Cb radio

[1994xlt]

The more out in the open the better for tuning the antenna. That spot you showed in the photo would be fine though. As long as there's nothing within a foot or 2 of the antenna you should be good.

Okay

 

[sgtsandman]

Generally speaking, as long as you aren't in an alley way or a driveway between two houses fairly close together, you should be fine. Radio waves bouncing off of buildings that are close together can throw readings off.

But you can get a good SWR and tune the antenna just fine while parked on the street in front of your house.

Radio traffic shouldn't make a difference since you are measuring reflectivity while you are transmitting. You won't be receiving any signal while your microphone is keyed. So, as long as you are set to read SWR, you should be good.

 

[1994xlt]

Generally speaking, as long as you aren't in an alley way or a driveway between two houses fairly close together, you should be fine. Radio waves bouncing off of buildings that are close together can throw readings off.

But you can get a good SWR and tune the antenna just fine while parked on the street in front of your house.

Radio traffic shouldn't make a difference since you are measuring reflectivity while you are transmitting. You won't be receiving any signal while your microphone is keyed. So, as long as you are set to read SWR, you should be good.

Ok thank you

 

[4x4junkie]

Mounted on my toolbox

Kindof hard to see much in that pic...

I would agree that spot can work, but the toolbox itself (and its lid if that's what it's mounted to) do need to be grounded well to the truck bed.

I think having it mounted to the back-center of the box (or on top of the box) would be a better spot for it though.

 

[1994xlt]

Kindof hard to see much in that pic...

I would agree that spot can work, but the toolbox itself (and its lid if that's what it's mounted to) do need to be grounded well to the truck bed.

I think having it mounted to the back-center of the box (or on top of the box) would be a better spot for it though.

Why would they need to be grounded? Lightening?

 

[pentode]

Why would they need to be grounded? Lightening?

You need a good ground for the output transistors in the radio to be safe and for the antenna to work at all, and in a perfect world, you need a big "ground plane" under the antenna for it to work well. The ground plane shapes the radiation pattern from the antenna, without getting into the weeds.

 

[4x4junkie]

Adding to what pentode said, it's so your antenna will have a good match (good SWR).

Wherever you mount your antenna, it has to have a solid continuous "plane" of metal under it for your radio signal to travel correctly. Obviously the best plane will be the expanse of sheetmetal that is the center of your roof. But when the antenna is mounted onto some other separate piece of metal that is smaller than the car roof or body (your toolbox) means that piece of metal (toolbox) will want to try to become it's own ground plane if it is not electrically bonded to the body of your truck.
The toolbox itself is much too small to function as an effective ground plane at 27MHz, so is why it needs to be grounded to your (larger) truck body so that it can become part of the bigger ground plane that is your truck.

Here's some further reading on this just so you're not having to take my word for it:

Proper CB Antenna Grounding Practices: RF Bonding, Materials, and Why It Matters

strykerradios.com

Elements of a Successful CB Installation | Right Channel Radios

Following a few key suggestions and tips will dramatically increase the chance of a successful, well-performing CB installation.

www.rightchannelradios.com

 

[1994xlt]

Adding to what pentode said, it's so your antenna will have a good match (good SWR).

Wherever you mount your antenna, it has to have a solid continuous "plane" of metal under it for your radio signal to travel correctly. Obviously the best plane will be the expanse of sheetmetal that is the center of your roof. But when the antenna is mounted onto some other separate piece of metal that is smaller than the car roof or body (your toolbox) means that piece of metal (toolbox) will want to try to become it's own ground plane if it is not electrically bonded to the body of your truck.
The toolbox itself is much too small to function as an effective ground plane at 27MHz, so is why it needs to be grounded to your (larger) truck body so that it can become part of the bigger ground plane that is your truck.

Here's some further reading on this just so you're not having to take my word for it:

Proper CB Antenna Grounding Practices: RF Bonding, Materials, and Why It Matters

strykerradios.com

Elements of a Successful CB Installation | Right Channel Radios

Following a few key suggestions and tips will dramatically increase the chance of a successful, well-performing CB installation.

www.rightchannelradios.com

Thank you

 

[Rick W]

Adding to what pentode said, it's so your antenna will have a good match (good SWR).

Wherever you mount your antenna, it has to have a solid continuous "plane" of metal under it for your radio signal to travel correctly. Obviously the best plane will be the expanse of sheetmetal that is the center of your roof. But when the antenna is mounted onto some other separate piece of metal that is smaller than the car roof or body (your toolbox) means that piece of metal (toolbox) will want to try to become it's own ground plane if it is not electrically bonded to the body of your truck.
The toolbox itself is much too small to function as an effective ground plane at 27MHz, so is why it needs to be grounded to your (larger) truck body so that it can become part of the bigger ground plane that is your truck.

Here's some further reading on this just so you're not having to take my word for it:

Proper CB Antenna Grounding Practices: RF Bonding, Materials, and Why It Matters

strykerradios.com

Elements of a Successful CB Installation | Right Channel Radios

Following a few key suggestions and tips will dramatically increase the chance of a successful, well-performing CB installation.

www.rightchannelradios.com

I agree with everything here

On grounding to your truck bed, you don’t need to run a separate wire, you just need to make sure that the toolbox is grounded to the truck bed, that there is good continuity if you use a meter and touch the toolbox and then touch the truck bed

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Nobody's mentioned it yet, but power lines put off a ton of noise, especially the high tension megawatt transit lines that run through cleared areas between substations. I was an idiot and tried to adjust my SWR underneath one.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Nobody's mentioned it yet, but power lines put off a ton of noise, especially the high tension megawatt transit lines that run through cleared areas between substations. I was an idiot and tried to adjust my SWR underneath one.

It’s impressive the power leakage from lines. I was helping another contractor that had a hot roof (poor wiring on the rooftop units actually was leaking voltage to the roof surface so we were fixing it correctly) and at one point the roof was about 15’ from the power wires. My non-contact voltage tester (I have really sensitive ones, they will read as little as 6v because I use them when troubleshooting 12v systems) was absolutely screaming holding it in the air facing the power wires. My contractor buddy had a normal non-contact voltage tester and his screamed too.

Couple I helped recently had a hot ground. Like you could get sparks off the ground wire. Plus every time a car would go up the road the lights would strobe effect. Turns out the power company had a bad connection on the pole. It was causing an electrical field that cars could disrupt. Fricking wild.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Couple I helped recently had a hot ground. Like you could get sparks off the ground wire. Plus every time a car would go up the road the lights would strobe effect. Turns out the power company had a bad connection on the pole. It was causing an electrical field that cars could disrupt. Fricking wild.

That sounds like a troubleshooting nightmare. How did you figure that out?