CB Radio Installation Issues

[Pete]

Installed a CB radio in a MACK. Just finished installing a Cobra 29 in my work truck. Other electronic devices in the truck include a Pioneer CD AM/FM Head Unit, A sound ordnance amplifier, Garmin GPS, Sirius XM satelite radio connected to the auxiliary port on the Pioneer Unit, and a Teletracs onboard GPS truck communication device. Also my Samsung Galaxy S3.

The following devices have power supplied to and a home run ground....Power amplifier, head unit, CB radio.

The Sirius XM, the Garmin GPS and the Samsung Galaxy are plugged into cigarette lighter.

The Wilson 2000 CB antenna is mounted to a non-grounded source and runs a ground wire to the same location as the CB radio, Pioneer head unit and the amplifier.

My problem is feedback and no ability to communicate with the CB radio, either to send or receive.

Please help! The new guy!:bdh:

 

[kevin7898]

Your truck is generally the other half of your antenna so to speak, do you ha e traditional truck mirrors? Anf if nit run the ground to the nearest bit of frame

Sent from my Galaxy SIII using Tapatalk 2

 

[9C1Driver]

Some semi trucks can be a pain. You need to run dedicated cb radio coax, do a proper antenna install, and then check your SWR. Problem areas are, factory coax is now multi use for the AM/FM stereo. And with all the fiberglass parts the antenna has poor or no ground plane.

 

[Watergate]

One more thing to add. Factory coax is almost always 75 ohm coax. They install a cophased antenna system from the factory. It's a good idea to always run new coax in a truck.

Your antenna needs an RF ground, not an electrical ground. A piece of flat strap copper braid run from the antenna mount to the frame of the truck would be better for you. Mounting it on a metal surface bonded to the frame would be ideal, but as a driver myself, I sympathize with you on finding a "good" way to mount antennas.

Post some pictures of your setup and folks here will be able to help you.

 

[kd-5-bgt]

One more thing to add. Factory coax is almost always 75 ohm coax. They install a cophased antenna system from the factory. It's a good idea to always run new coax in a truck.

Your antenna needs an RF ground, not an electrical ground. A piece of flat strap copper braid run from the antenna mount to the frame of the truck would be better for you. Mounting it on a metal surface bonded to the frame would be ideal, but as a driver myself, I sympathize with you on finding a "good" way to mount antennas.

Post some pictures of your setup and folks here will be able to help you.

+1 ....Gate said it all