Hearkening back to the days of yore...

[Truckman]

Waiting on the first pics of the install.

I'm writing a pictorial how-to (or in my case, maybe how-not-to)...All the step-by-step pics will be there when it's published...

I used that kind of mount on my truck.

I'm sure I just don't completely understand coaxial cable, but the tech sheet said make sure your mounting surface is grounded, then they showed how to use the nylon insulator bushings which I followed exactly...The puzzling part is that the metal ring inside both cable ends seems to be in contact with the steel mount...I don't understand why the signal is not just absorbed into the body...

Also the antennas will be 89 inches apart, not the preferred nine feet the purists demand, but then the truck would be wider than the legal limit...But it's well over the minimum 60 inches that Firestik specified......Ben

[Blue74]

I'm writing a pictorial how-to (or in my case, maybe how-not-to)...All the step-by-step pics will be there when it's published...I'm sure I just don't completely understand coaxial cable, but the tech sheet said make sure your mounting surface is grounded, then they showed how to use the nylon insulator bushings which I followed exactly...The puzzling part is that the metal ring inside both cable ends is in contact with the steel mount...I don't understand why the signal is not just absorbed into the body...

Also the antennas will be 89 inches, not the preferred nine feet the purists demand, but then the truck would be wider than the legal limit...But it's well over the minimum 60 inches that Firestik specified......Ben

This might help explain how it's built. Mine works as good and was easy to adjust with the calibration on the CB.

[Truckman]

Thanks Paul, I've seen those illustrations, but I'm still confused over how the metal ring inside might be grounded against the bracket...It still seems that the signal would be grounded also...I guess I'll find out when I light the fuse......Ben

[Mike]

https://www.wearecb.com/testing-cb-antenna-ground.html

[Truckman]

Thanks Mike, that helps clear a little of the mud in my mind, although I still don't understand the signal path entirely...But as long as my method is confirmed right, I'm OK with it...What I will also do is pick up some new braided ground straps and make sure my bed, cab and frame are correctly grounded...Redundant grounds never hurt anything......Ben

[Truckman]

In thinking further about it, and considering the Firestik fire ring construction as compared to the cables I was used to with coax plugs on both ends, I now understand how they're both providing a ground...It makes me want to double check my grounds, which I will do this afternoon......Ben

EDIT: Grounds are good for mounting brackets...Antenna hardware is not grounded so the nylon bushings are apparently doing their jobs...I also checked continuity to ground from the coax connectors inside the cab and it's there...From my reading that's the way it's supposed to be...I'm still going to run new redundant grounds with braided ground straps...

EDIT AGAIN: Advance Auto had stainless steel braided ground straps in the Dorman Help aisle...I now have redundant body/bed/frame/engine grounds...

[Truckman]

All my working life I've had occasion to use Dremel tools...I owned a basic one I bought used from a guy who needed money...I've used nicer ones belonging to the various shops I worked for...I've borrowed them now and then when I needed one, but I've never owned a new one...Lowes had a good buy on a nice one, even better with my veteran's discount, and since I really needed one to fabricate a lot of the parts for this project, I bought it...Being my first new one I had never looked through the factory manual, so I read through this one to see if I could find anything I didn't already know...And wouldn't you know it, right there in the safety precautions it says "this tool is not intended as a substitute for proper dental equipment"...

Now they tell me......Ben

[Truckman]

Did your stuff come in? Have you installed it yet?

Just for you, Tom...I finished the main body of my control panel to the point where I could place it for fitment in the truck...At that point I knew exactly where the front plate to hold the CB and the flashlight would have to be, so I made a bracket and front plate, painted them and rechecked for fitment with the other parts, then installed it with the radio and the flashlight charger mounted...

I wired in the grounds, connected the antennas and ran a temporary hot wire to the radio...Turned it on and it all works...I get all 40 channels, the side bands and seven weather channels...But using the built in SWR meter is a mystery to me...I haven't figured out how to read it yet, so I have no idea what my SWR is...I don't want to broadcast yet until I know...I'll have to do more reading and try again tomorrow......Ben

[mgrist]

You'll need a nap after tuning your antennas. Nothing here to pay attention to except the nap, I can't get what I did to pull up, my mind has a blue screen. When I had my CB I bought a SWR meter and tuned my setup. I think I was suppose to shorten the antennas or just one of the antenna and didn't because I didn't want them uneven. It would have been just a little bit but I'm anal.

[Truckman]

So I bought a separate SWR meter, this one, and a jumper cable to connect it between the antennas and the radio...The instructions do not tell me which end to attach to the antenna though...Since the meter is inline between the two components, I'm guessing it doesn't matter...Does that sound right?...I looked on some CB websites and found no answer......Ben

[Honda]

So I bought a separate SWR meter, this one, and a jumper cable to connect it between the antennas and the radio...The instructions do not tell me which end to attach to the antenna though...Since the meter is inline between the two components, I'm guessing it doesn't matter...Does that sound right?...I looked on some CB websites and found no answer......Ben

I can't remember how I did it but it seemed like it was self-explanatory there was an input and an output.

[Truckman]

there was an input and an output.

I don't remember either since it's been 40 years since I did this...There are no markings on the unit to indicate direction, but that might not matter since it measures incoming signals as well as outgoing...From my reading you have to reverse the flow to read the ratio between waves, and there is a switch for that...I'll just hook it up and see what happens...If Mike reports a loud noise and a fireball north of him, you'll know I tried my best......Ben

[Truckman]

I figured it out...Turns out the meter is directional, and it is marked as such...I just couldn't see it until I went to hook it up...I couldn't get the SWR any lower than 2.6, which is apparently less than the danger level...But I did this parked between my house and the power lines to the house...At some point I'll take the meter, truck and my stepladder out to an open parking lot, and try again......Ben

[mgrist]

I thought I'd look at a couple of CB antenna installs, these two were the simplest for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwFPKIjweP8 \\\\\https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiMVAuOefXo they went through why you would want to shorten or lenghthen your antenna by a quarter inch at a time. I remembered that and mentioned it but wanted to make sure I was right, for my own sake, I knew you would have it checked out well no matter what I said.

[Truckman]

Thanks, Mike...I noticed in both videos they were out in open country away from power lines, buildings and tall trees...They also did their tests on channels 1 and 40 apparently...I dod mine next to my house and on channel 20 only...I still don't know what they were saying with no sound though...I'll find a place in the open and try different channels...Thanks......Ben