I bought a 4 foot firestik antenna and the cb set up. Everything is hoked up right.
Even when i turned it on i was getting reception from truckers even though the free way is about 3-5 miles away.

Now i bought a SWR meter to tune it correctly so i dont burn up my CB.
I did everything step by step from this site.

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/Equip...io-Antenna.htm

But when i put the dial to the set position while keying the mike i flip the switch but instead of the needle going to the left it goes to the right side all the way.
I tried this in channel 1, 19, and 40.
I have no idea whats going on.
My antenna is fiberglass so i was told i would need to shorten it depending of my SWR meter but i cant get a good reading at all.
Any suggestions? has this happened to anyone?
By the way the antenna in on my rear bumper on left corner.

 

some people on here will give you the scoop.... but there really isn't a crisis need to pro tune them in... most fire-stik's come pre-tuned so you don't even need to.. its mostly there so you can just maximize performance or distance....

but check that your antenna is grounded correctly is all i could really say

 

An improperly tunned antenna can burn up the Finals in a CB.

Your problem is a bad ground plane, generally caused by a poor or improper ground for the antenna. The ususal suspect is an improperly installed isolation washer allowing the bulkhead connector to ground out on the mount. The isolation washer (nylon) has a raised lip that keeps fitting centered in the mounting hole and prevents the grounding issue.



http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/swr-trblshoot.htm

 

Oh wow thanks for the diagram.
Well i checked it out but its the same way on the diagram.



See i have it in the right order the locknut, washer then nylon washer for isolation.
Whats my problem?
Can it be where it bolted on the right side?
Everything looks to be in order.
Hope someone catches my mistake. First time putting a cb antenna lol.

 

Make sure the lip of the isolation washer is in the hole on your bracket.

 

how far above the roof does the antena stick out? And are you sure the bracket is getting a good ground from the bumper?

 

Yea i just took it apart and reassembled it to make sure but no go. It still goes the opposite side when i flip the switch.
Im doing the testing in an empty parking lot.

The antenna sticks out about a foot from the roofline.
I can can hear truckers pretty clear and eveything but its just the tuning.
Well in the pics i put up i bolted it in a hole to hold the bracket.
Is it possible my bumper is a bad ground?
It has some rust where it connects to the unibody but dont think it would make a big difference though.

 

I would start by making a clean ground, and checkign to make sure your coax is in good condition still. And do you have the rubber cap on the top of the antenna?

 

How can I know if I have a good ground. Also what can I do to make a good ground?
Yes I have that cap on the tip.

 

Use a piece of wire connected to a known good chassis ground and connect the other to the knurled fitting of the antenna. S pair of vise gris works great as a temporary clamp, just don't squish the fitting.

How long is your coax cable?
Is it tightly looped or a lagre loop.

Don't know if you saw the link below the pic I posted, check it out.

Another link for ya.
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs.htm

 

if the coax you ran has some extra length to it make sure its not just bundled up into a tight waad or a small spool.... it would have to be in a 12" loop to prevent irregularities

 

Ok I want to try that. I know I have continuity. So use a wire to put on the chassy for a better ground. Is the knurled fitting the bottom part from the mount where the coax connects too? Or jus the who bracket itself.
I had 12 ft but changed to 18 so I can go behind the pedals. I did have some slack about a foot and a half and rolled it. I don't think it's too tight. But I'll unroll it jus to be safe.
Yeah thanks frank for those tech articles. I tried a couple of them but the two that I pinpointed is the ground and the bunched coax.

 

what does it mean burn up a cb?
i dont get it

 

Ruins the crystals.

 

It's the threaded part of the coax cable that you spin onto the adapter.