So I bought the package from Quadratec with 4-foot antenna and got them all hooked up for Palo Duro Jamboree this weekend.

I can hear the weather band very well. I drove to an interstate nearby, went on channel 19, and got a radio check. I have not adjusted the antenna at all for SWR. Do I still need to do that? What happens if I don't?

I would appreciate your input very much.

 

Yes, please check the SWR!! If it is too high, you could possibly damage your new CB. See this helpful SWR Tutorial on Firestik's site (mods please delete if link to tutorial is verboten).

 

Second that. If you plan to transmit, definitely tune it by checking the SWR. You should be fine if you simply listen in no matter what your SWR is, but if the SWR is quite high and you transmit, you could fry the CB.

 

Thank you very much for your input. I will do that this afternoon!!

 

When I checked SWR this afternoon, they were 2.1 @ channel 1, 2.3 @ channel 19, and 2.4 at channel 40. It was never in red which is over 3.0.

I think I have some grounding issues. Are there any ideas for how I can get the antenna grounded better?

I suppose I can use my CB just for this weekend since it's not in the red zone.

I would appreciate any input very much.

 

From the link I posted above (hopefully you checked it out):

 

I did print the article and took it with me and realize that I should adjust the antenna length. My adjustment screw on the antenna is screwed all the way in. Do I just take the screw off? I am guessing that would be a logical step . . .

The article did say if it's over 2 and under 3, there is some kind of grounding issue. But it does not indicate not to use the CB unit. So I am guessing that I am ok to use my CB for this weekend.

If anyone has any opinion to the contrary, I would appreciate your input.

Thank you very much for your assistance in advance!!

 

I am no expert. Guessing a grounding issue. Until fixed, if you need to use it, try only listening. Listening shouldn't hurt it. But with a high swr, transmitting will, so keep that at a minimum until the issue is resolved. Sorry I can't be of more help but I'm mobile.

 

You could give it a try just for grins as I know that has worked for some friends. If that doesn't do the trick, start playing with different ground locations . . . at which point, I'll bail out, because it really gets to be black magic, at least from my own experience.

By the way, when you take your SWR readings, make sure you're inside with the doors closed (tailgate too), and the plastic cap covering the adjustment screw is in place. I've seen "violations" of either cause a shift in SWR readings by 0.5 to 1.0 for the worse.

 

In the second picture, those two mount bolts, running into the door assembly are providing the more than adequate ground.