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Help with my CB...

xtimesofgrace

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I have never messed with a CB before so I followed a guide one of [Banned Site]’s guides. I made a bracket for a cb and used a prostick 4’ cb antenna. Ran the coax cable through the Jeep and I’m using a Midland 75-822 handheld with, of course, the small antenna removed and hooked up to the one on the Jeep. I ran a ground wire from the tailgate down to the frame. I sanded the paint off the tailgate hinge screw to get a good ground. I am getting nothing with the cb even if I drive down the road to the truck stop. My connection on the cb is showing like 5. I don’t know if I have a bad ground or I need to get an swr meter to tune the antenna. I’ll attach a couple pictures. Also I’m not sure if the bracket I made needs to have the paint sanded off so the antenna mount has a good ground as well. Looking for some suggestions.

53A709DA-1D04-4CA0-869A-67F3D8D062D5.jpeg


EBB3D9C0-DCE4-4DF6-BE54-B9714155B983.jpeg


0E3EF6A9-0A8D-484C-8621-01E615183E45.jpeg
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Sheepjeep

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Sounds like a bad ground, sand off the the paint on the mount on the bottom and maybe around the bolts, easy way to test the ground use a multi meter and check for continuity between the screw part of the cable and any ground point on the frame or tub or any ground wires you can reach
 

OldBird

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If you are asking if you need an SWR meter then I assume you haven't tuned the antenna.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tun.....69i57j0l5.1775j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Every install is different and almost none will work well without a tune of the antenna. I would give that a shot first, then seek other issues if it's not enough.

CBs are pretty rare on the road anymore, mine is only turned on when I'm on the trail. You may not know whether it works well until you are on the trail.
 
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xtimesofgrace

xtimesofgrace

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If you are asking if you need an SWR meter then I assume you haven't tuned the antenna.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tun.....69i57j0l5.1775j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Every install is different and almost none will work well without a tune of the antenna. I would give that a shot first, then seek other issues if it's not enough.

CBs are pretty rare on the road anymore, mine is only turned on when I'm on the trail. You may not know whether it works well until you are on the trail.
Yea im pretty much just using it for on the trails. I have an SWR meter on the way and should be here tuesday. Im hoping that is the problem.
 

DenaliDan

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I would expect, even without being tuned with the meter, you should be getting something sitting at a truck stop. I threw mine together similarly as you did and I get about a mile without being tuned. As suggested, I would check out that ground.
 

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Bryce

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I would expect, even without being tuned with the meter, you should be getting something sitting at a truck stop. I threw mine together similarly as you did and I get about a mile without being tuned. As suggested, I would check out that ground.
I agree. Unturned you should be hearing /receiving something. Transmitting may not be the best. A lot of truckers have Amos hooked up, and should be booming in around a truck stop.

Also check the PL-259 connector on the cable. I had 2 cables that the PL-259 outer shielding part of the connector was loose even when tightened up completely. To remedy that, I put a rubber washer between the radio connection and the cable connector to snug it up to make sure it wasn't losing continuity.
 

Martindfletcher

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It should at least work a little but crappy, I ran a ground strap from the tailgate to the frame to make sure it was grounded. Mine was for a ham radio but same concept.
 
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xtimesofgrace

xtimesofgrace

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It should at least work a little but crappy, I ran a ground strap from the tailgate to the frame to make sure it was grounded. Mine was for a ham radio but same concept.
Well I pick up something on channel 6 but it’s real crappy. I even pick it up with it using the small antenna it comes with but still crappy of course
 

Bryce

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Well I pick up something on channel 6 but it’s real crappy. I even pick it up with it using the small antenna it comes with but still crappy of course
6 is referred to as "Superbowl 6" because it's where all the high power guys hang out and work the skip. You could be hearing someone completely across the country and the could be using Single Side Band too (SSB make you sound like a robot voice if you are not receiving in SSB).

Try finding a local 4wd club or HAM operator. Theres usually a few old crusty guys that are into radios that would be more than happy to help.
 

prerunner1982

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By ground wire are you using a normal electric wire? This is not ideal as you are not trying to make a DC ground.
You are trying to make an RF ground and RF travels on the outside of the wire so you would ideally want a braided ground strap.
Also you will want the mount to be clean of paint/powder coat where the bolts go and the underside where the antenna stud goes.
 

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xtimesofgrace

xtimesofgrace

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By ground wire are you using a normal electric wire? This is not ideal as you are not trying to make a DC ground.
You are trying to make an RF ground and RF travels on the outside of the wire so you would ideally want a braided ground strap.
Also you will want the mount to be clean of paint/powder coat where the bolts go and the underside where the antenna stud goes.
I’m using one of those engine ground straps. The flat ones. It’s running from the tailgate hinge bolt (on the inside of tailgate) with a nut on it. I sanded the paint off the inside of the hinge screw and the inside of the tailgate where the ground wire hooks.
 
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xtimesofgrace

xtimesofgrace

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It should at least work a little but crappy, I ran a ground strap from the tailgate to the frame to make sure it was grounded. Mine was for a ham radio but same concept.
That’s pretty much what I did. But from the end of the wire with the plug to the frame I’m not getting continuity. Did you sand the frame?
 

Martindfletcher

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That’s pretty much what I did. But from the end of the wire with the plug to the frame I’m not getting continuity. Did you sand the frame?
you need get continuity from the barrel of the coax that goes to the cb to the separate ground cable to know your done. I had to remove some paint. On the frame for the ground and inside the tailgate, and to the connection of the ground to mounting plate.
 
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xtimesofgrace

xtimesofgrace

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So I just removed my mounting plate for the antenna and sanded it where the connections are. I did the same for the frame where I mounted my ground cable and I’m now getting continuity from the frame to my tailgate and also from my frame to the bottom of the antenna mount. I am not getting continuity to the top of the antenna fitting (the part above the mounting plate) to the frame and I’m not sure if it need to have continuity to that part. I drove down the road and I still get nothing but static but the cb is showing a steady 6 bar signal on every channel. The signal does not fluctuate at all. So at this point I’m not sure what else to look for.
 

Martindfletcher

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So I just removed my mounting plate for the antenna and sanded it where the connections are. I did the same for the frame where I mounted my ground cable and I’m now getting continuity from the frame to my tailgate and also from my frame to the bottom of the antenna mount. I am not getting continuity to the top of the antenna fitting (the part above the mounting plate) to the frame and I’m not sure if it need to have continuity to that part. I drove down the road and I still get nothing but static but the cb is showing a steady 6 bar signal on every channel. The signal does not fluctuate at all. So at this point I’m not sure what else to look for.
I am not an expert, and relying on memory. But you should have ground continuity to the barrel of the coax, did you make the cable connection at the CB end? Or was it factory. The cable ground looks like the bottom on your pics needs to ground/touch at bottom antenna mount. That is finicky at least with my mount and cable.
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