bpm4x4 Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I used to run a Cobra 148 GTL with the 102" SS whip, I could talk skip to Texas while driving down the road. SWR was almost 0 (that's good, I think). A lot of trail rides have ravines that people will stand along side and watch, when that truck bounces off that rock (oops!) and pitches the other way, that 102" whip will sting at the minimum when it smacks you in the face. I know that's a little "wordy" but I think you already understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Considering 1 is perfect and only obtainable in a lab or with a dummy load, I imagine 0 would be pretty darned good. If it were possible :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I'm strictly low-tech. My first CB was a Radio Shack compact model and I ran it in the XJ using a Radio Shack gutter-mount, fold-down antenna (steel). I had that in the Jeep on a cross-country trip, and in open, flat terrain in the mid-west I was getting out 10+ miles and receiving from close to 20 miles. It worked well on trails because if I saw a low branch ahead I could just reach out the window, flop the stick down parallel to the gutter, and motor on through. Naturally, Radio Shack discontinued that antenna. The one I ran on the MJ was a short, steel magnetic mount I picked up at a truck stop from the CB wall rack. Sorry, I don't recall the brand. It works well, but it is prone to being knocked off the roof by low branches. There is no single answer. Much of the decision has to take into account the terrain you expect to see. You can run a long, upright whip all week at Moab and never have a problem. Take the same thing into the woods in New England and you're thrashing tree branches every few feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Slow_Norris Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Stu's offroad website hit most of the points. CB (and antennas in general) have a lot of BS surrounding. This dude knows a great deal. http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reson46 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I incorporated a antenna mount into the spare tire carrier. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exjay33 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Go to a local trk stop buy a wilson 1000 magnet mount put it on the corner of the bed or wherever you feel like . This is as close too a 102 whip that you can get and they work great { price around 60.00 bucks } . Do you already have the radio , if not buy a small cobra or uniden will work just fine for trail use , if you want to really take around the country or the world for that matter { when conditions are right } go to coppers radios buy yourself a 10 meter radio have it converted to 11 meter and talk to the world . Oh and yes 0 ...00 swr 's are possible without dummy loads or in labs . I am a licensed radio operator if you have any questions you are welcome to contact. Yes on cb I have talked around the country and part way around the globe , mobile and base . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Please tell me, when an swr of 1 is perfect, and the scale starts at 1, how you can have an swr below 1 (as in 0)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exjay33 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 On a good meter it starts at 0.1 , not a radio shack special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Trust me, my buddy's Radiocraft 3000 is not a Radio Shack special. and at $400 is not cheap. It's scale starts at 1 and goes to infinity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exjay33 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Well I as well have several that start at 0.1 and go up from there 10 and 11 meter if you would like to borrow it you are more than welcome too . Anyhow any thing below 3 is good in 11 meter , and alot of the new radios turn down when they reach anything over the 3 mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 My cheap RS one gives me the same reading as my buddy's Radiocraft, so I know it is accurate enough for my purpose. I think I'm going to try a roof mount,as the fender mount is just not working well. I have an swr of 1.4 with my 102" whip, but with a 3' and 4' one the lowest I can get it to is about 3. I may try a different cable first, but I'm pretty sure the problem is the fender not providing a very good ground plane. Either that, or tie a piece of fishing line to the top if the 102" and force it down into an arc toward the rear bumper. I might try that first, since it's the easiest solution. And yes, a lot of newer radios do lower their output when the swr is 3 or higher. It's a safety feature to prevent the output amplifier from being damaged by the high voltage of the reflected wave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWLONGSHOT Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 SWR measures signal to wavelength of your antenna. IIRC the 102 is half wave for this band. (Or is it full wave.. too many beers today. I'm a bit fuzzy.) That's the reason no adjustments are necessary for the 102". It's length is REQUIRED. So when to use a shorter antenna that length needs to be made up somewhere. Usually this is done in the base and other times in the "loaded" center section. Antennas like a broad flat metal surface for mounting. That's why the center of car roofs work well. Its tougher on the PU. SWR is not completely controlled by the antenna. move rout the cable with purpose. Do the same when considering where you put the mast itself. See for yourself, move the cable and re-check SWR. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stumpy Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 102's are 1/4 wave. Just bought one from radio shack a few weeks ago for the TJ and gotta buy the mount so i can put it on the side so i can "fold" it down when needed. I have my crappy 4' glass one for trail rides. Now i just gotta go buy one for the MJ. I think i will mount it on a 1/4" plate by the sliding window since it the center of the jeep. the thing that was hardest to find locally was the HD spring..had my small one on it for about a mile and i thought it was gonna smack the car next to me when i turned.. :oops: :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpm4x4 Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 http://www.radioshack.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2032102&cp=2032052.2032075.2032078 is this the spring you need? how did i get 0 on my SWR on my setup? I set up the meter and calibrated it. flipped the switch to SWR, keyed the mic and the meter did not move at all. To verify my findings I tried a different meter (and the one built into the radio), and they all did the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Both on my $20 RS meter and my buddy's $400 HAM setup, needle not moving is 1. That's where the scale starts. Guess your meter has a different scale. No matter, though, needle not moving (whether 0 or 1) is as good as you're gonna get. I'm pretty sure the problems I'm having are caused by my choice of location. I thought it would be cool to mount the antenna in the stock radio antenna location, but the fender just does not make for a good ground plane. Gonna order a roof mount and stick one of them (probably 3') dead smack in the middle of my roof. Where'd you mount your antenna? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpm4x4 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Where'd you mount your antenna? Mine is on top of my roll bar on a piece of steel that runs between the light tabs mounted right in the middle, but I only have a 4 ft OE Mack antenna on there for now. with the big spring. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I got a no drill xj,zj,wj,mj fender lip mount from quadratec. They're made by CFE products. CFE also makes a no drill universal bed rail mount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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