CB feedback

i see why its not mentioned... the fire-ring has a plastic piece on the top that acts just like that washer...

 

Almost. Too many plastic washers. You only need one.
Correcting your vertical word-diagram (I suppose most would call it a "list" ):

antenna
antenna stud
PLASTIC WASHER
mount
other end of stud where coax connects...
coax cable

Note I deleted your second PLASTIC WASHER. The other end of the stud where the coax mounts needs to ground to the truck in some way.

Even if you only use it off-road, I would still unwind the coiled excess and snake it around under your carpet. Your radio, your SWR, and your noise will all be happier.

 

awesome, thanks so much man! how do i know if i fucked the radio all up? are chances that i did pretty high or were you just kidding? it was only 25 bucks... lol

 

You can pick up a plastic washer at Radio Hack or any two-way radio store. All truck stops are guaranteed to have what you need.
Note: You won't be able to just use any old plastic washer, like say from Home Despot. It has to have a raised ridge along the inside that isolates the antenna from the mount (the ridge centers in and isolates from the inside of the stud hole in the mount). You want a CB-specific washer, which are almost always sold with the mounts. Using a hardware-store flat washer will still allow the antenna stud to contact the inside stud hole of the mount......and then you're right back where you started.

 

Well, if you transmitted for a while like that, it's pretty likely (let's just say 80% chance). If you didn't transmit much during that time, then your chances are pretty good (let's say about 15%). You'll know if the SWR is just unable to be brought down (below 2.5:1, and antenna grounding is KNOWN to not be the cause), or the radio just can't seem to get out, or the radio sounds or acts all kinds of funky. You can be sure by taking it to a radio shop and having them give it a look-over (and like I mentioned before, while they've got it, have them Peak & Tune it).

 

I see you're in NH. The hands-down best CB tech in the country is in lower NY state (not NYC). I'm not sure if he's still taking work, but I think his shop is, and I would blindly trust his judgement over anyone else's proven work. He's so good, I ship him my radio from SoCal when I need work done (now that I'm off the road). Lemme know if you need his info.

 

ok I had the washer but in the wrong spot. I put it in the right spot, and am still getting feedback from washer fluid etc... I hooked up a ground to the mount and held the other end between the metal vice plier teeth and it was a lot better. im thinking I need to ground the antenna mount, i can probably just wire it to the cb radio ground right?

 

sub'd so I can check my CB install tomorrow... I put it in 2 weeks ago, and took it out to a trail the next day.... it SUCKED and had horrible feedback and distortion. Figured I just did a shitty install like OP (sorry, no offense) and it needs some changes. Its ok though, selling and getting a HAM soon

 

hey, I was able to transmit for a few miles on mine, loud and clear with the firestik 2' antenna lol.... if I turn squelch up im ok, but being the perfectionist I am I don't want feedback from the electrical shit in the truck. I tested the current set up with some truckers haha...

 

the mount itself currently isn't touching metal... I have it bolted to the bed rails of our trucks so... could that be the issue?

 

Make sure you have a GOOD ground, I suppose I needed to mention.
Yes, if you're clamping your mount to paint or powdercoat or the like, you'll need to get to bare metal somehow.

For your consideration, what I did on my DCLB:
I mounted my 4' Firestick II on the vertical portion of the passenger-side hoop of my ARB bumper, using pipe U-clamps threaded through a standard 90* CB mounting bracket. I didn't remove any powdercoat on the bumper, but I *did* clamp the shit out of a 16-inch length of 8-AWG wire (so as to almost make it one with the mount), and ran that to one of the stock Toyota grounding rings in the engine bay. My SWR is 1.05:1, I can reach out a few miles barefootin' it, and I have absolutely *zero* noise coming from anywhere (I have the power cable temporarily plugged into the cigarette lighter socket). I've been told by other TW members on some of our local trail runs that my radio sounds the best of the group.
I suppose the take-away lesson of this story is: find a really good ground for the antenna and use it, even if you have to run a short length of wire to do so.

 

I wish you lived in NH... I went to a CB shop in Bow, NH, and the guy was like "yea everyone gets feedback, nothing I can do to help"... asshole.

 

Yes, the mount needs to ground on metal. Any time you hear "ground" and you're not talking about the dirt-covered horizontal surface you stand on, you should immediately think "metal." Always.
If you run a grounding wire to get your ground, make it as short as possible.

I'm wondering if at this point:

 

well its 3AM here so im going to bed haha, ill get som pics tomorrow of how badly I fucked this whole thing up. I have been able to talk to some people though!

 

I was in the same boat as you. Rigged up a mount using the bed rail system. Once Everything buttoned up, every time I touched the brake pedal i got feed back, turn signals, washer fluid etc. the issue is that it's hard to get a good ground on these composite beds. So I ended up going a completely different route and went with one of the relentless fabrication hood mounts. Switched everything around, ran wiring through the firewall. Well guess what, it works perfectly. Must be getting a great ground plane up there. I've heard some people disagree with putting the antennae at the front of the truck, but think about a big rig they put their antennas on the mirrors. Soo it works for me.

 

How much extra coax cable do you have. If its a lot I would cut it and reconnect it. If its a little I would coil it in as big as coils as you can no sharp bends. I was getting a lot of unwanted noise with mine because of these two problems.

 

He's probably got quite a bit considering he used 21ft of it.

 

True, I went to a local cb shop they saw the extra cord and cut and re attached it for me at no cost.

 

This. As short as possible to reach from the antenna to the radio. The whole coax in 3 foot lengths thing is a myth.

 

I feel like when it come to cb's so much of the info is personal preference as far as lengths and the way they are set up. Like where one person say you've gotta have this length of coax and another just cuts it and says your good. What is actually right or wrong in these situations?