Grounding CB antenna

Hey all
Im trying to install a cb radio and I'd like to mount the antenna into the side of the bed right behind the driver side of the cab. How do I ground the antenna so I can tune it?

 

Bump. Help me please

 

You want to run a wire from the mount down to the frame

 

does the type of wire make a difference?

 

I dont think so, I used 12 or 14 gauge, cant remember. I found a bolt on a cross member.

 

awesome thank you!

 

No problem, good luck. Its pretty easy. The hardest part was finding the right connectors.

 

Yeah im sure it isnt difficult. Im just not very technologically inclined.... yet

 

I was the same way, well still pretty much am

 

If you are mounting the antenna on the outside of the truck (on metal), the antenna will be grounded already by default...the bed metal is connected to the frame at some point.

If you are mounting the antenna on the inside of the bed on the plastic, you need to run a grounging cable to the frame. Also, and MOST IMPORTANT I recommend using a "no-ground-antenna". This is NOT the same as grounging the cable. A "no-ground-antenna" is an antenna that does not need to be mounted on metal, or at least alot of it, like boats or RV's. CB antenna's need metal around them (think of a candel standing on a plate) inorder to transmit (TX), and is needed inorder to tune your antenna so it has a low SWR.

If you get the "no-ground antenna", it will come with a cable that attaches to the base of it and you just run it out of site. It acts like a large surface of metal, much like the truck of a car does for a truck mount antenna.

Make sure you have a SWR meter, and tune your antenna...the antenna will come with directions on how to tune that specific one.

DONT NOT ever key you mic unless your radio is attached to an antenna...you'll fry it up in less then a second!!! Seriously, you'll burn it up inside just that quick. At the same time, talking with a un-tunes radio, will do the same, just takes longer. But dont let that scare you. You will not fry the radio in the short time that you keying it up while your tuning the antenna.

 

i have an 06 tacoma, i baught a 5' firestik 2, stanless mount and 18' of wilson coax, i ran a ground to the frame and when i try to tune the antenna it pegs the nedle on the swr meter, i used 12 gage wire, was told to try ten guage and make the ground as short as possabe, any sugestions would be appreciated

 

+1 on his post-the "wire" he's talking about is called a "counterpoise" or "something for the antenna to work against" like it would off the truck body.
I personally would do a hard ground to the metal body-and just keep the ground strap short as possible-if it gets long enough to be a quarter wave of 27 mHz it will try to be part of the antenna instead of ground.

Bottom line-get a proper ground strap (braid) or at least #12AWG thick copper wire and drill a spot IN THE METAL BODY within 2' of the antenna and ground there

 

Sub'd. Adding a CB is gonna be my next project. Collecting all the info I can.

 

do i attach the ground strap to the anttena or to the mount,sory if this is a stupid question, i've never had a cb or had to install one

 

To the mount.