Carbon_One Posted August 8, 2008 Share #1 Posted August 8, 2008 Finally getting my broken cb antena replaced by the dealer. When I asked about swr tuning I got one of those "oh it don't need that". True or false? Seems I read or heard said that the cb would go bad. Then again I know nothing about these things . I know some members have tuned their antenas for best operation but wanted to know if it's required or needed. I'd rather not let them mess with it unless I have to. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utadventure Posted August 8, 2008 Share #2 Posted August 8, 2008 A CB should always be matched up with SWR meter. Failing to do this will not only give you poor performance but overtime will damage the radio itself. Good luck with the Stealer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibvel Posted August 8, 2008 Share #3 Posted August 8, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Myers Posted August 8, 2008 Share #4 Posted August 8, 2008 A CB should always be matched up with SWR meter. Failing to do this will not only give you poor performance but overtime will damage the radio itself. Good luck with the Stealer If the swr is bad enough that "overtime" could be as short as 30 seconds of transmit time. If it seems to receive well then there is a good possibility that the swr is close. personally I don't have much faith in swr meters, you can make them tell you anything you want to read. My personal choice is an antenna analyzer but not everyone has access to one of those. Being an amateur radio operator I have a tendency to be very anal about tuning. The antenna could easily be considered the most important 75% of your setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schlepporello Posted August 8, 2008 Share #5 Posted August 8, 2008 Take it from a truck driver. You dealer smokes crack. Your CB most certainly will not perform as it should nor will it last as long as it should if your SWR's are not properly set. Don't let your dealer do it. Find out who the truckers in your area recommend or learn how to do it yourself. By the way has anyone here had any luck with hooking a 500 watt linear to a CB on a 1st generagtion VR yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Myers Posted August 8, 2008 Share #6 Posted August 8, 2008 Take it from a truck driver. You dealer smokes crack. Your CB most certainly will not perform as it should nor will it last as long as it should if your SWR's are not properly set. Don't let your dealer do it. Find out who the truckers in your area recommend or learn how to do it yourself. By the way has anyone here had any luck with hooking a 500 watt linear to a CB on a 1st generagtion VR yet? Firstly you don't have enough electrical system to operate that amp. It'll pull in excess of 20amps even with MoSFeTs, secondly the antenna will never handle it. The way the antenna is made, it is capacitively coupled at the base, it won't handle much more than about 20 watts, maybe 50 if you were moving and the blowing air was cooling it. A real antenna, and at least 1 more battery paralleled for minimum. Then the stator will complain and go on strike from trying to keep up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schlepporello Posted August 8, 2008 Share #7 Posted August 8, 2008 Firstly you don't have enough electrical system to operate that amp. It'll pull in excess of 20amps even with MoSFeTs, secondly the antenna will never handle it. The way the antenna is made, it is capacitively coupled at the base, it won't handle much more than about 20 watts, maybe 50 if you were moving and the blowing air was cooling it. A real antenna, and at least 1 more battery paralleled for minimum. Then the stator will complain and go on strike from trying to keep up. ;)I know. I just threw that out there for grins. I'd have to have an electrical system that put out around 1100 amps to run the linear and then there's the antenna selection. Many of them simply will not last due to the loads corroding with moisture as a result of running hot. It would be fun though, being able to electrocute bugs just by keying the mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
az1103 Posted August 9, 2008 Share #8 Posted August 9, 2008 Just put aN SWR meter on mine and found that messing with it only tended to make it worse. I don't know if the optimum tuning was just fortuitous but lengthening even by half a mm made it noticeably worse. When I unlocked the setscrews it was bottomed out, so just to see, I filed about 1mm off the bottom and bottomed it out. The SWR went up noticeably. Put it back to where it was and it settled at about 1.7 which is the best it would do. So the dealer may have been right, even if accidentally.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibvel Posted August 9, 2008 Share #9 Posted August 9, 2008 If it seems to receive well then there is a good possibility that the swr is close. Don't agree here. Heck you can get half way decent reception with just about any piece of wire. But transmitting is a different story all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted August 11, 2008 Share #10 Posted August 11, 2008 Don't agree here. Heck you can get half way decent reception with just about any piece of wire. But transmitting is a different story all together. It doesn't matter how good your radio is or how much power you are putting out, if your antenna isn't tuned properly you are not going to get the signal out...... make sure the SWR is correct..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wkboard Posted August 11, 2008 Share #11 Posted August 11, 2008 Don't forget that you or a passenger in the seat will change the reflectivity and SWR. also the trunk must be closed. You have to tune the antenna in the configuration that you ride in. Thus it will be at least a 2 man job. (That is what I was told, and I beleive EVERYTHING i'm told ?) Good luck, It is a difficult task. IMHO. I just listen mostly, and only talk on CB when I have to. For group rides we usually are not very far apart, so even marginal transmissions can be heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calperin Posted August 11, 2008 Share #12 Posted August 11, 2008 Larry, If you need help with your antenna I have all the equipment needed for tunning. Just let me know, and I can go there to help you with that. Carlos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon_One Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share #13 Posted August 11, 2008 Larry, If you need help with your antenna I have all the equipment needed for tunning. Just let me know, and I can go there to help you with that. Carlos Thanks Carlos I may take you up on that as I'm not that confident of the dealers service department. I'll give you a call later Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon_One Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share #14 Posted August 11, 2008 Carlos you have mail/pm Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Posted August 12, 2008 Share #15 Posted August 12, 2008 Larry, If you need help with your antenna I have all the equipment needed for tunning. Just let me know, and I can go there to help you with that. Carlos Hey Carlos, Are you going to the Michigan Maintenance Day at my house in a couple of weeks? If you are, can you bring the equipment over and tune the CBs that might need it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calperin Posted August 12, 2008 Share #16 Posted August 12, 2008 Floyd, Yes, I'll do. No problem. We can tune all those that need to be done. Regards, Carlos:witch_brew: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Monkeyin Around Posted August 12, 2008 Share #17 Posted August 12, 2008 when is michigan maintenance day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon_One Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share #18 Posted August 12, 2008 when is michigan maintenance day here ya go Dave -- http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24557 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Posted August 12, 2008 Share #19 Posted August 12, 2008 Floyd, Yes, I'll do. No problem. We can tune all those that need to be done. Regards, Carlos:witch_brew: Great! Thanks Carlos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calperin Posted August 12, 2008 Share #20 Posted August 12, 2008 Larry, I never receive your e-mail. Can you please resend it? Thanks Carlos:smash2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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