[tj1]

I want to mount the CB antenna to the swingout and was wondering if this is the right antenna for this type of installation? Looking at a 4ft Wilson, will it do the job? Please advise. Thx!

[onlyone]

Originally Posted by tj1

I want to mount the CB antenna to the swingout and was wondering if this is the right antenna for this type of installation? Looking at a 4ft Wilson, will it do the job? Please advise. Thx!

It will be just fine.

[tj1]

Originally Posted by onlyone

It will be just fine.

Thanks onlyone. Are you using this kit or something similar? It's a little pricey and I wanted to make sure it's what I need before purchasing.

[TJ-n-Oregon]

Yea, it should be okay. Don't know about the "Right" question though. I personally would just run a secondary ground wire from the swing out to the chassis and/or the tub and go with a standard antenna myself...but that's just me. I personally prefer to stick with the standard mounting and grounding practice(s) that I've done for 30 years. That allows me total selection on the antenna type/style I want to run at the time.

But Wilson makes pretty good stuff and they've been around for many years. However they do tend to be a bit pricey on their stuff...but usually worth it.

[tj1]

TJNO, thanks for the reply. It kind of just worked out this way for several reasons. One, although it probably wouldn't be an issue, I prefer not to connect anything to the body that could have the potential to cause more rust, and two, it never occurred to me that I could/should run a ground wire to the swingout, and three, there are times when I just flatout want instant gratification. This is one of them. There's one store in my area (that I've found so far) that carries antennas, but they don't have a (4ft black) grounded system like you mention. So, I will start with the no ground system and if I experience too many headaches, I will take your advice and order a grounded system off the Web, as painfull as waiting is. Thx again!

[TJ-n-Oregon]

Originally Posted by tj1

TJNO, thanks for the reply. It kind of just worked out this way for several reasons. One, although it probably wouldn't be an issue, I prefer not to connect anything to the body that could have the potential to cause more rust, and two, it never occurred to me that I could/should run a ground wire to the swingout, and three, there are times when I just flatout want instant gratification. This is one of them. There's one store in my area (that I've found so far) that carries antennas, but they don't have a (4ft black) grounded system like you mention. So, I will start with the no ground system and if I experience too many headaches, I will take your advice and order a grounded system off the Web, as painfull as waiting is. Thx again!

I know all about instant gratification! Heck yea...use what you've got. I would, too. BTW, you can always buy shrink wrap and make an antenna most any color you want, too.

No problem though...let us know how it goes, and especially if you need any help.

[tj1]

My radio (Cobra CB) has 3 leads. According to the instructions, the orange wire is for memory retention and should be connected to a constant +12V source (so that it gets power even with the ignition turned off). The red wire should then go to a switched source so that the radio turns off with the ignition. Black for ground.

My question is, can I connect the orange and red together to the positive terminal on the battery without any adverse effects? I have to remember to turn the radio off when not in use, obviously, but otherwise, will this be ok? Thx!

Edit: Also, do I have to go out and buy an SWR meter just to tune the thing or is there a workaround?

[tj1]

Getting a meter reading of 1.5 on 1, <1.1 on 20, and 1.5 on 40. Is this good?

[TJ-n-Oregon]

Originally Posted by tj1

Getting a meter reading of 1.5 on 1, <1.1 on 20, and 1.5 on 40. Is this good?

Yes, that's fine on the SWR's.

On the power supply issue, I personally would still wire it directly the battery. Just make sure that all positive leads (at least) are fused.

[k8ysv]

I would go one better and say run ALL power leads directly to the battery (red and orange to the + and black to the - ) and fuse every one of them. If you don't it's possible for a malfunction in another system (like the starter with a bad ground) to try and dump all it's current through your radio and into the battery. Try to keep your leads as short as possible too.

Tj-n-Oregon is correct, the SWR is looking fine!

Good luck and have fun!

[tj1]

Thanks for the help, guys!

I went ahead and connected both red/orange to positive and black to negative (ensuring wire length was kept to a minimum) and the above results are what I rec'd after tuning the antenna. I scanned the channels for a bit but didn't hear any decent communication. Hopefully it was due to lack of activity in the area. I'll toy with it some more tonight and see what happens. Thx again.

[onlyone]

Originally Posted by tj1

Getting a meter reading of 1.5 on 1, <1.1 on 20, and 1.5 on 40. Is this good?

That is about perfect. I have a 5.5 ft francis on mine with a Ranger 6300 F25 my SWR is about exactly the same as yours.

[Jerry Bransford]

A no-ground antenna is technically a no-groundplane antenna which is meant for mounting where there is no steel body to mount to... like on a fiberglass boat. When compared to an antenna designed to be mounted to a steel body, bumper, etc, they are a poor excuse for an antenna and don't work nearly as well. Standard antennas use the steel mass of the Jeep for the other "half" of the antenna which helps the antenna work very well. An antenna is crippled when it is forced to work without all that available steel mass that a Jeep has available. Since it is available, make use of it with a standard antenna that requires a ground.

Since your Jeep has a steel tub and bumpers, I would go for a standard antenna since there's no reason to go for a significantly poorer performing antenna when you don't need to.