Ok with the problems I am having with the antenna on the Jeep. It sounds like to me that a no ground antenna might work best. BUT, I don't understand how they work and they use 16' of coax. PLUS Radio Shack says that the SWR is not Tuneable. are they built to be in range of a 2.0 or close SWR. I am really confused . some one suggested a longer antenna, but that is not feasable because I will use the CB mostly in the thick Woods. I like the FireStick but can't get the Swr down 2.5 channel 1, 4.0 in the Red on channel 40. I cut 1 1/4" long piece of wire off the top coil but changed other things so I don't know if that helped. I don't want to buy another antenna if it does not make a difference. I have the 5' top loaded marine antenna witch would be 18" over the roof. I am thinking that when I purchased it I was told a ground was not needed.. but this is the coax with the extra 12" long coax on the front soldered to the connecter and the dead end was soldered to the shield.. I did check the SWR and it was High also but this was after I cut off the short coax..
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No Ground Antenna's
- Thread starter Ralphdb
- Start date
Ok where are you mounting the antenna? This will afect all antennas bad or good. Best way I can think of to mount an antenna on a Jeep would be a mirror mount or a ball mount on the fender. Also check this link it may help. Check out the Jeep hood chanel mounts under the mounts and accessories section.Hood chanel mount As for no ground antennas I would stay away from them. They do not work all that good and you would be better with a normal antenna! Hope this helps
Well, I think we got you straightened out in the other thread. But as a side note....I have a friend who tried a no ground antenna on his motorhome. I couldn't hear him farther away than about a mile. It was more like a dummy load than an antenna.
I don't know what a no ground antenna is and I don't know what exta soldered coax cable is supposed to do, but as a ham, I have never run across this before. You don't need a counter for a mobile antenna. Your car's body and frame are the counterpoises.
All you need is a 102 inch whip with a coax cut for the length between the radio and the antenna. It will work just fine on your jeep and it will handle knocking into branches. Getting famcy antenna types isn't needed. If you're worried about it being dmamaged in the woods, you can simply fold it. Several ways to do thig.
All you need is a 102 inch whip with a coax cut for the length between the radio and the antenna. It will work just fine on your jeep and it will handle knocking into branches. Getting famcy antenna types isn't needed. If you're worried about it being dmamaged in the woods, you can simply fold it. Several ways to do thig.
I have tried the no ground antenna and they suck!They are a waste of money.Where are you trying to mount an antenna?more info please.
Any other detail on the no ground antennas?
I am mounting on an Avalanche - no metal available in the back of the bed.
Is it not going to work?
I am mounting on an Avalanche - no metal available in the back of the bed.
Is it not going to work?
best not mount it there then becouse even if you run ground wires preformance will not be all that great! Best bet is to mount it some place where there is a large amount of metel. Good way to do this would be a magnet mount on the roof or something near that end of the vehicle.
Highland Ranger,
There really isn't anything as a 'no ground' antenna. They ~all~ use something as the 'other half' or counterpoise. (I know what the advertisements say, but they aren't telling the whole truth, you know?) There are exceptions to that but you certainly don't find them on a mobile, too big.
If you have to mount at a no-metal position then run a decent sized wire from there to the frame (or other metal body parts). That wire connects to the braid on the feed line, it's the 'other half' or counterpoise of the antenna. Since the antenna isn't mounted over the majority of the metal of the vehicle there will be some directionality to the radiation pattern. May or may not make much difference, really, but a possibility (also not something to waste much worry on). It'll work. You might have to do some re-tuning, but that's the way it goes.
- 'Doc
PS - ~The~ problem with a mobile antenna on a vehicle thats going to be 'off road' is that it has to stand up to the abuse trees and other stuff which has a dislike for antennas. The solution for that is to either make the antenna a hard target or make it 'bad' enough to withstand the abuse. 'Small enough' isn't exactly the best solution for 11 meters (deterioration of signal). 'Bad' enough means heavy duty, springy, which brings up other problems, but livable ones. Good luck...
There really isn't anything as a 'no ground' antenna. They ~all~ use something as the 'other half' or counterpoise. (I know what the advertisements say, but they aren't telling the whole truth, you know?) There are exceptions to that but you certainly don't find them on a mobile, too big.
If you have to mount at a no-metal position then run a decent sized wire from there to the frame (or other metal body parts). That wire connects to the braid on the feed line, it's the 'other half' or counterpoise of the antenna. Since the antenna isn't mounted over the majority of the metal of the vehicle there will be some directionality to the radiation pattern. May or may not make much difference, really, but a possibility (also not something to waste much worry on). It'll work. You might have to do some re-tuning, but that's the way it goes.
- 'Doc
PS - ~The~ problem with a mobile antenna on a vehicle thats going to be 'off road' is that it has to stand up to the abuse trees and other stuff which has a dislike for antennas. The solution for that is to either make the antenna a hard target or make it 'bad' enough to withstand the abuse. 'Small enough' isn't exactly the best solution for 11 meters (deterioration of signal). 'Bad' enough means heavy duty, springy, which brings up other problems, but livable ones. Good luck...
Thanks.
Mounting it where I wanted to didn't work out so I bought the Firestik cellular lookalike mag mount for the roof.
Hopefully it works out.
Didn't have an SWR meter on it but when I breifly keyed up on the no-ground, the signal strength meter did not go full swing which according to the manual means "antenna issues".
Have a SWR meter coming with the new antenna so hopefully I can make it work.
Mounting it where I wanted to didn't work out so I bought the Firestik cellular lookalike mag mount for the roof.
Hopefully it works out.
Didn't have an SWR meter on it but when I breifly keyed up on the no-ground, the signal strength meter did not go full swing which according to the manual means "antenna issues".
Have a SWR meter coming with the new antenna so hopefully I can make it work.