Do I need to tune this with an SWR meter? A HAM told me it was perfect and always matches so I wouldn't need to.
1772399
Not true. Although the SWR is generally close out of the box, each application will see different results. Highly recommended it is checked and adjusted accordingly.
1772400
You always need a swr meter when setting up any new antenna! They will tell you that in the tuning instructions that come with the antena
1772401
If its for CB yes it needs to be tuned.sometimes you may have to much metal or not enough metal around it for a ground plane always check SWR's
1772402
I would err on the side of yes, though I never threw one on mine. I only use barefoot though and don't really transmit a lot. If you are throwing some real fire out there you definitely want to measure the SWR.
1772403
Yes. The "right out of the box" length might be perfect on one vehicle but a disaster on another. I had to snip about 3/8 of an inch off to get the SWRs down where they belong. Right out of the box, I was getting 2.2 to 2.5. After tuning and snipping, I now go from a high of 1.21 on channel 40 to a low of 1.02 from channels 20 down to 1. That's pretty respectable. I probably could get a more even curve if I snipped a little more, but these numbers are fine. On another vehicle, I might need more length. Use an SWR meter and do it right!
1772404
All transmiting antennas need to be tuned. What tuned well on one vehicle may not be on another. There are too many variables involved. Chances are that it will be close, but if it isn't, you may damage your radio. If a ham did tell you that it didn't need to be tuned, then that goes to show how far the bar has been lowered for the exam.
955718
NO. The SWR meter for CB tops out at 30mHz. The SWR meters for VHF and UHF are different.
1661893
Measured with a relative SWR bridge, I got a very broad range of low swr as follows:140 - 1.5, 150 - 1.7 and 174 - 1.3400 - nil, 444 - 1.1 and 470 1.3I'm unable to test above 470 or below 140 but I suspect the swr would stay below 3.0 for quite aways.It is adjustable (mostly effects VHF).
1749220
I'd have to research to see in the HR24 can accept SWM. If you've upgraded to this LNB but are using the HR24 as it was configured for the old one you might want to try to re-run setup on your satellite tuner.
678391
I currently have a 4' Astatic half-breed. I also use Firestik antennas. The Astatic has less static and better range. You can use a magnet mount but I dont know what vehicle you have or how you want to mount it. The #1 thing is to set the SWR for any antenna. Look it up if you dont know- you will need a meter or a cb shop can do it sheap. If the antenna isnt tuned the transmit circuit can burn out on you cb.
1021018
This is NOT going to "tune the antenna" - not at ALL. It will when properly set allow the transmitter to see a good "swr" and thus put out full (or nearly) power. The antenna will still be the same as before using this little gem; the swr will be as before but the transmitter will be as happy as a pig in poop. The ONLY way to "tune the antenna: is to actually TUNE THE ANTENNA! Period! End O' discussion.
2269851
the swr is set for the short rubber duck antenna that comes with it ,,i own three of these ,,on motorcycles and they are great for at least 1/2 mile or more on the open road ,,highly recommended,,,you can add other non ground plane antenna but then you will need to set the swr ..
2064630
Mark, I have not got mine out the box yet so I can't tell you how close they may be but they can be affected by your particular installation...you really will need to check the swr after you install...you can find swr meters for around 20 bucks online and there are plenty of youtube videos that you can view instructions on their use.
412780
You need to get an SWR meter and tune the antenna by moving the vertical antenna element for best performance. 1:2 is the best I was able to get. So far I was able to reach 30 miles on LSB during the night.
1055354
The antenna is 5'-2" long and the coax is 18' long. Make sure you set the SWR to match the antenna to the radio. 1.7 : 1 is border line high. You should get 1.1 : 1 match with this antenna. It will make any radio good! Also, DO NOT coil up extra coax trying to keep it neat. This will cause a choke and not let you get a good match. just weave it around like spaghetti!
2269371
Check the SWR of the antenna for the frequencies that the radio transmits in with any of the antenna analyzers available on the market. If the SWR is not high, then the antenna is right for this radio. It makes no difference in operation what the ring around the threads states. It is the SWR that matters.
1936640
If you have a tunable tip antenna go to FireStik.com and check out the TechDocs section. There are illustrations on correct continuity, as well as info on proper grounding and SWR testing. I was able to achieve 1.0 - 1.2 SWR on all channels on my Jeep with only half of the antenna above roofline. I originally had issues my setup due to incorrect grounding, and my SWR was in the red line as well. After fixing the ground I have near perfect SWR. The readings you're experiencing are more likely due to a short, bad ground, or coax issue before an issue with this radio/mobile transceiver. Also maybe try a "no ground plane" antenna if you don't want to deal with grounding. If you have a tunable tip antenna go to FireStik.com and check out the TechDocs section. There are illustrations on correct continuity, as well as info on proper grounding and SWR testing. I was able to achieve 1.0 - 1.2 SWR on all channels on my Jeep with only half of the antenna above roofline. I originally had issues my setup due to incorrect grounding, and my SWR was in the red line as well. After fixing the ground I have near perfect SWR. The readings you're experiencing are more likely due to a short, bad ground, or coax issue before an issue with this radio/mobile transceiver. Also... » Read More If you have a tunable tip antenna go to FireStik.com and check out the TechDocs section. There are illustrations on correct continuity, as well as info on proper grounding and SWR testing. I was able to achieve 1.0 - 1.2 SWR on all channels on my Jeep with only half of the antenna above roofline. I originally had issues my setup due to incorrect grounding, and my SWR was in the red line as well. After fixing the ground I have near perfect SWR. The readings you're experiencing are more likely due to a short, bad ground, or coax issue before an issue with this radio/mobile transceiver. Also maybe try a "no ground plane" antenna if you don't want to deal with grounding. « Show Less
965849
No. You need an SWR meter. Also, it depends on what type of antenna you are using, such as a home based big stick which is normally fixed or a firestick which is normally mobile and is adjustable. This Ghost meter might pick up a keyed up mic transmitting but it should not be used that way.. You can find an SWR online for around $20 bucks.. Make sure you know what you are doing as you can fry your radio if you aren't careful.
955721
An SWR meter for a CB rig is designed for the frequencies that are used for CB, in the U.S. it is 27 MHz. This antenna is designed for 144/430 MHz range. I would not recommend using a CB SWR meter on this antenna because you can damage both your rig and your meter.
906873
I think that since it operates on 10m and 12m, without a tuner, it should "tune up" with a tuner...........may ask the dealer for sure
1715207
Yup thus far its fallen from some tables (I've now placed rubber studs for non skid underneath the radio) when someone grabbed the mic for a qso.Used with SWR of 3 (by accident) for long qsos.Passes the test for me. Far better than my FT-1900R which overheats at 5watts in 30 mins with a 50% duty cycle and becomes unstable at 64 degrees Celsius.
1758573
Yes and no. I use a CB SWR meter to check 2M antennas all the time. There is a trick to it however. If all you want to to is check SWR on your 2M antenna, you don't necessarily have to buy a dedicated VHF/UHF SWR meter. What I keep in my toolbag for that is a cheapie $5 hamfest special CB SWR meter. They really don't work well on 2M but there's a trick you can do that will net a reasonably accurate SWR reading on 2M with one of these meters. What you do is connect up the meter as usual, key the rig with the switch in the forward power position, set the adjustment for full scale. Now, without touching anything, swap the coax connections so that the rig is connected to the "ANT" side of the meter, and the antenna is connected to the "XCVR" side. The reading you see on the meter will be very close to your real SWR. The closer to 1:1 your SWR is, the more accurate it will be. It would be more convenient to have a real SWR meter or antenna analyzer if you do a lot of testing, but for a quick antenna check after a mobile install or whatever, the $5 CB meters work OK.