CB radio

[wayne and sherry]

Im trying to hook up a CB in JeNNY. I mounted the antenna on the ladder on the Back but my SWR IS LIKE 3.5. Not good. I was hoping the ladder was mounted on a medal frame making a ground. Has anyone been able to install a CB in the FR3 and get a good SWR reading? I'm going to run a founding wire from the antenna mount down to Jenny's frame this weekend, gee I hope that will do the trick.
I ran 50' of coax under JeNNY and come up thru the motor hatch between the seats.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[B and B]

Wayne from the looks of it you are electrically shorting out the antenna mounting it that low, the ladder is a radiator as well. The antenna should be above the ladder as a start. At 50 ft that is a lot of loss at CB Frequencies. What type of coax did you use? Mini RG8 should be a minimum. RG58 would just kill the received signal and transmit power. As you radio is at the from a better antenna location might be beside the Passenger with a short lead.

[wayne and sherry]

Thanks B&B. I have a Wilson trucker on a 10" mass that I will try. Is the ladder a ground? Do you know.?


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[wayne and sherry]

Hmmm I wonder if I were to attach a plate to the top of the ladder rails, drill a hole in the center and mount my antenna on a spring if that would help the SWR??


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[wayne and sherry]

Wonder, would aluminum plate work?


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[Ron Chamber]

A better answer would be to get a marine antenna! Also a RG-8 coax would be better for that length. Much less signal loss. Attach the base to any solid surface. An 8 inch ring at the base would help even more if attached to the metal part of the cable.

[wayne and sherry]

I got it figured out. My SWR with this set up is 1.6 on 1 & 40 and 1.5 on 20. Not bad for a 4' tune able tip fire fly antenna. I do have a Wilson 5000 trucker antenna, I'm going to spin that on and see if it gets a lower SWR. Once I got a good ground wire from the antenna bracket to the frame it came in pretty good. At these SWR readings I'm loosing about 6-7% of my CB's power. I'll give a update once l try my Wilson 5000 trucker antenna.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[markangie24]

I was shocked to read CB. Last time I heard that was Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit!! Hope you get your problem fixed.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[wayne and sherry]

I did. And have s good SWR setting now. 1.6 on ch 1 & 40 and a 0 on ch 20. I ran a grounding wire from my antenna mounting bracket down to the inside passengers frame rail just aft of the fuel tank. Great spot there for a good ground. I used 50' of high quality coax that l ran along the passengers frame rail on the outward side of the frame all the way up front. I opened the Engine hatch and brought the coax inside from there.
Using sticky velcro I attached the CB mounting bracket to the dash, same with the mic holder. Very clean install and for a RV pretty good SWR match. My antenna is a 4' fiberglass tune able tip fire fly, the radio is a realistic TRC-465 SSB 40ch that's peaked, tuned and unlocked. So far I've talked about 20 miles.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[Technorick]

Geeze don't p off sherry and wayne on the road or they will have "Jenny " shoot you with that massive tank mounter on the dash!

I assume One or both of you is ex military?.




2014 FR330 DS

[wayne and sherry]

LoL Technorick.. Yes we are both veterans.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[wayne and sherry]

The tank is a RC tank, it goes forward, back, left, right, has sounds, smokes, the gun mount rotates 360, the barrel goes up and down and it shoots air soft pellets. It's on a full suspension system so it absorbs all the bumps. My wife rolls her eyes at me, other than that she's a good sport. I bought the tank off eBay about 10yrs ago.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[rattleNsmoke]

Wayne, careful with velcro. When the top of the dash gets hot from the sun, the glue softens and doesn't want to hold. I've cleaned my dash really well and used heavy duty velcro with my radar detector...in the heat of the summer it still wants to slide a bit. Your radio is much heavier. I'd hate to see you panic stop and have that tank get into a head on with the radio shack.

[wayne and sherry]

Any idea on what would work better. I didn't want to fasten it with screws. I agree when the heat come on I'm sure it won't hold. I'll have to rethink this mounting. Maybe I'll mount it to a hunk of plywood and put some of that anti slip material on the bottom side of the plywood.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK

[rattleNsmoke]

You can prolly get by with velcro, but it's the velcro used by EZ Pass transponders and adhere's to a cars windshield. If it can stick there, it'll stick to your dashboard. If you have EZ Pass, call them and simply tell them you need 4 extra strips and within a few weeks, Volia! they send them free. That stuff is true 'hook and loop' velcro. Once on the dash, good luck removing it.

[wayne and sherry]

breaker breaker 19, this here's the rubber ducky, any one got a copy? We are west bound and down.


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK