Grounding CB Antenna

I got my CB radio today and my firestick antenna kit. The kit comes with directions that say the antenna mount must be grounded. Was wodndering how you guys ended up doing this? (grounding the mount and location of your mount). My mount is this one:

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/mirror-3-way-cb-mounts-85/firestik-3-way-cb-mirror-mount-239.html

I want to mount it somewhere in the bed but don't know where/how to ground the mount. I have a bedliner too (the plastic ones that usually come on the tacos)

 

you can install the mount wherever in the bed you want to, but you'll need to make a ground wire from the mount to the frame of the truck........and i'd use 8 gauge wire to do so........10 gauge will work decently as well.

 

with my bed liner removed I removed the tie down hook, ran a ground to the hole, replaced hook,and the bracket I made and put the liner back in, I have a metal bed, you will have to run a ground to the frame. I braised the bracket, but you can buy flat stock from ACE. Home Repo or lowes and bolt it together with little effort, I made sure to use dielectric grease on my ground to make it water-weather proff

 

I still dont have it hooked up because I found a webpage telling you how to "boost" output on a stock cb, and well, I can hear ya, I just cant brodcast anymore...some things you just shouldnt mess with...

 

Now when you say to ground it to the frame, this means ANY metal part of the truck where I can get good contact? And um guessing I'd just use a screw to ground it right (use it to bolt down the wire)?

 

easiest way i have found is to use and eyelet, and find a spot on the frame where there is already a bolt......loosen it and put the ground wire there.

 

Yeah but don't forget about 'ground plane' see firestik's site or google.

 

Nice. That's exactly what I'll do (eyelets with some 8 gauge wiring). While i'm at it I may do some dust lights too. I'll make it a personal mod day. Thanks a lot for all your help guys!

 

Crap. What's this "ground plane" you speak of? Jesus this is getting more technical than I expected. I guess it's good though, it's an opportunity tto learn.

 

the ground plane is where the antenna will pick up the best reception....which would be right on the roof. i got canada's(member on here) tuned

 

A friend of mine had a truck with a cb in the 1970's,( I am in Florida) the Indian river is salt water and he used to pull up beside the river bank and run a wire(attached to his cb or antena or truck, I don't know which yet) with a metal plate attached to it to the salt water, he said it made ground much better, his broadcast was better, I'll see him on Monday, but I'm guessing the H20 being saline made a difference, or just water in general, he can give me more info on grounding a cb, a better ground plane giver a cleaner signal I think, some one help me out here.

 

Do you guys know if I could ground with 16 gauge wire?

 

not exactly sure.. 12 might work? whats powering it.. i heard a rule of thumb is to use the same size as the power source?

 

you could.......but 12 or 8 would be better. or you can do as i have done......add a few strands of 16 gauge together and tape it up.....it will woprk the same as a larger gauge will.

 

well Im talking about the antenna. I need to ground it. Im not exactly sure where its getting power from. Im guessing the coaxial cable coming from the CB radio itself.

 

alright I think a few strands of 16 is the way Ill go with. Im gonna use eyelets at the end of the wire to hookup to the mount and chasis, so should I stick two wires in one eyelet or use two eyelets (both on chasis end and mount end)?

 

just use a bigger eyelet and run the 2 wires together to make up the one.