josh,
those three foot CB antennas hardly work when they are on a vehicle, and are all but useless when used as a base station antenna.
a mobile CB antenna needs what is called a "groundplane" to work properly.
in the simplest terms, that means a large metal surface perpendicular to the antenna that is right at the base of the antenna.
your vehicle is this groundplane when you stick that antenna on the roof.
a 55 gallon drum could be used, but that is as small an object as i would use to try and replicate this groundplane in a base station application.
my advice to you would be to google "dipole antenna" and "cb dipole antenna", make your own and string it up across the roof or something.
BUT FIRST!
here is the procedure to check your SWR:
put the radio in AM mode (your readings are USELESS!!!! if you are in USB or LSB mode!)
this means go to the knob on the far right, and switch it all the way to the left.
your radio does not have a mic gain control on it so just be quiet when you do the tests.
set the radio to channel 1. AM mode.
turn second knob from the left to CAL position.
key the microphone and hold the button down until you are finished with the test.
adjust the first knob on the left until the meter deflects all the way over to the right, aligning with the mark labeled CAL.
with the mic still keyed, switch the second knob from the left to the SWR position.
observe the reading on the SWR portion of the meter.
unkey the mic.
record the reading on a piece of paper.
try not to hold the mic button down for longer than about 10 seconds at a time, and wait at least 30 seconds before keying the mic again.
this is just to keep the radio cool until you know your antenna is working properly.
now repeat that test exactly as i wrote it on channel 40, record the reading, and post back here what the readings were.
good luck,
LC
