Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2002 » Archived Messages 05/01/2002 to 06/30/2002 » HELP! I can't get the SWR matched! « Previous Next »

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Kevster
Posted on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 9:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

OK fella's, I have a 148GTL with a Wilson "Little Wil" antenna and can not get the SWR under 3!!! I have lowered and raised the stinger, millimeter by millimeter (hours of fun!) and still no luck. I have also placed the antenna on different parts of my car and adjusted the stinger again, no luck! I have not made any modifications to the antenna, but the radio has been modified - just peaked to swing 14W on AM and added talkback. What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Barakuda318
Posted on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 10:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

kevster how long is your coax? you may have to shorten it to get your swr's to go down, or you may not have a very good ground. your coax should be about 9feet long or so, then check your swr's and raise or lower the stinger, then if that don't work try running some sort of ground wire.
hope this helps, good luck
73's
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Taz
Posted on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 10:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If its on a solid 3 its your ground
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Kevster
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Taz, it is on a solid 3. How do I ground a mag mount antenna? Do I run a ground wire from the mag mount itself? Kevster
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Kevster
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:43 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Barakuda, it has about 15 feet of coax.
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Taz
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 1:20 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

it might be your coax too, it your going to run a ground which you shouldnt have to on a magnet antenna, take a wire and solder it to the side of the base then run it down to the frame of your truck. or just put the wire under the magnet and kind of roll it up under there so it sits flat.
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Barakuda318
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 6:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would try what taz is saying, but you really should not have to ground a magnet mount cause the ground is 0n the magnet itself, the foil that is placed on the magnet is your ground sometimes you will have to scrape paint away to get them to ground, but if you do not want to scrape the paint then do as taz said. good luck
73's
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Bigbob
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 8:07 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Kevster:check for good connection at both ends on center wire and sheild,check load coil for bad solder joints,also you need alot of car body for low swr,teeny tiny cars with lots of plastic are bad for swr.Try connecting all metal body panels with ground straps.
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Jyd
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 8:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

should be 18 feet of coax,15 is to short
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chris leggett
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 10:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You may need to trim the stinger,I had to cut about 2 in off of mine.
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jyd
Posted on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 11:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

dont cut the singer until you get 18 feet of coax
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RCI2990
Posted on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 12:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hmmm. Seems i knew someone else (actually a couple of people) that had the exact same problem with the "little willy"! They had to end up taking it back and exchanging it and some $$ for a wilson 500. Then they had a 1.2=1 swr all 40 with the wilson 500.
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Taz
Posted on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 12:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

GET THE WILSON 1000,5000. or 500

do they make a 500?
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jyd
Posted on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 8:30 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

yes
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Kevster
Posted on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 4:12 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sorry guys, just slapped a Wilson 1000 on there - still didn't work. Hmmm, maybe do a trunk mount then ground the sucker?!
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307
Posted on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 12:23 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Calculations show by adding a 9 foot jumper , it will go down. Let me know...I have had this trouble MANY times and it does correct it.

307
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Antennadude
Posted on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 6:07 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That antenna has a short inside. take it back and get a new one
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Etatech
Posted on Saturday, May 18, 2002 - 11:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If you know someone who has one, try hooking an external SWR meter up to your radio (with 50 ohm load attatched) just to make sure that after your radio was modified, the SWR is ok. This will prove if your problem is in your radio or an antenna/ground type problem. Also, if you want to chance it, try hooking another good working radio up to your antenna on your car and see if you get the same results.
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HH
Posted on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 3:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Have you tried more than one meter?
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Mrhappy
Posted on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 4:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Is the wilson 2000 bad,everybody seems to over look this one,i run it on my kwop,does a great job.
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bruce
Posted on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 7:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

kevster do you know someone with a anlizer?? Reading this my thoughts are either your antenna is no where near cb or is a endfed one requiring a very good ground. Cutting ( YES CUTTING COAX) your feed is not going to tune that thing.