CB Radios & HD touring bikes
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,820
Likes: 588
From: Michigan
Hammz ,,,,,,
I agree and that is almost exactly what the J&M kits provide ,,,,,
please take a quick look at this short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gX_SUce5fI ,,,,,
I agree and that is almost exactly what the J&M kits provide ,,,,,
please take a quick look at this short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gX_SUce5fI ,,,,,
I will say that I am not opposed to this compromise design, (I actually use a tri-band 144, 220, 440 Mhz antenna on my truck, all fed from a single tri-band radio with just a single coax connector) just that since the AM/FM function feeds to a separate & independent location, there's nothing to be gained by combining the band/frequency coverage into a single antenna. If the feed lines were combined, then there would be justification for the multi-band function in the antenna design.
If the owners of the bikes using these antennas are too illiterate to read the markings on the antenna & the manual for which side they are attached, then your design will work for them. I know the difference & know how to optimize my antenna system so I'll use a single band antenna.
Again, your grounding kit is a good starting point & is of high quality materials & workmanship. It does not however, remove the Motorola connector from the CB coax cable feed line. And it does not replace the poor quality coax feed line between the CB unit & the Motorola connector located outside of & just in front of the Tour Pack.
That connector was originally designed to be used in the 75 ohm antenna feed for AM/FM radios in cars, plugging directly into the back of the radio, under the dash, inside the car. In addition to being a 75 ohm impedance mismatch that connector is not weatherproof & is subject to severe corrosion where it is located in the H-D CB coax feed line.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,264
Likes: 690
From: WESTERN CHICAGO AREA
It's good that you have designed 3 distinct versions of your multi-purpose antenna and having made it tunable is very helpful for optimizing performance. But I will stand by my experience as an Amateur Radio operator that a single specific frequency antenna design will perform better than a multi-band, multi-frequency design.
I will say that I am not opposed to this compromise design, (I actually use a tri-band 144, 220, 440 Mhz antenna on my truck, all fed from a single tri-band radio with just a single coax connector) just that since the AM/FM function feeds to a separate & independent location, there's nothing to be gained by combining the band/frequency coverage into a single antenna. If the feed lines were combined, then there would be justification for the multi-band function in the antenna design.
If the owners of the bikes using these antennas are too illiterate to read the markings on the antenna & the manual for which side they are attached, then your design will work for them. I know the difference & know how to optimize my antenna system so I'll use a single band antenna.
Again, your grounding kit is a good starting point & is of high quality materials & workmanship. It does not however, remove the Motorola connector from the CB coax cable feed line. And it does not replace the poor quality coax feed line between the CB unit & the Motorola connector located outside of & just in front of the Tour Pack.
That connector was originally designed to be used in the 75 ohm antenna feed for AM/FM radios in cars, plugging directly into the back of the radio, under the dash, inside the car. In addition to being a 75 ohm impedance mismatch that connector is not weatherproof & is subject to severe corrosion where it is located in the H-D CB coax feed line.
I will say that I am not opposed to this compromise design, (I actually use a tri-band 144, 220, 440 Mhz antenna on my truck, all fed from a single tri-band radio with just a single coax connector) just that since the AM/FM function feeds to a separate & independent location, there's nothing to be gained by combining the band/frequency coverage into a single antenna. If the feed lines were combined, then there would be justification for the multi-band function in the antenna design.
If the owners of the bikes using these antennas are too illiterate to read the markings on the antenna & the manual for which side they are attached, then your design will work for them. I know the difference & know how to optimize my antenna system so I'll use a single band antenna.
Again, your grounding kit is a good starting point & is of high quality materials & workmanship. It does not however, remove the Motorola connector from the CB coax cable feed line. And it does not replace the poor quality coax feed line between the CB unit & the Motorola connector located outside of & just in front of the Tour Pack.
That connector was originally designed to be used in the 75 ohm antenna feed for AM/FM radios in cars, plugging directly into the back of the radio, under the dash, inside the car. In addition to being a 75 ohm impedance mismatch that connector is not weatherproof & is subject to severe corrosion where it is located in the H-D CB coax feed line.
Sponsor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,581
Likes: 65
From: Tucson AZ
Hammz ,,,,
I apologize again for your confusion on this ,,,, J&Ms CB antenna "IS" a single frequency design specifically for the 27mhz AM CB band ,,,,,
it is just that you can use this exact antenna staff for the AM/FM side, as long as the coax going to that side is 93 ohms (RG-62) instead of the 52 ohm coax (RG-58) that is used for the CB side ,,,,,
I apologize again for your confusion on this ,,,, J&Ms CB antenna "IS" a single frequency design specifically for the 27mhz AM CB band ,,,,,
it is just that you can use this exact antenna staff for the AM/FM side, as long as the coax going to that side is 93 ohms (RG-62) instead of the 52 ohm coax (RG-58) that is used for the CB side ,,,,,
__________________
JMJOHN,,,, www.Jmcorp.com ,,,, send email direct to John@Jmcorp.com for your HD-Forums VIP Discount Promo Code.
JMJOHN,,,, www.Jmcorp.com ,,,, send email direct to John@Jmcorp.com for your HD-Forums VIP Discount Promo Code.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 7,709
Likes: 7,850
From: New York
it is my experience that 2014-2018 CB antenna issues on the Harleys can be solved by our grounding and replacement coax kit, http://www.jmcorp.com/ProductDetail....ctID=CBAU-HU14 along with our fully tunable shorty-style J&M antennas http://www.jmcorp.com/ProductDetail....ctID=HBSA-1416 ,,,,,
It's good that you have designed 3 distinct versions of your multi-purpose antenna and having made it tunable is very helpful for optimizing performance. But I will stand by my experience as an Amateur Radio operator that a single specific frequency antenna design will perform better than a multi-band, multi-frequency design.
I will say that I am not opposed to this compromise design, (I actually use a tri-band 144, 220, 440 Mhz antenna on my truck, all fed from a single tri-band radio with just a single coax connector) just that since the AM/FM function feeds to a separate & independent location, there's nothing to be gained by combining the band/frequency coverage into a single antenna. If the feed lines were combined, then there would be justification for the multi-band function in the antenna design.
If the owners of the bikes using these antennas are too illiterate to read the markings on the antenna & the manual for which side they are attached, then your design will work for them. I know the difference & know how to optimize my antenna system so I'll use a single band antenna.
Again, your grounding kit is a good starting point & is of high quality materials & workmanship. It does not however, remove the Motorola connector from the CB coax cable feed line. And it does not replace the poor quality coax feed line between the CB unit & the Motorola connector located outside of & just in front of the Tour Pack.
That connector was originally designed to be used in the 75 ohm antenna feed for AM/FM radios in cars, plugging directly into the back of the radio, under the dash, inside the car. In addition to being a 75 ohm impedance mismatch that connector is not weatherproof & is subject to severe corrosion where it is located in the H-D CB coax feed line.
I will say that I am not opposed to this compromise design, (I actually use a tri-band 144, 220, 440 Mhz antenna on my truck, all fed from a single tri-band radio with just a single coax connector) just that since the AM/FM function feeds to a separate & independent location, there's nothing to be gained by combining the band/frequency coverage into a single antenna. If the feed lines were combined, then there would be justification for the multi-band function in the antenna design.
If the owners of the bikes using these antennas are too illiterate to read the markings on the antenna & the manual for which side they are attached, then your design will work for them. I know the difference & know how to optimize my antenna system so I'll use a single band antenna.
Again, your grounding kit is a good starting point & is of high quality materials & workmanship. It does not however, remove the Motorola connector from the CB coax cable feed line. And it does not replace the poor quality coax feed line between the CB unit & the Motorola connector located outside of & just in front of the Tour Pack.
That connector was originally designed to be used in the 75 ohm antenna feed for AM/FM radios in cars, plugging directly into the back of the radio, under the dash, inside the car. In addition to being a 75 ohm impedance mismatch that connector is not weatherproof & is subject to severe corrosion where it is located in the H-D CB coax feed line.
Sponsor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,581
Likes: 65
From: Tucson AZ
Sailmotion ,,,,,
certainly ,,,, as the rally gets closer earlier next year, send an installation appointment request to audio@jmcorp.com for the AMERICADE rally ,,,,
certainly ,,,, as the rally gets closer earlier next year, send an installation appointment request to audio@jmcorp.com for the AMERICADE rally ,,,,
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,820
Likes: 588
From: Michigan
I've taken care of setting up systems for a few very close friends, but don't make a habit of it. My local dealership has tried to hire to do this as well, but when it becomes a job, it's no longer fun.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,820
Likes: 588
From: Michigan
Hammz ,,,,
I apologize again for your confusion on this ,,,, J&Ms CB antenna "IS" a single frequency design specifically for the 27mhz AM CB band ,,,,,
it is just that you can use this exact antenna staff for the AM/FM side, as long as the coax going to that side is 93 ohms (RG-62) instead of the 52 ohm coax (RG-58) that is used for the CB side ,,,,,
I apologize again for your confusion on this ,,,, J&Ms CB antenna "IS" a single frequency design specifically for the 27mhz AM CB band ,,,,,
it is just that you can use this exact antenna staff for the AM/FM side, as long as the coax going to that side is 93 ohms (RG-62) instead of the 52 ohm coax (RG-58) that is used for the CB side ,,,,,
What is the resonant frequency (frequencies) when fed from the AM/FM coax? Do you have any VSWR vs Freq charts that represent its' impedance match across the 540 to 1080 Khz and 88 to 108 Mhz commercial radio broadcast bands? Would be curious how that looks with an antenna that is tuned to 27 Mhz at an impendance of 50 Ohms but fed with either a 75 Ohm or 93 Ohm feedline. Does it actually exhibit multiple frequency response dips?
Thanks in advance!
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,264
Likes: 690
From: WESTERN CHICAGO AREA
Think I'll pass on the pizza & beer. I spend most of my riding season in the Black Hills. When I'm back home I'm busy playing catch up at home.
I've taken care of setting up systems for a few very close friends, but don't make a habit of it. My local dealership has tried to hire to do this as well, but when it becomes a job, it's no longer fun.
I've taken care of setting up systems for a few very close friends, but don't make a habit of it. My local dealership has tried to hire to do this as well, but when it becomes a job, it's no longer fun.
I understand about a job no longer being fun. I was just pulling your leg.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,895
Likes: 1,908
From: East Coast, USA
I ordered a custom coax from Field Components Inc. The radio end needs a male TNC connector. The other end will depend upon where/how you decide to mount the antenna.
A good choice for a good antenna wound be a 3 or 4 foot 5/8 wavelength tunable Firestik "FL" model antenna. They're about $15 each, have a 3/8 x 24 male thread & a tunable threaded tip for easy SWR adjustment.
Make your own mounting bracket & use a Firestik K-4A mount (about $5 each) & the coax will just need a PL259 on one end & the TNC connector on the other end. Or you can use an adapter to go from the M6 stud to a 3/8-24 thread & use the tour pack oem mount (still need new coax).
A good choice for a good antenna wound be a 3 or 4 foot 5/8 wavelength tunable Firestik "FL" model antenna. They're about $15 each, have a 3/8 x 24 male thread & a tunable threaded tip for easy SWR adjustment.
Make your own mounting bracket & use a Firestik K-4A mount (about $5 each) & the coax will just need a PL259 on one end & the TNC connector on the other end. Or you can use an adapter to go from the M6 stud to a 3/8-24 thread & use the tour pack oem mount (still need new coax).
First, a couple of questions:
1. Would there be any advantage to installing a NGP (no-ground plane) antenna from Firestik?
2. Realistically, do you think there would be any difference between a 3 foot and 4 foot antenna? I am a bit concerned about the stress on the tour-pak mount from a 4-foot antenna.
From what I understand, to improve the performance one recipe would be:
1. Replace antenna with a Firestik Firefly FL-3, 3-feet, 5/8 wave
http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FL3-FL4.htm
2. Purchase medium CB antenna spring, Firestik SS-3M
3. Purchase 6mm to 3/8-24 adapter for antenna
https://sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp...E-HARLEY-ADAPT
4. Update coax cabling. Order custom coax cabling from Field Components Inc. One end needs a TNC-male connector and the other end is terminated with a ring terminal on the center conductor and a spade connector on the shields. This will allow me to get rid of the Motorola connector in the tour-pak.
Does the length of the cable need to be 18 feet?
For testing SWR, I would also need the following:
1. Small custom cable from Field Components, 1-foot long, with a PL-259 connector on one end and a TNC-male on the other
2. TNC-female to PL-259 adapter
Last edited by LQQK_OUT; Sep 23, 2017 at 11:45 AM.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,820
Likes: 588
From: Michigan
Great info! I'd like to improve the performance of my CB radio without spending too much money. I'd also like to use the existing antenna mount on the tour-pak of my 2011 Ultra. From reading a number of your posts on this subject, I just might have enough knowledge now to be dangerous.
First, a couple of questions:
1. Would there be any advantage to installing a NGP (no-ground plane) antenna from Firestik?
First, a couple of questions:
1. Would there be any advantage to installing a NGP (no-ground plane) antenna from Firestik?
2. Realistically, do you think there would be any difference between a 3 foot and 4 foot antenna? I am a bit concerned about the stress on the tour-pak mount from a 4-foot antenna.
The Firestik 4 foot was chosen for a buddy's SGS & is mounted on a custom made mount that allows the antenna to stick out through the hole in the right side filler panel. The 4 foot antenna gets the antenna top high enough to clear above the passenger backrest. Another buddy wasn't trying for max performance, so his SGS was set up with H-D's shorty antennas for a nice matched look that performs better than any stock oem set-up.
From what I understand, to improve the performance one recipe would be:
1. Replace antenna with a Firestik Firefly FL-3, 3-feet, 5/8 wave
http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FL3-FL4.htm
2. Purchase medium CB antenna spring, Firestik SS-3M
3. Purchase 6mm to 3/8-24 adapter for antenna
https://sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp...E-HARLEY-ADAPT
4. Update coax cabling. Order custom coax cabling from Field Components Inc. One end needs a TNC-male connector and the other end is terminated with a ring terminal on the center conductor and a spade connector on the shields. This will allow me to get rid of the Motorola connector in the tour-pak.
Does the length of the cable need to be 18 feet?
1. Replace antenna with a Firestik Firefly FL-3, 3-feet, 5/8 wave
http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FL3-FL4.htm
2. Purchase medium CB antenna spring, Firestik SS-3M
3. Purchase 6mm to 3/8-24 adapter for antenna
https://sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp...E-HARLEY-ADAPT
4. Update coax cabling. Order custom coax cabling from Field Components Inc. One end needs a TNC-male connector and the other end is terminated with a ring terminal on the center conductor and a spade connector on the shields. This will allow me to get rid of the Motorola connector in the tour-pak.
Does the length of the cable need to be 18 feet?
For testing SWR, I would also need the following:
1. Small custom cable from Field Components, 1-foot long, with a PL-259 connector on one end and a TNC-male on the other
2. TNC-female to PL-259 adapter
1. Small custom cable from Field Components, 1-foot long, with a PL-259 connector on one end and a TNC-male on the other
2. TNC-female to PL-259 adapter
Last edited by Hammz; Sep 23, 2017 at 05:15 PM.
