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CB radio help

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by 02goldie, Mar 10, 2014.

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  1. Mar 18, 2014 at 9:35 PM
    #41
    Trapperr

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    Trapperr Well-Known Member

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    Thanks PC. I'll move my ground wire to the battery.
     
    Trapperr, Mar 18, 2014
    #41
  2. Mar 19, 2014 at 9:19 AM
    #42
    02goldie

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    02goldie [OP] Well-Known Member

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    The whip is a 5' with the adjustment set screw on bottom
     
    02goldie, Mar 19, 2014
    #42
  3. Mar 19, 2014 at 9:52 AM
    #43
    bjmoose

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    bjmoose Bullwinkle J. Moose

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    That's a funny length for a plain steel whip...

    A quarter wave whip is 102" long.

    63" is 5/8 of a quarter wave.

    For an offbeat length like that - I'm thinking it needs an impedance matching coil. Is there a coil built into the antenna?
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2014
    bjmoose, Mar 19, 2014
    #43
  4. Mar 19, 2014 at 10:01 AM
    #44
    bjmoose

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    bjmoose Bullwinkle J. Moose

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    There's a limit to how much time and effort you wanna spend chasing after this.

    The way I hear it:

    1. you've got a fiberglass stick but you're concerned about it getting beat up/breaking during off roading

    2. so you're thinking of switching over to a whip every time you go off roading.

    Now, every time you switch antennas - you have to dig out the SWR meter and retune. Why not just mount an antenna that's flexible enough you can leave on all the time?

    I use this one - it's only $15.
    $28 FireStik FL3-B Three Foot Firefly Antenna with Tuneable Tip (Black)
    http://www.amazon.com/FireStik-FL3-B-FireFly-Antenna-Tuneable/dp/B005AUJXLM

    3' firestick 'firefly' is short enough that it doesn't stick up real high and is flexible enough I don't need to worry about anything it hits. It's only 15 bucks - and it's got a tunable tip so you can tune it with your fingers.

    Set it. Forget it. Done.
     
    bjmoose, Mar 19, 2014
    #44
  5. Mar 19, 2014 at 11:18 AM
    #45
    1stgen

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    1stgen Well-Known Member

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    what do you guys mean by ground your antenna? I found an old cb in my garage too and when I plug it all in it doesn't squeal. could this be my antenna?
     
    1stgen, Mar 19, 2014
    #45
  6. Mar 19, 2014 at 11:29 AM
    #46
    bjmoose

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    bjmoose Bullwinkle J. Moose

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    Every antenna has two parts. That's why it's a "di-pole" antenna di means 2 get it?

    In a simple wire di-pole antenna they're two separate wires stretching in opposite directions from the connection point.

    One half is attached to the central wire in the coax cable.
    The OTHER half is attached to the mesh shielding in the coax cable.

    Now, in a ground plane vehicle antenna - only the first half (the "sticking up in the air" half) is visible. The vehicle body itself forms the other half. Thats why the best ground plane is either the roof or the trunk, with the antenna mounted in the middle of that flat surface.

    So, a ground plane antenna mount is set up to ground to the vehicle body in which it's mounted. It keeps the center conductor electrically isolated from the vehicle body/ground. But it deliberately makes as sound a connection as possible of the coax cable shielding to vehicle ground.

    That's why an antenna mounted into a non-metallic part of the truck - e.g. the fiberglass bed of a tacoma - works very poorly. Half the antenna is missing!

    Hope this clarifies.
     
    bjmoose, Mar 19, 2014
    #46
  7. Mar 19, 2014 at 12:07 PM
    #47
    1stgen

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    1stgen Well-Known Member

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    Oh I understand, does this have anything to do with squeal?
     
    1stgen, Mar 19, 2014
    #47
  8. Mar 19, 2014 at 12:15 PM
    #48
    bjmoose

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    bjmoose Bullwinkle J. Moose

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    bjmoose, Mar 19, 2014
    #48
  9. Mar 19, 2014 at 2:20 PM
    #49
    1stgen

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    1stgen Well-Known Member

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    that helps thanks, this radio is old and may just that.
     
    1stgen, Mar 19, 2014
    #49
  10. Mar 19, 2014 at 2:23 PM
    #50
    PcBuilder14

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    PcBuilder14 Well-Known Member

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    This thread motivated me to get mine working.

    I've tried everything to try to fix the high SWR reading issue. Then I realized a few months ago that the whole antenna and stud were both grounding together to the antenna mount. Took a drill to the hole and widened it up, mounted everything back together and now I have a CB that is picking people FAR away haha

    Need to see how well it does away from base. Too many antenna's and radar around to mess with the signals.
     
    PcBuilder14, Mar 19, 2014
    #50
  11. Mar 19, 2014 at 6:54 PM
    #51
    Mod

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    Mod Well-Known Member

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    Random001_13b541a0176e8a2190080cb2da53ca8a9cfed7ba.jpg

    Copper weave ground strap about 1.5" wide on my woods find. Could talk for awhile,,with the right gear slid in the back.
     
    Mod, Mar 19, 2014
    #51
  12. Apr 16, 2014 at 10:48 AM
    #52
    cynicalrider

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    cynicalrider #NFG

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    Sorry to revive this thread but would an 9' coax be good enough to be going from my tool box to my ashtray or would I need the 18'? I don't want excess since that seems to be an issue but I don't want to be too short either.

    Also opinions on 505xl vs. the Cobra 19 dx? or the 520 xl?
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2014
    cynicalrider, Apr 16, 2014
    #52
  13. Apr 16, 2014 at 10:50 AM
    #53
    Newlife

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    Newlife Well-Known Member

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    Do you have double cab or regular or access? My double cab took 15' to go from the bed behind cab to the center console
     
    Newlife, Apr 16, 2014
    #53
  14. Apr 16, 2014 at 10:58 AM
    #54
    cynicalrider

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    cynicalrider #NFG

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    Extended cab. I guess I't just safer to go with the 18'
     
    cynicalrider, Apr 16, 2014
    #54
  15. Apr 16, 2014 at 11:00 AM
    #55
    Newlife

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    Newlife Well-Known Member

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    18 imho is too much. Do you have a cb shop near you?
     
    Newlife, Apr 16, 2014
    #55
  16. Apr 16, 2014 at 11:13 AM
    #56
    cynicalrider

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    cynicalrider #NFG

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    cynicalrider, Apr 16, 2014
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  17. Apr 16, 2014 at 11:15 AM
    #57
    Newlife

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    Newlife Well-Known Member

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    12 for should be enough. The cb shop here will make you one. That's Why I asked
     
    Newlife, Apr 16, 2014
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