repaired cable breach in mag mount antenne but get bad SWR.

[YogiBear]

I'm a newbie at cb-radio and am expirimenting and trying to understand the technical aspects, but I have a problem with the antenne.

Because I had silly SWR readings I found that I had a cable breach close to the antenne. Sometimes the antenne did work but most times it didn't. I cut off about 2 inches of the cable and re-soldered it in de foot of the antenne. To do this I had to peel of the thin black protectionstuff what was at the bottom of the mag. When I finished the repairs I put aluminium tape on the bottom of the mag.

The problem is that I get very poor SWR readings now (but they are constant now!). With the antenna of a friend which is exactly the same as mine I got good SWR readings. I was wondering, should I have used an insulator for the bottom of mag?? If yes what is the technical explination for that?? Do I need a new antenna?

I want to use the cb-radio to stay in contact with other cars when we are travelling with friends, so I don't need many miles of range, just a mile or two will do.

thanks,

Yogi.

 

[bandaid kid]

Splizing coax cable. in general, isn't a good idea. And have you tuned your antrenna? You may get lucky simply by tuning the antenna but I don't think the splice you made wil give you any decent performence. I'd go buy a new antenna and tune it.

73

 

[YogiBear]

Splizing coax cable. in general, isn't a good idea.
73

Why is that so? The breach was very close to the base of the antenna. The only thing I did was making the coax cable 2 inches shorter. I removed the broken piece from the base of the antenna ans soldered the good side right in place.

I did try to tune the antenna but I got same readings (about 3 so just on the edge of red) on channel 1 as on channel 40. With the good antenna I get optimum readings when the antenna is at it's shortest. I don't think I can make the whip shorter because its a fiber whip.

 

[FL Native]

if that coax was like that for very long you probly have water damage all along the coax. so either replace the entire coax or get a whole new antenna with new coax.

 

[bandaid kid]

Splizing coax cable. in general, isn't a good idea.
73

Why is that so? The breach was very close to the base of the antenna. The only thing I did was making the coax cable 2 inches shorter. I removed the broken piece from the base of the antenna ans soldered the good side right in place.

I did try to tune the antenna but I got same readings (about 3 so just on the edge of red) on channel 1 as on channel 40. With the good antenna I get optimum readings when the antenna is at it's shortest. I don't think I can make the whip shorter because its a fiber whip.

I misunderstood what you said you did. But even so, your SWR is too high. You will not be able to do anything about it since it is figerglass. And the coax length may be a factor in this. Get another antenna.

73