liquidhigh

I just installed a cb my swr readings are very high. I think it is the ground. i am using the teraflex mount. I grinded the paint from the 2 holes that the bolts go threw to mount to the car and the 1 hole I am using with the stud. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I may have done wriong. I did notice some paint on the treads on the tailgate where the bolts attach. Could this be the problem?

NorthGAX

I have the Teraflex mount. What cable did you use and which mount do you have for the antenna?

On my antenna mount there is a plastic bushing so that would not ground from the antenna to the bracket.

rdneckjk

make sure the antenna cable connections aren't touching any metal. had that problem mounting a whip once. i left out the rubber bushing rings where the whip screwed to the base.

Vernnz

X2. After reading older posts I checked continuity from my tailgate to the Jeep frame itself. While swinging the tailgate there are predictable dead spots on the hinge.

Inside the Jeep on the right side is a D-Ring bolted to the floor. I ran two wires from there to a bolt I found in the tailgate at the latch. I then ran another one from there to the spare tire carrier. Now the tailgate is grounded all the time.

JackMac4

False - the tailgate does ground well - if you actually ground it. By default it's not ground well, but if you run a nice ground strap from the tailgate to the main body, it grounds quite well. I had to do this with my teraflex mount that I used a couple years ago. It made all the difference.

I just wanted to clarify that you don't have to ground the mount, the tailgate will suffice if you use a good ground strap. I recommend a braided ground strap, not a simple ground wire:

joes

I'd recommend a separate ground wire from the bracket to the frame.
I ran mine from the antenna bracket, through the tail-gate (same hole as the coax), through the sleeve for the wire going to the third brake light, through a hole that goes into the rear tail light area in rear quarter, then down and out to the frame. There are a bunch of alternate ways to get to the frame. There is also a rubber plug in the center of the floor in the secret storage area.
If you rely on the tail-gate as a ground, the hinge has pivot bushings that will kill your ground.

Depending upon what cable you use, you will need to have good ground contact between the ground portion of the cable and the bracket. Just dont ground the "antenna" side of the cable.

RedneckJeep

The bracket is not the important thing to ground. The coax shield IS. It's not necessary to grint paint off of anything. That'll just lead to rust. You can easily attach a wire to the antenna shield by soldering it to the bottom side of the barrel connector that goes through the Tereflex mount. There's plenty of room for the female coax connector to screw on still. Then just run the other end to the tub. That way, you don't have to worry about the tailgate or the bracket being grounded, because the shield IS. Like this:



I know the wire's red. Red primary wire is all I had, but it's a ground.

Vernnz

Two words: Ground Loop. Using the mount in your picture I would run the ground to that big shiny, unpainted galvanized (looking) bolt and washer. That would ground the entire tailgate. Then I would bring another small wire from there to the shield of the CB.

RedneckJeep

The entire tailgate does not need to be grounded. The only thing that NEEDS a ground is the shield. The shield is the ground side and the coax centre is hot. It really is that simple.

Eugene

Actually it is good idea to ground all large metal surfaces when operating a radio whether you are using am/fm, cb, or HAM. That is why the factory runs a ground strap to the hood. It is so the antenna has a good ground plane to reflect from. I remember my old cars had ground straps on the hood and trunk.