New GMRS install & interference

[slim_pickens]

I forgot to mention this, but I would also check and make sure your antenna is secure and there is nothing loose. Including the bracket you have it a mounted on.

Another option is to use the antenna that came with it to run your tests.

I like this idea and will probably start back at square one when I get back into town. I want to pull the radio out of the Jeep, power it with my portable battery, and connect the portable antenna to it just to get a baseline of how things sound.

I'm fairly certain the antenna and bracket it's attached to are snugged up pretty well.

You mentioned mounting the antenna to the cowl. How is the antenna grounded?

So far, my antenna is not grounded. I actually asked Midland about this while I was ordering my unit and their advice was to start by not worrying about this. If I was unsatisfied with the performance afterwards, they suggested, then I could try grounding the antenna.

In my case, the antenna is attached to a powder-coated aluminum bracket which is bolted into the driver's side cowl factory attachment points. My bracket has a 3/4" hole, so I used Midland's plastic spacer in this hole (at least, that's what it seemed to be) and then inserted the NMO stud up this hole from the bottom, and then screwed on the NMO disc and then the antenna from the top.

What's the best practice to add (presumably) a ring terminal on a future ground wire in this antenna assembly... sandwiched between the NMO disc and the antenna, or somewhere else? I'm guessing there's a convenient grounding stud in the engine bay on the driver's side not too far away here if I give this a shot.

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[CpT Papa]

What's the best practice to add (presumably) a ring terminal on a future ground wire in this antenna assembly... sandwiched between the NMO disc and the antenna, or somewhere else? I'm guessing there's a convenient grounding stud in the engine bay on the driver's side not too far away here if I give this a shot.

From your description I doubt your antenna has any ground. I am not a gmrs antenna pro but Googling the subject the top reply was "Your antenna mount needs to be properly grounded for your antenna to function correctly. Without a solid ground, you're bound to get high SWR levels and extremely poor performance." I have the Wouxon KG1000-G paired with a Midland Ghost antenna. The antenna came with a grounding piece that bites into the metal for a ground. Surprised the rep you dealt with did not recommend a ground. Mine is mounted on carbon fiber so I added the ground with a ring terminal to a ground under the cowl, measured less than 1 ohm to hood. I have clear noise free reception and transmission.

 

[jeepdriver99]

I like this idea and will probably start back at square one when I get back into town. I want to pull the radio out of the Jeep, power it with my portable battery, and connect the portable antenna to it just to get a baseline of how things sound.

I'm fairly certain the antenna and bracket it's attached to are snugged up pretty well.

So far, my antenna is not grounded. I actually asked Midland about this while I was ordering my unit and their advice was to start by not worrying about this. If I was unsatisfied with the performance afterwards, they suggested, then I could try grounding the antenna.

In my case, the antenna is attached to a powder-coated aluminum bracket which is bolted into the driver's side cowl factory attachment points. My bracket has a 3/4" hole, so I used Midland's plastic spacer in this hole (at least, that's what it seemed to be) and then inserted the NMO stud up this hole from the bottom, and then screwed on the NMO disc and then the antenna from the top.

What's the best practice to add (presumably) a ring terminal on a future ground wire in this antenna assembly... sandwiched between the NMO disc and the antenna, or somewhere else? I'm guessing there's a convenient grounding stud in the engine bay on the driver's side not too far away here if I give this a shot.

I bet you're getting overwhelmed with all the advice you're getting. When I first read your posting, my initial reaction was "grounding" and I'm fairly convinced that is the root of your problem. If there is a grounding post on the radio, run a wire from it to the vehicle ground. If you can ground the radio mount, do it because that will also ground the radio chasis. The antenna mount bracket should be grounded to the vehicle. Do not actually ground the antenna. You will notice the coax has a center wire and an outside mesh that are electrically separated (they don't touch each other anywhere from the radio to the antenna) and both the mesh and center wire are covered by the black cover between the connectors at each end. You want the outside of the coax connector to be connected to ground when you screw it into the antenna mount and that grounding go to the vehicle ground. The center of the connector should not be grounded.

If you have something like an ohm meter or connectivity tool, use it to test whether the different parts are connected to ground.

 

[slim_pickens]

I bet you're getting overwhelmed with all the advice you're getting.

That is correct.

But it's OK... part of the process. I have some next steps to play around with and then hopefully can start eliminating certain explanations and get a bit more knowledgeable along the way.

 

[rjpjeep]

Proper ground and figure eight the extra ANT wire. If you do not figure eight it you run the risk of creating a "Loop ANT"

 

[slim_pickens]

From your description I doubt your antenna has any ground. I am not a gmrs antenna pro but Googling the subject the top reply was "Your antenna mount needs to be properly grounded for your antenna to function correctly. Without a solid ground, you're bound to get high SWR levels and extremely poor performance." I have the Wouxon KG1000-G paired with a Midland Ghost antenna. The antenna came with a grounding piece that bites into the metal for a ground. Surprised the rep you dealt with did not recommend a ground. Mine is mounted on carbon fiber so I added the ground with a ring terminal to a ground under the cowl, measured less than 1 ohm to hood. I have clear noise free reception and transmission.

Thanks CpT Papa. Just to make sure I'm getting it, since you have a carbon fiber bracket, you didn't make use of the metal "bite" piece that Midland included with the coax, and instead you ran a separate grounding wire ringed to your NMO assembly and your chassis. Right?

In my case, my antenna mount is powder-coated aluminum which bolts into two factory cowl holes. Not sure if I should use the "bite" piece to grab into the aluminum bracket, or run a ground wire as you did, or both?

After I finished my auxiliary electrical install (with compressor, battery charger, aux battery, fuse block, tailgate table, & fridge) in the rear of the Jeep late last year, I figured doing this GMRS install would be a cakewalk. Famous last words...

 

[CpT Papa]

Thanks CpT Papa. Just to make sure I'm getting it, since you have a carbon fiber bracket, you didn't make use of the metal "bite" piece that Midland included with the coax, and instead you ran a separate grounding wire ringed to your NMO assembly and your chassis. Right?

That is correct. You can remove the powder coat and any other paint or coating on the bolts to get a good ground. You could also use star washers/grounding washers that bite into the coated surface. Having a multimeter to check continuity from NMO mount to ground would be a plus. Look for less than 1 ohm, same on the chassis ground. Hope that helps.

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