“Readin’ around”, is kinda my cure for that feeling.
Antennas are big boy stuff.
Resonance and Standing Wave Ratio are sorta like girls. The first is the lingerie model. The second Is the girl next door. Ones easier to meet (test) than the other.
SWR isn’t a bad way to tune, it’s simply limited (“keep your clothes on till the lights are off, honey”). Below 2.0 is okay, near 1.5 and leave it alone.
An antenna is designed to resonate. But more goes into measurements to make it do so with accuracy.
The Big Truck Problem is that
1). The mounts are inefficient.
2). The antennas are a compromise.
3). The location of the mount is a problem
4). Then, we may have low-quality coax AND coax routing problems.
5). Power to the radio may be lowered-voltage.
6). Devices built-into the truck may be a problem AND devices you’ve added.
Then each system component has to be verified operationally-correct.
The antenna SYSTEM is that on which to focus first. That each component is GTG.
As the vehicle itself is one-half of the antenna, this system is the one most difficult for a big truck operator.
FWIW, I get as far as I can go . . . then I pay attention to something else.
Am I chasing my tail? No, I’m running in circles, but then I stop AND REVERSE DIRECTION!!
Genius, huh?
(Patience. Patience & Application).
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