SWR on new radio but already tuned antenna QT-60 PRO

[Varmonter]

I have tried 3 and 4 ft firesticks with fire ring attachments and could never get them to tune. I'm by far no expert but I put a 4.5 skipshooter on the same mount(all I did was replace the antenna) and it tuned fine..
I had also tried the firestick "no ground plane"
Mounted on my camper with terrible results.
I now use a 102" wip mounted roof center of my Ram 3500 mega cab..I used a triple mag mount but am still thinking on drilling the holes..the 102 is broad banded and swr is 1.3
Across 11 meters..and into 10 and 12m..
Truck is bonded..

 

[Zjdre]

Is the RF Gain turned to max??..... Sometimes it gets turned down on mine and I don't notice it until I notice I'm not hearing anyone......If not you will not hear much.....

Are you checking SWR on AM???? You cannot check SWR on sideband... It will not work it has to be on AM

Are you on BAND D?????


I've never had a firestick actually work worth a damn.... They do tune up nice and easy... But I never have had anyone talk more than a few miles with a firestick .. and the 3 foot ... They honestly are terrible

And finally
just so people know this is actually me....
For cheap money try a $55.00 Tram 3500 on the center of the roof ...if you have a metal roof (hard to find these days).. but for $55.00 with free shipping it would be cheap to play with and see how it does....I've set up quite a few on people's vehicles and they tube up easy and work pretty good ....

Tram® 3,500-Watt 26 MHz to 30 MHz Heavy-Duty Trucker CB Magnet Antenna Kit in Silver

Read reviews and buy Tram® 3,500-Watt 26 MHz to 30 MHz Heavy-Duty Trucker CB Magnet Antenna Kit in Silver at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.

www.target.com

Good luck

I took your advice on the Tram 3500 and ordered it.

 

[slowmover]

Cancel that and get one worth having

Sirio Performer 5000 PL (27 - 28.5 MHz) CB Antenna Kit Mobile Antenna & Sirio Mag 145 Mag Mount [SIR-BUND-P5KM] - $99.00 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Zen Cart! Sirio Performer 5000 PL (27 - 28.5 MHz) CB Antenna Kit Mobile Antenna & Sirio Mag 145 Mag Mount [SIR-BUND-P5KM] - All in one Mobile kit: Sirio Performer 5000 PL Antenna and Sirio Mag 145 Pl Mag Mount The new SERIES 5000 has been designed as a new series of vehicular antennas for 27 MHz...

sirio.store

.

 

[Zjdre]

Is the RF Gain turned to max??..... Sometimes it gets turned down on mine and I don't notice it until I notice I'm not hearing anyone......If not you will not hear much.....

Are you checking SWR on AM???? You cannot check SWR on sideband... It will not work it has to be on AM

Are you on BAND D?????


I've never had a firestick actually work worth a damn.... They do tune up nice and easy... But I never have had anyone talk more than a few miles with a firestick .. and the 3 foot ... They honestly are terrible

And finally
just so people know this is actually me....
For cheap money try a $55.00 Tram 3500 on the center of the roof ...if you have a metal roof (hard to find these days).. but for $55.00 with free shipping it would be cheap to play with and see how it does....I've set up quite a few on people's vehicles and they tube up easy and work pretty good ....

Tram® 3,500-Watt 26 MHz to 30 MHz Heavy-Duty Trucker CB Magnet Antenna Kit in Silver

Read reviews and buy Tram® 3,500-Watt 26 MHz to 30 MHz Heavy-Duty Trucker CB Magnet Antenna Kit in Silver at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.

www.target.com

Good luck

That Tram 3500 came in yesterday. I hooked it up to my CB-500 and it is quite impressive compared to my 3' Firestik. it came in a 1.1 on SWR and I did not even have to trim it.

 

[Zjdre]

Alright I decided to pull that QT60 out and hook it up to the Tram 3500 and now I am getting a good SWR on it. Guess that 3' Firestik was not playing well with QT60. still not hearing anything tonight but I only got everything buttoned up in the truck a little bit ago so perhaps the bands closed up this evening. Anyways I wanted to thank everyone for their knowledge and help in my time of a need.

 

[robertwbob]

Alright I decided to pull that QT60 out and hook it up to the Tram 3500 and now I am getting a good SWR on it. Guess that 3' Firestik was not playing well with QT60. still not hearing anything tonight but I only got everything buttoned up in the truck a little bit ago so perhaps the bands closed up this evening. Anyways I wanted to thank everyone for their knowledge and help in my time of a need.

it takes time ,ask and trial and error. but when antennas come to play if everybody says avoid 1 certain 1 do so
yesterday into nite my base was quiet even with nb and anl n hi cut off, so id say band opens your gonna get activity

 

[niceguy71]

Alright I decided to pull that QT60 out and hook it up to the Tram 3500 and now I am getting a good SWR on it. Guess that 3' Firestik was not playing well with QT60. still not hearing anything tonight but I only got everything buttoned up in the truck a little bit ago so perhaps the bands closed up this evening. Anyways I wanted to thank everyone for their knowledge and help in my time of a need.

When I got my 5555 N II I didn't hear much on AM ... But if you go to 37 and 38 LSB you will hear a lot between 10 am and 5 PM.....the tram 3500 is not the best (bottom of the barrel) but will work fine.... you Will be able to make contacts all across the USA with it ... But it will take many tries, so tomorrow park someplace away from power lines and electric equipment ( factories malls ) try to park on a tall hill ... Turn the power on you QT60 to about 90% ( I Hardly ever turn my equipment up to max as I feel it wears them out) put the RF Gain to max and the squelch to max.... I bet you'll make some contacts ..... It took me a few months to train my ear to hear what people were saying... But now I can pick out conversations out of the static.... It also took me a few months to find my local channels... A guy on Radio Reference actually told me they use 27 in my area... So I turned it on nightly and never heard a sole.... Then one night out of frustration I Said is anyone out there???? And several people came back!!! Seems most people just listen.... Once I talked to them I learned what towns around me use what channels... Now I go out after the sun goes down and can talk to several people in several towns.... Good luck.... I think you will like that Tram 3500 it's truly done and amazing job for me....and if you find yourself really using the radio a lot you can always buy a better antenna.

 

[robertwbob]

When I got my 5555 N II I didn't hear much on AM ... But if you go to 37 and 38 LSB you will hear a lot between 10 am and 5 PM.....the tram 3500 is not the best (bottom of the barrel) but will work fine.... you Will be able to make contacts all across the USA with it ... But it will take many tries, so tomorrow park someplace away from power lines and electric equipment ( factories malls ) try to park on a tall hill ... Turn the power on you QT60 to about 90% ( I Hardly ever turn my equipment up to max as I feel it wears them out) put the RF Gain to max and the squelch to max.... I bet you'll make some contacts ..... It took me a few months to train my ear to hear what people were saying... But now I can pick out conversations out of the static.... It also took me a few months to find my local channels... A guy on Radio Reference actually told me they use 27 in my area... So I turned it on nightly and never heard a sole.... Then one night out of frustration I Said is anyone out there???? And several people came back!!! Seems most people just listen.... Once I talked to them I learned what towns around me use what channels... Now I go out after the sun goes down and can talk to several people in several towns.... Good luck.... I think you will like that Tram 3500 it's truly done and amazing job for me....and if you find yourself really using the radio a lot you can always buy a better antenna.

like fishing, must be calm n endure

 

[niceguy71]

Alright I decided to pull that QT60 out and hook it up to the Tram 3500 and now I am getting a good SWR on it. Guess that 3' Firestik was not playing well with QT60. still not hearing anything tonight but I only got everything buttoned up in the truck a little bit ago so perhaps the bands closed up this evening. Anyways I wanted to thank everyone for their knowledge and help in my time of a need.

well you can't keep us in suspense????
I know the Tram 3500 got the SWR where it should be... but come back and tell us what you think of the set up now???
the Tram 3500 for the $55.00 bucks was a cheap way to make sure everything is working, and it will do ok for range and I think it will even do really good for sideband....
but it would be nice to hear if you're getting contacts on 37 and 38 LSB and how the AM is working???? pretty hard to make AM contacts on 19 anymore... people just don't give radio checks or they have the squelch up so high that you have to be on top of them for them to hear you..... but I'd sleep better if come back and tell me the Tram 3500 wasn't a complete waste of money
and if you tell me the Tram 3500 was a complete waste of money ... you will make SlowMovers day!

 

[niceguy71]

That Tram 3500 came in yesterday. I hooked it up to my CB-500 and it is quite impressive compared to my 3' Firestik. it came in a 1.1 on SWR and I did not even have to trim it.

you have no idea how badly I dislike Firestick antenna's.... and how my Tram has made life so simple... at least for me.

 

[robertwbob]

you have no idea how badly I dislike Firestick antenna's.... and how my Tram has made life so simple... at least for me.

i found great use for firestick antennas,get ready i use 1 for fuel guage on 1 old truck we never use on highways just farm to farm. its guage died long ago. and another i keep in my pickup,works great on cows if i have to work on anything broke in the pastures.
see they aint completely useless

 

[niceguy71]

i found great use for firestick antennas,get ready i use 1 for fuel guage on 1 old truck we never use on highways just farm to farm. its guage died long ago. and another i keep in my pickup,works great on cows if i have to work on anything broke in the pastures.
see they aint completely useless

I guess they work for some people..... But I never got more than 3 miles range out of any Fire stick that I've tried..... And I think I could get 3 miles out of a Craftsman screwdriver... So that ain't saying much

 

[nokones]

I have tried 3 and 4 ft firesticks with fire ring attachments and could never get them to tune. I'm by far no expert but I put a 4.5 skipshooter on the same mount(all I did was replace the antenna) and it tuned fine..
I had also tried the firestick "no ground plane"
Mounted on my camper with terrible results.
I now use a 102" wip mounted roof center of my Ram 3500 mega cab..I used a triple mag mount but am still thinking on drilling the holes..the 102 is broad banded and swr is 1.3
Across 11 meters..and into 10 and 12m..
Truck is bonded..

What readings are you getting with the firering cable? You should be seeing less than 1.2:1 with property tuned 3 or 4 foot Firestik.

 

[slowmover]

To be clear: we’re here speaking of wire-wound fiberglass antennas.

It’s not that FIRESTIK antennas are bad (they aren’t), it’s that both SKIPSHOOTER and DRIVER EXTREME make a better product.

Post in thread 'Mobile Antenna: PRESIDENT Texas 1800'
Mobile Antenna: PRESIDENT Texas 1800

But FIRESTIK is what you’ll find retail at a thousand locations and I’d choose it over some no-name “bargain” next to it.

I went a couple hundred miles out of my way to buy a pair of 6’ FIRESTIK several years back. They don’t tune as easily as SS, but at this length (and 5’) it’s a good choice when in front of you on the display.

Firestik KW6B 6 Cut To Tune Fiberglass Antenna BLACK

Check out this Firestik KW6B at www.WalcottRadio.com

www.walcottradio.com

There’s no flex to the 5’ or 6’, not of note. One needs appropriate spring size & type to install on a triple or quad mag or xtra-duty truck mount.

Post in thread 'Mobile Antenna: PRESIDENT Texas 1800'
Mobile Antenna: PRESIDENT Texas 1800

Don’t lose the end cap. Have to tune with it in place. It also makes 10,000-miles/month maintenance easier as a metal-end antenna collects more bug grit than imaginable.

If you don’t start thwacking bridge abutments or live oak limbs it’ll stand up to big truck service. This can’t be said for some others.

— I doubt the rip-off name-reputation of TRAM antennas will live thru it as proven brand/models of similar design aren’t bargain-priced. I wouldn’t want to rely on it in hard use.

FS tunes just fine. 1.5:1 is ideal. Lower than this isn’t any gain. Under 2.0:1 is all it takes. Make careful cuts.

I favor metal over fiberglass. But I’d hardly feel lost if all I had left was one of that 6’ pair (above). Getting it dialed in is same for any other . . as once done (correct spring and mount) it’s a good performer.

Just not as good as competitive brand models (above).

.

 

[slowmover]

 

[nokones]

I get less than 1.1:1 with a 5 ft Firestik II Tuneable Tip antenna. I get usually less than 1.2:1 with the e and 4 ft Firestik IIs.

 

[slowmover]

An antenna system is a package. If we leave out the coax run to radio there are any number of details to which to attend once antenna location is finalized.

All the pieces have to work well.

 

[slowmover]

I get less than 1.1:1 with a 5 ft Firestik II Tuneable Tip antenna. I get usually less than 1.2:1 with the e and 4 ft Firestik IIs.

It’s not “actual” and it hasn’t any real meaning to dick around once fairly flat across the band. SWR is sorta it won’t smoke my radio. That’s all.

Assuming an AM/SSB (NRC) Export radio we aren’t worried about a 2-watt deficit. Percentage loss matters, but mobile runs are short.

Performance is: get out the Field Strength meter.

.

 

[slowmover]

This choice will mean more than antenna brand differences given same design & mount:



A HONDA Odyssey is a kick-azz family road vehicle much superior to almost all SUV and distinctly better than pickup trucks in COG and road dynamics. Same for Chrysler vans of the type.

It’s also a helluva radio vehicle given that long roof plus interior mount possibilities. And that one has — as with all of todays vehicles — investigated what’s needed for RF Bonding (adhesives in use, not welds; etc).

— My bargain AM/SSB radio is “better” than a high end choice —

That’s more a matter of you haven’t installed a high end radio AND that your minivan was a better choice than Corn Fed Fred’s GMC Gentleman Jim pickup as to the antenna performance by which your statement was founded in mistaken belief of what’s applicable.



IOW, don’t focus on the component. Focus on the systems and where they either lack or haven’t been tested as well as they might.

.

 

[slowmover]

So, . . is it under 2.0:1 across band?

Mark “Done” and proceed to next checklist item.

.