for my DIY 4 element yagi that had that issue.

The SO239 bulk head connector in the Balun was too short so I replaced it and all was good. Just one example. I’ve seen the issue you described many times. Most times it’s just a matter of making sure those connections are tight.

i bought 12 pl 259 online ,heavy built but barrel nut was tad long. out came dremmil and cutting disc .cut em off at the edge of knurled area n tighten fine now

 

[robertwbob]

You can if that's what it was designed for. Pretty sure this is his antenna:

Firestik IBA-5 Indoor CB Base Antenna | Right Channel Radios

Easily set up a free-standing base CB antenna in your home, apartment or campsite with the Firestik IBA-5. Fast Shipping, 120% Satisfaction Guarantee!

www.rightchannelradios.com

but isnt it a compromise for iffy signal?

 

[slowmover]

but isnt it a compromise for iffy signal?

Just crank some watts thru it (house lights dim) and soon, you and the dog won’t care very much, any more. About anything.

.

 

[sloop]

Fast review:
*switch to CAL to set meter to read your SWR.
*switch to SWR to read your SWR. Do not modulate your signal! If SWR is too high check ground, cable, connections, antenna.
*switch to S/RF to check signal strength of incoming signal. On transmit it also gives relative output power. If the radio has received the 'blessings' of the golden screwdriver to get more power it is not uncommon for the meter to be 'pegged'. This will eventually ruin the meter.
Welcome to the hobby...good luck.

 

[niceguy71]

You can if that's what it was designed for. Pretty sure this is his antenna:

Firestik IBA-5 Indoor CB Base Antenna | Right Channel Radios

Easily set up a free-standing base CB antenna in your home, apartment or campsite with the Firestik IBA-5. Fast Shipping, 120% Satisfaction Guarantee!

www.rightchannelradios.com

Well I'll be a son of gun!!! He said he bought a iba5 and I looked it up but didn't see it it on line so just thought it was a regular antenna... What will they think of next!

 

[bharvey2]

You can if that's what it was designed for. Pretty sure this is his antenna:

Firestik IBA-5 Indoor CB Base Antenna | Right Channel Radios

Easily set up a free-standing base CB antenna in your home, apartment or campsite with the Firestik IBA-5. Fast Shipping, 120% Satisfaction Guarantee!

www.rightchannelradios.com

That's what I think the OP is referring to as well. I found it on Firestik's website and it notes that RG58 is used. I suspect the OP mentioned RG6 accidently as he may have been more familiar with it and got that stuck in his mind. Can't say that's never happened to me. He hasn't been back in a week so hopefully he'll pop back in a clarify things.

 

[niceguy71]

That's what I think the OP is referring to as well. I found it on Firestik's website and it notes that RG58 is used. I suspect the OP mentioned RG6 accidently as he may have been more familiar with it and got that stuck in his mind. Can't say that's never happened to me. He hasn't been back in a week so hopefully he'll pop back in a clarify things.

funny most new people come here, ask a question and ... poof we never hear from them again???? and with that antenna the new guy will be lucky to get a few miles range on his stock 4 watt non SSB Cobra 29..... the chances of him making a contact in those 3 miles is pretty slim.... I got a feeling that CB and antenna will be out at the next yard sale.... I see him giving up the hobby pretty quickly....​

sad too as he could have taken the money he paid for that antenna and spent a little more and gotten a real base station antenna that could have gotten real range and he could have had a lot of fun with it.... I was reading the reviews on that antenna on amazon.... no one said they got more than a few miles range with it, I can't imagine it to be worth it.​