CB Radio Information and Installation

Excellent write up! I subbed this for future reference.

 

Nice write up! I started having flashbacks to training I had at work when I read "radio signal propagation".

 

Ok now I am confused. So what is the better cable for the antenna

 

Not a bad write up, although there are a few holes in it.

Questions about Coax: Best by far 400max http://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-400max


Space concern and a good performer: rg8x http://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-8x


I use 400 max for HF and CB, while VHF and UHF rg8x, I also only run 7 feet(HF/CB) of with no SWR issues ( I am not using off the self antennas)

Firestick did that write up because of inefficiencies in there antennas and attempting to catch a null in the wave in order to gain favorable SWR.

Likewise Coax selection for mobile use and noise is very difficult to say will make a difference as you are not Earth ground nor are most CB's on the market filtered to compensate for Vehicle devices.

 

Mini-8 is fine for most mobile set-ups as long as there is no extra power involved. Once you add power it is inferior and must be upgraded. The problem with mini-8 is it really isn't regulated so there is some really low quality stuff out there. Don't skimp on the antenna and the coax and you will be fine.

 

Thanks

 

^ He's got it.

I had actually used RG8X for the antenna and power.

RG8X is not much more expensive and is good quality. For a usual CB application, RG8X is fine. I updated that section in the write-up.

 

I grounded it to a screw below the tail light. It's hard to see the bolt I used in the picture (Section 7), but it's the red wire coming out of the tail light and anchored to the bolt on the left side of the picture.

Where ever you decide, make sure it is grounded to the frame for the best ground.

 

RG8X is Mini-8. RG8U is a better coax. There are a shit ton of different types just depends on how involved you want to get and how well you want your set-up to perform.

This calculator has a ton of good info on coax....

http://www.timesmicrowave.com/cgi-bin/calculate.pl

 

Oh, I didn't realize they were one in the same. Thanks!

 

Thanks Chris, i'm going to ground to the frame,i just wasn't sure where the antenna itself was grounded.
This is the mount i made.

 

sorry for the noob question but i have a 3 ft tuneable firestik II and i have no clue how to ground the antenna??? how do you just ground the antenna and not the mount? it will be mounted on one of relentless fabs hood cb mounts.

 

Very nice.

What kind of antenna do you have? It may not be grounded the same as mine. I used a Wilson 4' flex.

 

3' Firestik

 

You guys may have the No Ground Plane (NGP) antennas. These do not require grounding. Try looking up your exact model and see if it says No Ground Plane or NGP. I think the Firestik II is not a NGP though.

If it's not an NGP antenna, then you will need to make sure the mount itself is grounded. You can run a wire from the mount to a location on your truck that connects to the frame (or directly to the frame). Just make sure whatever you attach to, it's not painted. You can use a continuity tester to determine if your grounded or not. Or look at your SWR reading, it will be way over 2.

Something like this:

 

so if i just put the mount from relentless on wouldnt the mount already be grounded? i mean since it uses the bolts that hold your hood on to mount it? or am i wrong?

 

I have a 3' NGP Firestik mounted in the front drivers corner of my bed. I am getting High SWR, any suggestions?

 

Yeah, ditch the NGP Firestik. I had one and it was crap, could never get my SWR down low enough.

 

Yea, I see the roof mount in your sig. I'm not going there.

I'm curious if a GP antenna in the same location would be any better.

 

ok so i looked up the part number on my antenna and it is a firestik II with a part number of FS3-b.... so im guessing its not an NGP antenna then???