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Just setting up first base unit: need help

R

RustDemon

Active Member
Aug 21, 2011
134
10
28
First off, hello. I am new to the world of cbs, totally new.

I had a bunch of gear given to me. A whole bunch, I wont list it all just the stuff I intent to use in my setup, there is also a ham radio (states license requirements right on the case, and bandwidth? presets, that I may use later once I am more familiar with what I am doing and get licensed) but not for now.

here is the gear that I intend to use:

Pyramid PS-21KX power converter

Connex 3300 cb radio

silver streak 150A antenna booster

Imax 99 eighteen foot antenna, mounted with the base at 9 feet high.

damaged 40 foot coax cable , need to cut and repair.. or buy new haven't decided. I'll probably just re-solder the end on to the shortened cable. unless that is un-advisable.

Questions,
1, Should I ground all the equipment cases (cb antenna booster and powersupply) to a ground probe (in the actual ground) or can I use 12 awg wire and hook it to a ground inside the outlet box?

2, Should I ground the mounting plate of my antenna with 10 AWG wire to a ground probe, or do I not need to ground it? it was mounted on a metal pole now its mounted on Pressure treated lumber attached to my garage.

thats all for now, any help would be appreciated thanks.
 

Also, when I was googling around for info about setting up my antenna I heard something about a recommended length of coax for a given antenna, where do I find that, if its true? I can't seem to google it up. nor an equation to figure out optimal length for an antenna.
 
RustDemon,
There's a big difference between an RF ground and a safety ground. One deals with directing RF away from where it isn't wanted/needed, the other deals with safety in operating the equipment, as in lightning, etc.
The two instances for grounding that you cited are safety issues, not RF issues, so, how much do you value your 'neck' and equipment. In most instances a safety ground doesn't 'hurt' or affect anything 'badly' (unless it's done wrong, naturally). If your house wiring is done correctly, that third 'prong' on the plug on the power line is the ground, and is usually adequate for the typical electrical appliance (radio stuff too). That should handle the stuff in the house.
An RF ground is very rarely needed for most commercially made/sold antennas, they are typically 'complete', you don't need the 'other half' of the antenna, it's provided already. Antennas such as the 'A99', or Imax, that are just straight 'sticks' use the feed line for their 'ground' or other half. No 'dirt' ground is required, but usually doesn't hurt if there is one. If providing a ground in that instance makes a noticeable difference in performance then something else isn't 'right' somewhere. [You'll see a lot of different opinions about that, suit yourself.]
Feed line lengths are really misunderstood! The only instance where a particular length is required electrically is when there is phasing or timing involved, which usually means more than one antenna being used to make things directional. After that the best length is the one that reaches from here to there with a little extra in case you wanna change positions of things. The biggy with feed lines is matching the impedances of the things being connected with that feed line. If the transmitter is a 50 ohm device and the antenna is a 50 ohm device, then it's a really good idea to use a 50 ohm feed line. That means that most everything will get from one to the other with minimum losses due to impedance mismatches. If one of those thingys isn't 50 ohms (or at least close to it) then it's possible to select a feed line impedance that will 'match' the two. There's a 'catch' to that, feed lines are not meant to do that sort of thing, they typically won't handle the 'stress' of doing that impedance matching without some damage being done to the feed line. Lots of things involved in that, the simple fact being that it isn't the 'best' way of doing things. If I've guessed right and your antenna is an 'A99' or Imax, then they both have an impedance matching device built into them, those 'rings'. That also means that you have to have some means of measuring things, usually an SWR meter. [An SWR meter shows the state of match, or impedance match/mismatch between two devices.] Unfortunately there is no 'magic' length that makes everything 'right'/'perfect'.
Need to shorten that feed line? Well, if you know how to put one of those connectors on coax, then do so. There is a particular way of doing that that's required. If you don't know how to do it, then expect there to be problems. It's done quite often and isn't impossible by any means. Just gotta know how to do it.
Any of that help?
- 'Doc
 
all that helps A boatload.

I will probably install the "safety" ground on the antenna just because I value my garage and the motorcycles and thousands of dollars worth or tools inside it, makes me nervous having a lightening rod attached to the side of my shop. might as well have it since I have the materials to install it.

the info on the cable length is what i figured since I couldn't find anything to back it up just random rumors. doesn't make sense to "have" to install 200 feet of coax to go 50 feet.....

Splicing the coax should be easy enough, or even just putting a new end on sinjce I don't need the full length that came with the unit. I'll just snip it at the damaged area and put a new end on.

I am planning on picking up an SWR meter before I fire it up so I don't cook anything. tuning the antenna should be easy. the rings on the unit seem to make it so.

thanks a bunch W5LZ. hope fully I can get this set up running in about a week
 
too much what? it only has a couple swuitches on/off lo/high and one other I cant think of off the top of my head, no knobs to adjust anything.
 
also arent amps or boosters illeagle? unless licensed? if so I probably shouldn't run the silver streak at all right? untill I get my ham license.
 
RustDemon said:
where would be the best place do dig up stats on ohm ratings for all my devices (the radio, coax and antenna)?
Click to expand...

Didn't you ask this stuff on the other forum? :D BTW did you get the link for the manual?

The radio is set from the factory as far as Ohms go and I'm fairly certain the antenna is too. The only thing you would have to worry about is the coax. As for the coax, you need 50 Ohms rated coax for the equipment you listed. You'll just have to look on the coax or packaging for the information. You won't be able to measure resistance with your volt / Ohms meter. The SWR meter should give a ball park reading as to the efficiency / mismatch of your system.
This web page has a lot of information on this and some reviews. CB Radio Magazine
 
there always illegal on cb. you could use it on 10m but your radio lacks ssb operation so its all but useless as a ham radio. there sold under the guise of a ham radio because they are now type approved for cb use and illegal to sell or operate.

you could legally operate the connex on 29.600mhz with a general class amateur radio licence. as stated it lacks single side band mode of operation that would make it work for the technition class radio licence. it also does not have a split transmit/ recieve and a tone board that's needed for general fm repeater use.
 
Here's a tip:
Putting the antenna 9 ft up - isn't optimal. Far from it. "Height is might" - so put it up higher so the feed point of the antenna is about 30-35 ft. An 'antenna booster' isn't going to help much when the antenna is set down low.

Between using a 'booster', having the antenna too low, and running it all on AM mode - you might have a problem with your neighbors. You might interfere with them, and that could become a sore spot. Perhaps trouble too - the FCC can get involved when interference is the issue. Put that antenna up as high as you safely can - even 40 ft or higher would ease some of the interference with your neighbors. With a radio like the Connex, you might not need to run that linear amp (proper term) you have, especially if you install that antenna up high.
 
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