Brand new 29 ltd swr problems HELP!!!

[duckco]

Hello everyone new to this sight and cb radios so be patient im green lol but love this stuff. I have a few questions on my set up, I just bought and installed a cobra 29 ltd, brand new 18' wilson coax, brand new truck stop mount and brand new 4' firestick. Not to make this a long story but its the best way to describe my problems, Bolted my mount to tool box which is metal and bolted to the bed which has no rubber gaskets on the mounting bolts neither does the antenna mount so im guessing it should be ground. Next ran my coax to cb with no hard bends at all threw my fire box and to the radio which i bolted next to my 4x4 shifter i grounded the ground to the driver set mounting bolt and the power wire to the cig fuse in the fuse box. I get pretty good reception it reaches pretty far out but when i try and set the antenna with my swr meter it pegs out to the right past the cal arrow, I tried on channel 20 while switch set on CAL set the to the cal arrow held the key on the mik switched to swr and it pegs out right past the CAL arrow but if i switch to sf swr the very top option it drops to 3.0 which is to high but its better then on swr which pegs it out. So i no thats not right then i try 40 and 1 to try to set the antenna both those channels do the same thing swr both peg out sf swr both on 3.0. So then i tried running a ground from the antenna mount to the frame and still does it. The key up like barely shines bright and im getting to my wits ends please does anyone have any ideas for the worm lol. Here is a couple of pics of my antenna set up and is there supposed to be a ground wire? even though i ran one that still doesnt get it

 

[hammer0630]

I run the same radio's in both my trucks and get out great also. My SWR's run a little high but still in the OK range despite tuning them to no end but with audio the antenna warning LED lights up and on a meter I do not get higher SWR's this has actually helped once to let me know why I had no audio output my power mic battery was dead.. It seems you have done everything right maybe the meter or antenna itself might be flawed if you had another antenna to try to see if you get the same high readings like a good magnetic just for for testing. I have several wish I could loan it to you.

 

[hammer0630]

I forgot to say my 29LTD's are from the 90's not the new one's but I don't think this matters with high SWR problems.

 

[roadrage]

I forgot to say my 29LTD's are from the 90's not the new one's but I don't think this matters with high SWR problems.

Depending on what model firestik you have, you may have to either trim a bunch of wire from the top loading coil, or it will have a tuning screw at the top. If it is the older style antenna that needs to be trimmed, you may have to dig out the diagonal cutters.

But first,
If you have a multimeter, remove the PL259 (where the coax attaches to the radio) and check to see if there is continuity between the center pin and the screw on part of the connector. If there is, then you have a short somewhere and you'll have to find it.

 

[midnight special]

you are using a external swr meter arent you? if radio has been peaked and tuned any at all the swr meter on radio will be inaccurate. get a external meter and test again. the swr meter deals on the radios just for show than for use. just my 2 cents worth. 73s midnight special

 

[roadrage]

you are using a external swr meter arent you? if radio has been peaked and tuned any at all the swr meter on radio will be inaccurate. get a external meter and test again. the swr meter deals on the radios just for show than for use. just my 2 cents worth. 73s midnight special

The radio's SWR meter isn't the most accurate, but it typically isn't that far off. Their purpose isn't to give spot on accuracy, it is just to let you know if a sudden problem arrises. Out of about 20 radios setups I've tuned, the most variation I've seen is about .4 between the radio's internal and my external. His needle is pegging in the red. Sounds like there is a problem, be it a bad connection, short, or just more trimming. I don't think its just the meter.

 

[roadrage]

Let me ask you, did you install the non conductive washer/spacer between the antenna and the antenna mount?

 

[9C1Driver]

Put a Wilson 1000 mag mount on the roof of your pickup truck and be done. Sounds like you have an issue with the antenna system install. I second using an external SWR meter, the radio one's are ballpark at best.