Will a Firestick II antenna work?

[Halibut]

I would take it to someone else. A shop that does cb installation should not have any problems installing it

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[Left Field]

Thank you! I have the last two things AND a mount ting bracket. I brought it all to him today and he’s still saying I’m missing something to ground it ?‍. Sooo, maybe take it to a different shop then?

Not sure why the shop is having an issue. A ground path from the antenna bracket to the vehicle chassis is needed, and it is known that the tailgate hinges are not the best at providing an electrical path from the bracket/tailgate back to the chassis.

Best practices would be a ground strap from the antenna bracket, following back along the antenna cable into the vehicle (somewhere near the tail light) and attached to an existing bolt or a new self-tapping screw to the chassis.

Most radio installers should be familiar with doing this and would have a ground strap available, but you could procure a strap for them. A large gauge stranded copper wire can be used but a flat strap gives a lot better grounding at the frequencies that CB radio operates.

A perhaps less ideal but workable alternative is to ground the entire tailgate to the chassis, across the hinges - one end attached to a screw on the tailgate and the other on the chassis.

It is important to have clean, unpainted (paint removed) surfaces where the ground strap ends are attached. You can paint over them once they are installed.

LF

 

[Geronimo]

Not sure why the shop is having an issue. A ground path from the antenna bracket to the vehicle chassis is needed, and it is known that the tailgate hinges are not the best at providing an electrical path from the bracket/tailgate back to the chassis.

Best practices would be a ground strap from the antenna bracket, following back along the antenna cable into the vehicle (somewhere near the tail light) and attached to an existing bolt or a new self-tapping screw to the chassis.

Most radio installers should be familiar with doing this and would have a ground strap available, but you could procure a strap for them. A large gauge stranded copper wire can be used but a flat strap gives a lot better grounding at the frequencies that CB radio operates.

A perhaps less ideal but workable alternative is to ground the entire tailgate to the chassis, across the hinges - one end attached to a screw on the tailgate and the other on the chassis.

It is important to have clean, unpainted (paint removed) surfaces where the ground strap ends are attached. You can paint over them once they are installed.

LF

Maybe I was lucky back then but mine was a snap and produced near perfect SWR numbers. Still does after nine plus years of wheeling and work. You are 100% correct on removing the paint between contacts to ground. I remember doing that.

 

[HeavyMetalFox]

Not sure why the shop is having an issue. A ground path from the antenna bracket to the vehicle chassis is needed, and it is known that the tailgate hinges are not the best at providing an electrical path from the bracket/tailgate back to the chassis.

Best practices would be a ground strap from the antenna bracket, following back along the antenna cable into the vehicle (somewhere near the tail light) and attached to an existing bolt or a new self-tapping screw to the chassis.

Most radio installers should be familiar with doing this and would have a ground strap available, but you could procure a strap for them. A large gauge stranded copper wire can be used but a flat strap gives a lot better grounding at the frequencies that CB radio operates.

A perhaps less ideal but workable alternative is to ground the entire tailgate to the chassis, across the hinges - one end attached to a screw on the tailgate and the other on the chassis.

It is important to have clean, unpainted (paint removed) surfaces where the ground strap ends are attached. You can paint over them once they are installed.

LF

Thank you

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