Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 749
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From: Fort Worth, Texas
Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
I bought the short pair of antennas from Freedom Cycle - Reno and want to tune the CB antenna. I can hear everyone, but when I transmit, I don't get any responses. I did when I had the stock whips, so I'm worried that it's not the correct length. I've read from others that they are shipped at the correct length, but I'm not getting out to anyone.
So, I bought a Radio Shack SWR meter and thought I was ready to go...but Murphy struck.....the Harley antenna coupler o the back of the CB unit is some weird size that even Radio Shack doesn't carry.
Has anyone had this problem and knows where to get the correct size couplers?....what are they?
BTW, radio and CB reception has fallen off quite a bit from the stock whips.....I have a XM radio now, so the reduced radio reception doesn't really matter to me anymore....the CB's reception is also not as good, but I definitely want to be about to transmit at least a mile or so
Karl
So, I bought a Radio Shack SWR meter and thought I was ready to go...but Murphy struck.....the Harley antenna coupler o the back of the CB unit is some weird size that even Radio Shack doesn't carry.
Has anyone had this problem and knows where to get the correct size couplers?....what are they?
BTW, radio and CB reception has fallen off quite a bit from the stock whips.....I have a XM radio now, so the reduced radio reception doesn't really matter to me anymore....the CB's reception is also not as good, but I definitely want to be about to transmit at least a mile or so
Karl
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 249
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From: Cato, WI
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
Karl,
I went through the same exercise with cut down antenna's. First if you remove the fairing you can use the standard connectors on the back of the radio to connect the meter. I never was able to tune in the CB with cut down ant, so I bought new stock sticks. At full length they are barely acceptable on the swr meter. I ended up removing 1 3/4" from the CB wire and only improved the swr mildly. It is where I can hear well and transmitting is safe for the radio. Transmitting range is still pretty miserable, but I think that is because of the lack of a reasonable ground plane and the antique design. If I were serious about it I would get an adapter for the weird thread and use real stick.
Tom
I went through the same exercise with cut down antenna's. First if you remove the fairing you can use the standard connectors on the back of the radio to connect the meter. I never was able to tune in the CB with cut down ant, so I bought new stock sticks. At full length they are barely acceptable on the swr meter. I ended up removing 1 3/4" from the CB wire and only improved the swr mildly. It is where I can hear well and transmitting is safe for the radio. Transmitting range is still pretty miserable, but I think that is because of the lack of a reasonable ground plane and the antique design. If I were serious about it I would get an adapter for the weird thread and use real stick.
Tom
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 158
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
With a cb radio the longer the antenna is the better for transmitting. Short ones will not work well at all. I started dabbling in cb with a hand held cobra unit with a very short antenna and it didn't work worth a crap. I picked up an extended antenna and it worked much better. However it didn't work any where near as good as what I have now.
I just set up a J&M jmcb2003 unit and ended up buying an antenna adapter and splitter from Sierra MC electronics. I also picked up a spring for under the antenna because the antenna is fiberglass and doesent bend much.
For an ultra you would not need the spliter but my ride is a classic with only one antenna. I hooked up my radio shack SWR meeter and the SWR is almost purfect. Right at 1.25;1 I get reception that is quite a ways a way and I can talk with the best of them. the entire setup for the antenna and spliter cost me somewhere around $50.00.
I just set up a J&M jmcb2003 unit and ended up buying an antenna adapter and splitter from Sierra MC electronics. I also picked up a spring for under the antenna because the antenna is fiberglass and doesent bend much.
For an ultra you would not need the spliter but my ride is a classic with only one antenna. I hooked up my radio shack SWR meeter and the SWR is almost purfect. Right at 1.25;1 I get reception that is quite a ways a way and I can talk with the best of them. the entire setup for the antenna and spliter cost me somewhere around $50.00.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 749
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Texas
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
ORIGINAL: 99igor
With a cb radio the longer the antenna is the better for transmitting. Short ones will not work well at all. I started dabbling in cb with a hand held cobra unit with a very short antenna and it didn't work worth a crap. I picked up an extended antenna and it worked much better. However it didn't work any where near as good as what I have now.
I just set up a J&M jmcb2003 unit and ended up buying an antenna adapter and splitter from Sierra MC electronics. I also picked up a spring for under the antenna because the antenna is fiberglass and doesent bend much.
For an ultra you would not need the spliter but my ride is a classic with only one antenna. I hooked up my radio shack SWR meeter and the SWR is almost purfect. Right at 1.25;1 I get reception that is quite a ways a way and I can talk with the best of them. the entire setup for the antenna and spliter cost me somewhere around $50.00.
With a cb radio the longer the antenna is the better for transmitting. Short ones will not work well at all. I started dabbling in cb with a hand held cobra unit with a very short antenna and it didn't work worth a crap. I picked up an extended antenna and it worked much better. However it didn't work any where near as good as what I have now.
I just set up a J&M jmcb2003 unit and ended up buying an antenna adapter and splitter from Sierra MC electronics. I also picked up a spring for under the antenna because the antenna is fiberglass and doesent bend much.
For an ultra you would not need the spliter but my ride is a classic with only one antenna. I hooked up my radio shack SWR meeter and the SWR is almost purfect. Right at 1.25;1 I get reception that is quite a ways a way and I can talk with the best of them. the entire setup for the antenna and spliter cost me somewhere around $50.00.
Karl
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 978
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
Are you sure you are attaching the SWR meter to the CB antena connection? It is exactly the same on all models...make sure you aren't trying to use the FM radio antenna connection....!
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 749
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Texas
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
ORIGINAL: nmfxstc
Are you sure you are attaching the SWR meter to the CB antena connection? It is exactly the same on all models...make sure you aren't trying to use the FM radio antenna connection....!
Are you sure you are attaching the SWR meter to the CB antena connection? It is exactly the same on all models...make sure you aren't trying to use the FM radio antenna connection....!
Maybe the SWR meter comes in different sizes?....or the '06 Ultra has different cables?
Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 981
Likes: 3
From: Oklahoma
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
You can not change the length of a CB radio antenna and expect it to work. The small coil at the base of the stock antenna is to compensate for the full length that the antenna should be. if the coil was not there, the antenna would have to be 104" long to work properly.
The 11 meter band frequency for CB radio is 26.965 thru 27.405. this requires the antenna to be a specific length. At 50 ohms the SWR's go off the scale when the length is changed.
The 11 meter band frequency for CB radio is 26.965 thru 27.405. this requires the antenna to be a specific length. At 50 ohms the SWR's go off the scale when the length is changed.
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From: St George, UT
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
I got mine from Freedom Cycle also. It measured 1.3:1 right out of the box. They claim it to be set up right without adjustment. BUT, it is a very short antenna physically and so radiates a very small pattern. Couple that with the small ground plate in the bottom of the tour pack and a mile is about the best you can expect. You should be able to communicate within a group okay. If you need more, then a 48" top load whip is the way to go, mounted independant of the factory mount.. And I know this is a silly question but the CB stud is on the right side of the tour pack looking forward, and there is another coil in the tour pack behind the liner. It takes all that to work.\
My riding buddy uses a hand held and carries it just behind his windshield. We get about 3/4 of mile range between us two. His is a rubber duck antenna too.
My riding buddy uses a hand held and carries it just behind his windshield. We get about 3/4 of mile range between us two. His is a rubber duck antenna too.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 158
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Adjusting SWR on CB antenna?
ORIGINAL: kdietz
Did you have to get special couplers to connect the CB antenna feed to the SWR meter? My Radio Shack SWR meter has large size leads and the Harley CB has much smaller leads. I went to Radio Shack and bought mini leads and they don't fit the Harley antenna lead either.
Karl
ORIGINAL: 99igor
With a cb radio the longer the antenna is the better for transmitting. Short ones will not work well at all. I started dabbling in cb with a hand held cobra unit with a very short antenna and it didn't work worth a crap. I picked up an extended antenna and it worked much better. However it didn't work any where near as good as what I have now.
I just set up a J&M jmcb2003 unit and ended up buying an antenna adapter and splitter from Sierra MC electronics. I also picked up a spring for under the antenna because the antenna is fiberglass and doesent bend much.
For an ultra you would not need the spliter but my ride is a classic with only one antenna. I hooked up my radio shack SWR meeter and the SWR is almost purfect. Right at 1.25;1 I get reception that is quite a ways a way and I can talk with the best of them. the entire setup for the antenna and spliter cost me somewhere around $50.00.
With a cb radio the longer the antenna is the better for transmitting. Short ones will not work well at all. I started dabbling in cb with a hand held cobra unit with a very short antenna and it didn't work worth a crap. I picked up an extended antenna and it worked much better. However it didn't work any where near as good as what I have now.
I just set up a J&M jmcb2003 unit and ended up buying an antenna adapter and splitter from Sierra MC electronics. I also picked up a spring for under the antenna because the antenna is fiberglass and doesent bend much.
For an ultra you would not need the spliter but my ride is a classic with only one antenna. I hooked up my radio shack SWR meeter and the SWR is almost purfect. Right at 1.25;1 I get reception that is quite a ways a way and I can talk with the best of them. the entire setup for the antenna and spliter cost me somewhere around $50.00.
Karl