JCDriller

Installed my 980ssb end of last week, useing a fire ring cable. My dumb ass left the grounding ring on the post. The grounding ring terminal came with the fire stick antenna and I installed it on the fire ring and grounded it which resulted in a short. Oddly enough my SWR readings were all under 1.5 until the radio started acting up. It quit making noise, no beeping while turning the knob and no sound even with the squelch turned all the way down. Realizing my mistake I've corrected the ground, but I believe damage is done. I'm going to head to a local cb shop today and see if they can help. Burned up a $100 radio in 4 days...

I continuity checked the antenna and wire. To the bet of my knowledge everything but the radio checks out.

Let this be a warning, don't use the grounding terminal that comes with your fire stick antenna to ground your fire ring.

doberman1911

Can you post a pic of this grounding ring? I just ordered a firering coax and a firestick.

JCDriller

It's just a ring crimp terminal that comes with the antenna. Simply scrap everything but the antenna nut that it screws into then use all the parts that come with the fire ring.

This is going to sound totally stupid but I checked and ensured continuity on my antenna and my cable. The radio was going bat shit crazy so I took a blinker light bulb I had (it was in the plug with wire terminals exposed) touched both terminals to the Coax out +/- on the radio and it lit up. So for some reason my CB was constantly broadcasting without being activated. Luckily this finding proved that it wasn't the coax or antenna causing the issue. At this point I was crazy pissed and I unbolted my CB from its mount and began to bang on it, like you would an old TV that wasn't functioning correctly. I kid you not, the freaking thing fired up and began working flawlessly. we'll see how long it works, but for now I'm GTG. SWR readings are between 1.19, 1.25 & 1.45.