02RangerXLT
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2009
- Messages
- 2,691
- Reaction score
- 53
- Points
- 0
- Location
- NE
- Vehicle Year
- 2002
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0
- Transmission
- Automatic
I bought a brand new Cobra 29 CB this weekend. I hooked it up to my setup of whips on the toolbox (only one plugged in, if you are going to bitch to me about two antennas, do it somewhere else, not here). The antenna warning light on my radio lit up immediately when I tried to transmit. I ran a ground wire from the mount directly to the frame of the pickup, that damn antenna warning light still came on. With this setup (if I remember right) the SWR's were between 1 and 2... so acceptable. This setup also worked well with the old Midland radio I had... but I still can't figure out why the light keeps coming on. Hell, I even took a multimeter to check the ground, and I scraped some paint off of a door mounting nut and the thing beeped when I touched the toolbox and the antenna stud.
Tonight I made a home made 100% steel hood mount bracket, and I ran a ground wire from the coax to the mounting bolt. Once again, the antenna warning light came on and my SWR's were off the charts at about 3. This is what throws me off the most, why the hell are my SWR's so high with this setup? The only thing else I could do to ground it is to wire the SOB to the negative battery terminal.
Anyone have any clue on what the hell is wrong with this thing? I've tried numerous combo's of coax, mounts and antennas and nothing seems to make that damn light shut off.
The only time I was ever able to get the light to shut off was when we took the mount off of the toolbox, and placed it directly onto the negative terminal of the battery. This was the only time that light shut off. What the hell is wrong?
ANY help would be appreciated, otherwise this thing is going back to the store.
Tonight I made a home made 100% steel hood mount bracket, and I ran a ground wire from the coax to the mounting bolt. Once again, the antenna warning light came on and my SWR's were off the charts at about 3. This is what throws me off the most, why the hell are my SWR's so high with this setup? The only thing else I could do to ground it is to wire the SOB to the negative battery terminal.
Anyone have any clue on what the hell is wrong with this thing? I've tried numerous combo's of coax, mounts and antennas and nothing seems to make that damn light shut off.
The only time I was ever able to get the light to shut off was when we took the mount off of the toolbox, and placed it directly onto the negative terminal of the battery. This was the only time that light shut off. What the hell is wrong?
ANY help would be appreciated, otherwise this thing is going back to the store.
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