Best ground for cb antenna

I ran the ground wire between the cab and bed to a 6mm stud sticking out with a washer on either side and a stainless nut seems to have grounded out just have about 15" of braided ground cable

 

The bed rails are grounded. 1/4 wave 11 meter antennas are 108" long. Wire wound around the sticks make up for the short length if you mount them directly behind the cab they are going to suck unless you get the wire that is wrapped inside above the cab. A ground independent antenna needs to be 1/2 wave yep 216" on 11 meters. My ham antenna is mounted at the rear I use frequencies far lower then the CB bands (read very long antennas) mounted on the rear of the bed and underneath the plastic bed is a zig zag of #8 wire grounded to the frame on both ends. With 11 meters no matter what you do 5 miles is a good trip unless the band is open. 11 meters became available to the general because the Navy no longer wanted it.

 

Unplug the coax from the antenna and see if it still reads zero.

It won't.

The meter will "find" a ground through the coax back to the radio, but there is a huge difference between DC and RF continuity.

You need a SOLID ground AT the antenna, or as absolutely close as possible to it.

 

Wait, the bedrails are grounded?

I have a very ghetto wire leading from my mount, down through one of the bed storage boxs onto a nut/bolt I put through a hole in the frame. My CB doesn't seem to work well, but I've never tuned it. Getting an SWR gauge and redoing the ground was on my project list for Dec.


Also, my God this thread is old. I remember starting it.

 

I got it grounded good took the coax cable off to ensure that it wasn't grounding to the radio still looked good. Now I think my radio just sucks or has a blown fuse it is a uniden 150 pro xl I'm buying a cobra 19 iv and gonna get it tuned and peaked so I can have it hooked to my galaxy 225 linear and actually put out some sound.

 

I personally wouldn't put money into a peak and tune on a Cobra 19. If you are running an amp with it just let it be. If you over drive the amp you could fry it.

 

And if you are driving that antenna with an amp, don't have the whip anywhere near the cab.

Seriously... move it to the roof or the back corner of the bed.
The reflections from the boosted power will smoke the amp quickly.

 

My headlights keep blowing out anyone have an idea what that could be caused by ?

 

- wrong thread?


are you blowing fuses to? bad grounds? when you install the bulbs, do you touch the bulb with your finger tips?

 

Where is the fuse box. I touch the bulbs but I always have Gloves on so they don't burn up.

 

Is the bolt that holds the seat down to the floor a good ground for a linear amp do t know what to check to make sure have the ground running straight from the amp to that big bolt.

 

I've done that before with no issues. Make sure you use the right size cable. I'd say try it. If you get complaints of a lot of static or squeal then go out to the battery ground.

 

Dude, the Cobra 19 is actually one of the easiest and best to peak and tune. You can make a really loud radio out of that thing. I have done a bunch of them. It won't over drive the amp if done right, and you have a good amp. I've even done final amp replacements on them.

BTW I do peak and tune's for $20

 

BTW, I see you are in Lexington...I grew up in G'Ville. I ran all over that area in the 80's doing Hare Scrambles.

The Tacoma is an absolute nightmare trying to get a good mount and good SWR. Mounting on the bed side is almost a waste of time unless you use an NGP antenna. The wire braid is really useless. You want a ground plane and the bed just doesn't provide that. In reality, the ground plane must act as at least 1/4 of the antenna wave length. Something like in this photo:


Also antenna height makes a big difference. You really want half on the antenna unobstructed.

One solution that I have found is adding a 2ft Firestik in place of the AM/FM antenna and then using an antenna splitter. So far, the feedback I have gotten has been good. This is one on my FJ:

 

Does the radio pickup better?

 

From what I have been told, yes. Because you get a better ground plane. I just added this to the FJ as a test for the mount and adapter. It has made no difference in AM/FM function at all.

To be honest, the best Tacoma CB I have installed was with a roof mount Wilson antenna. I had the SWR down to about .3 across all 40 channels.

 

That's awesome! How did you do that with the stock fm antenna location? Could you do a write up? I know there are a few people on here who'd like to do that exact mounting option, but don't know how to.

 

SWR can not be any better then 1:1 not matter how hard you try.

 

In the case of a 1/4 wave antenna CB antenna or not that is correct the ground plane becomes the other half wave but a 1/2 wave is ground independent. Any thing you do to an 11 meter antenna is a compromise because of the length with out a ground plane it would have to be in excess of 200" they get over the short length with a wire wound around a fiberglass stick to equal a ¼ of 11 meters. If you can get the entire stick above the roof line your OK. In the case of a truck the best possible spot is dead in the center of the roof because it does not slew the pattern it becomes omni directional, any where you put the antenna on a metal truck will work the body and the frame will become a ground plane plastic bed or not but the pattern will change. Trucker often use co phased antennas they work well on a truck because the pattern become shaped like a figure eight perfect for a trucker front and back and little to the sides but if you want to talk to your buddies in the woods not so good. If your base is grounded to the body work be it a ball mount or aluminum angle that’s a good enough ground there is no need to go any further unless it makes you feel good.

 

You aren't going to get a true 1/2 wave antenna for CB on a vehicle smaller than a large yacht.