SWR higher on SSB

[Davidbt]

Like others have said it is an insufficient ground. I have a question.? Did you put the foil sticker on the magnet? If you did good. If not and you don’t have it for whatever reason you can cut a piece of aluminum foil and put it between the magnet and rubber boot. Don’t ask me how I know!!!
Didn’t read the entire thread so if this was covered already my apologies

I did not. The roof of my truck has flat ribs that are higher than the truck. The magnet has to sit on two of the higher ribs. I don't believe the antenna package had a foil sticker.

 

[Davidbt]

I went back out and checked, the radio does show swr high with antenna connected.

 

[Backwoods40]

It's on the radio while checking swr's with the external meter. Backwoods40 had a similar issue with his qt80. I'll have to go back out to the truck, but I'm sure it also did it after I re connected the antenna.

Not sure where you're grounded, but I had the best ground on one of the seat bolts, where the seat attaches to the floor of the cab.
I never did figure out why it shows higher swr on the radio, but at full power, max swr was 1.7:1 while barefoot was 1.1:1

I ran it without any issue until I moved the radio into the office and threw up a base antenna.
Just be sure to tune it as flat as you can at 4w and it should be fine.

 

[prcguy]

Not sure where you're grounded, but I had the best ground on one of the seat bolts, where the seat attaches to the floor of the cab.
I never did figure out why it shows higher swr on the radio, but at full power, max swr was 1.7:1 while barefoot was 1.1:1

I ran it without any issue until I moved the radio into the office and threw up a base antenna.
Just be sure to tune it as flat as you can at 4w and it should be fine.

Is there an amplifier used in this setup? Were you using the SWR meter built into the radio when checking SWR?

 

[Davidbt]

Not sure where you're grounded, but I had the best ground on one of the seat bolts, where the seat attaches to the floor of the cab.
I never did figure out why it shows higher swr on the radio, but at full power, max swr was 1.7:1 while barefoot was 1.1:1

I ran it without any issue until I moved the radio into the office and threw up a base antenna.
Just be sure to tune it as flat as you can at 4w and it should be fine.

Thanks for chiming in @Backwoods40, appreciate it. The did the ground to the battery. I'm also not sure why the radio came with a fuse on the ground wire? I might have to find a way to ground it at the seat myself. At least the power is through the firewall, which would be very hard for me right now. Also, I was wanting to be careful since these newer trucks can be funky with new electrical.

 

[Davidbt]

Is there an amplifier used in this setup? Were you using the SWR meter built into the radio when checking SWR?

No amplifier. I don't think you can use the internal swr to adjust the antenna on the qt80, as far as I know.

 

[Davidbt]

Not sure where you're grounded, but I had the best ground on one of the seat bolts, where the seat attaches to the floor of the cab.
I never did figure out why it shows higher swr on the radio, but at full power, max swr was 1.7:1 while barefoot was 1.1:1

I ran it without any issue until I moved the radio into the office and threw up a base antenna.
Just be sure to tune it as flat as you can at 4w and it should be fine.

That's the thing, the way it is, I can't tune it. I'm going to turn the swr protection off in the menu tomorrow and see if that makes a difference with the external meter. I can always turn the protection back on.

 

[prcguy]

No amplifier. I don't think you can use the internal swr to adjust the antenna on the qt80, as far as I know.

You mentioned full power was 1.7:1 and barefoot was 1.1:1, sounded like there was an amp.

 

[Davidbt]

You mentioned full power was 1.7:1 and barefoot was 1.1:1, sounded like there was an amp.

That's @Backwoods40. I haven't been able to come up with a reading yet. I may have to rethink the ground wire go to the battery. Also, why did the factory put a fuse on the ground wire 🤷‍♂️

 

[707ways2Sunday]

I did not. The roof of my truck has flat ribs that are higher than the truck. The magnet has to sit on two of the higher ribs. I don't believe the antenna package had a foil sticker.

I was actually responding to the OP. I’m running the same radio (Anytone) and antenna as he is. And I don’t remember seeing the foil either. Tuning my performer 5K wasn’t going well without it.

 

[niceguy71]

hi Davidbt I'm really not seeing the big picture here? so I have a few simple questions....

the BIG QUESTION.... the title of this post is SWR higher on SSB .... YOU CANNOT SEE OR ADJUST SWR ON SIDEBAND only adjust it on AM.

you said the antenna has to sit on two raised area's on the roof.... ( my ford is like that one this is the Tram 3500? two is the magnet flat to the metal roof... it needs to sit the whole bottom 5 inches on flat metal.... I'm sure you have it just like my picture of my Ford... I could not have my antenna in the center of my roof as one of the grooves was dead center in the roof... so I have it to one side.

2nd question what are you using for an external SWR meter??

3rd are you checking the SWR on AM with the power turned down on low???

4th I'm surprised the installers ran the negative to the battery???? you want the ground as close to the radio as you can get .... get the best ground you can.. I usually grind the paint off the floor and drill a hole and drop a bolt through it and use an Eye Ring electrical terminal then paint over it.

hopefully you figure it out... after you shut off the swr warning ... let us know what you get on channel one...channel 20 and channel forty

If your SWR is higher on channel 40 than on channel 1, your antenna is too long and you should lower it .... don't be afraid to cut it if it's close...... cut it in 1/4" increments

If your SWR is higher on channel 1 than on channel 40, your antenna is too short

so far I have not had to cut any of my Tram 3500 antenna's I use on peoples vehicles to do range tests.

good luck

 

[Davidbt]

This is in backwoods40's original posting. I'm using a cheap Amazon meter, Astatic brand. The ribs on my roof are pretty close together, but they're flat. So it's either straddle a rib and a a gap on either side of the magnet, put the magnet on two ribs and have a gap under the middle of the it. So you're right, it can't sit flat in the middle of the roof. I can check the rear of the roof and see if can sit flatter. I didn't realize that would be an issue. I have also moved the ground wire to a existing fender ground.

 

[niceguy71]

This is in backwoods40's original posting. I'm using a cheap Amazon meter, Astatic brand. The ribs on my roof are pretty close together, but they're flat. So it's either straddle a rib and a a gap on either side of the magnet, put the magnet on two ribs and have a gap under the middle of the it. So you're right, it can't sit flat in the middle of the roof. I can check the rear of the roof and see if can sit flatter. I didn't realize that would be an issue. I have also moved the ground wire to a existing fender ground.

that doesn't sound good on the ribs.... that antenna needs to be sitting on flat metal all around the magnet and under it to get a ground plane
wish you could take a picture.... you may have to drill a hole
drilling a hole will give you a GREAT ANTENNA... it can be unscrewed and a little weather cap screwed onto it..... if you can't get the magnet to sit flat near the middle of the roof

 

[Davidbt]

that doesn't sound good on the ribs.... that antenna needs to be sitting on flat metal all around the magnet and under it to get a ground plane
wish you could take a picture.... you may have to drill a hole
drilling a hole will give you a GREAT ANTENNA... it can be unscrewed and a little weather cap screwed onto it..... if you can't get the magnet to sit flat near the middle of the roof

I will look at it tomorrow. I'm not sure how far back the roof ribs go. I really wanted it to be in the center, for sure. I wish I could post pictures, I know it would help. I've come this far, I would definitely look into a nmo mount at this point.

 

[niceguy71]

I will look at it tomorrow. I'm not sure how far back the roof ribs go. I really wanted it to be in the center, for sure. I wish I could post pictures, I know it would help. I've come this far, I would definitely look into a nmo mount at this point.

This group has some of the smartest radio guys in the country if not the world!!!!
They all loath the Tram 3500.... It is a very cheap unprofessional total amauture antenna for idiots that don't know better!!!

( Myself and my friends have been very lucky it has done ok for us )

I always recommend it as it lets people get into the hobby cheaply ... It talks a decent range ... If they find the hobby is not for them they can take it off .... Or go the next route and drill the hole..,.

But if the guys here say drill the hole it's because they are trying to help people get the best working equipment they can
The guys here are so super helpful and want everyone to do great .. so they recommend great products.... Drill the hole and you can have a really fantastic antenna that will make the Tram 3500 look like a child's toy

 

[Davidbt]

This group has some of the smartest radio guys in the country if not the world!!!!
They all loath the Tram 3500.... It is a very cheap unprofessional total amauture antenna for idiots that don't know better!!!

( Myself and my friends have been very lucky it has done ok for us )

I always recommend it as it lets people get into the hobby cheaply ... It talks a decent range ... If they find the hobby is not for them they can take it off .... Or go the next route and drill the hole..,.

But if the guys here say drill the hole it's because they are trying to help people get the best working equipment they can
The guys here are so super helpful and want everyone to do great .. so they recommend great products.... Drill the hole and you can have a really fantastic antenna that will make the Tram 3500 look like a child's toy

I definitely get the concept. It might come down to that. If I find that this antenna is not going to work, it's going to set my time-line back getting the radio up and running. It is what it is

 

[robertwbob]

I definitely get the concept. It might come down to that. If I find that this antenna is not going to work, it's going to set my time-line back getting the radio up and running. It is what it is

or buy a cargo light antenna bracket. couple friends use them on company pickups and we have talked all directions never noticing big diffrences

 

[G7RUX]

No - the R in VSWR is ratio - so the reflected power at 4W is exactly the same ratio as the reflected power at 40W - it does not change. The amount of reflected power goes up, but so does the output - so the VSWR stays exactly the same. If the meter readings change the meter is faulty or just poorly designed. If you look at the Bird meters, the ones many aspire to but cannot afford, they use a little insert that you rotate through 180 degrees to measure forward and reverse - the point being that one component is used in forward and reverse, so there are no errors. Other designs with switches have two devices that need to be electrically identical, and most are not. They try to measure VSWR over a wide power range and fail to be linear - which gives rises to changes in the VSWR reading that are not actually there in real life.

This is not really correct.

Meters which you "set" to full scale on forward power then just read reverse power but have a scale marked in SWR. If the forward power level changes during transmit, which it absolutely will with SSB unless you use a fixed audio tone, then the reverse power level displayed will change; this type of SWR meter just reads reverse power on a scale marked in SWR and assume that the forward power has not changed from the "set" point.

A Bird Thruline meter does exactly the same as the basic "set/SWR" type of CB meter although the Bird is calibrated and the scale marked in power, not SWR. If the forward power changes during operation then so will the reverse power, although the *ratio* will remain the same.

Many radios just have a resistive SWR bridge rather than a proper directional coupler type, so can lead to entertaining problems; this is the same for a lot of the small auto-ATU units on the market at the moment.

 

[Davidbt]

or buy a cargo light antenna bracket. couple friends use them on company pickups and we have talked all directions never noticing big diffrences

I've seen those mentioned elsewhere. A little pricey, but a good idea for sure.

 

[niceguy71]

I've seen those mentioned elsewhere. A little pricey, but a good idea for sure.

Those are for nmo antennas... It will not work for a magnetic mount antenna