Need help setting up my radio

[bcbadboy]

Hello all,

Looking for some local CBer's to help me try out my new radio. I'm in the DFW area. Much appreciated! Thanks to all.

[halfwatt959]

Hello and welcome to the party. Tell us a little about your setup radio, antenna and coax and stuff. We will help all we can with advice. I'm sure there are some members in your area you should be able to make some contacts. Good luck and 73s.

[bcbadboy]

Hey halfwatt959,

Thanks for the welcome. I'm running a President Lincoln 2 with a Wilson 500 mag mount. So far the locals say I sound good. I would like to know, what do I need to reach out further?

[Deleted User 14541]

You've got a clean sounding radio and a decent antenna. The roger beep seems like it goes on forever though.I'm assuming the wilson 500 it is on the roof. You could get a little more out of a longer hard mount antenna or an amplifier. If that Lincoln is a 40 watt radio you're looking at a 4 pill that would put you in the 500 watt range. Be prepared for RF interference with the vehicle electronics. You may not have any issues but it's always a possibility.

[drdx]

Welcome, what part of the dfw area are you in? I'm here in collin county.

-drdx

[bcbadboy]

You've got a clean sounding radio and a decent antenna. The roger beep seems like it goes on forever though.I'm assuming the wilson 500 it is on the roof. You could get a little more out of a longer hard mount antenna or an amplifier. If that Lincoln is a 40 watt radio you're looking at a 4 pill that would put you in the 500 watt range. Be prepared for RF interference with the vehicle electronics. You may not have any issues but it's always a possibility.

Hey 543FtWorth!! Thanks for the reply. I think I'll go ahead and take the roger beep off. Yes, the Wilson is magnet mounted on my truck roof. What antenna do you suggest getting? I really don't want to get into amps. I heard those damage radios if not properly installed. My truck is full of technology, so that would be another reason not to get one. It took me forever to tune the SWR's, and I was able to get 1.0 on 1, 1.0 on 20 and 1.0 on 40. I was told that is perfect, and to leave it like that.

-- Tuesday, 10 November 2015, 15:24 --

Welcome, what part of the dfw area are you in? I'm here in collin county.

-drdx

Thank you drdx, I'm in Mansfield, Tarrant County. I'd like to see if I can reach you on night. Let me know when your're on, and what channel.

(edited by MDY, removed multiple posts)

[Deleted User 14541]

Better antenna is a hard question to answer because we all have different needs and vehicles. You aren't doing bad now and I don't want you to buy something that doesn't really help you. If you're going to stay with a mag mount I'd call it good and talk on it. I wasn't having any trouble hearing you but don't get discouraged on a Saturday night when several base stations running power are all going at once. 35 has became a real zoo lately but hopefully the cool weather brings back some of the old 28 crowd.

A 102 whip is king but you have to use it right. It needs to be on the roof of a decent size vehicle, the bigger the roof under it the better. You can find an aluminum whip adjuster that will allow you to fine tune a whip. In the past people used the 6 inch spring if the antenna needed to be longer.

Most of the current is a 1/4 wave from the tip of the antenna that means most of the radiating is done at the base. Mounting the 102 on the bumper is shooting yourself in the foot. It will work, swr is low and people do it all the time but they could do so much better with a shorter antenna on the roof where it belongs.

I use a puck mount on the roof of my truck but it requires an 1.5" hole and 4 3/8" holes in the roof. The open coil antennas like the Predator 10k work well but a firestick or skipshooter of about the same length works as well if not better. I ran a predator for years and switched to a 6ft skipshooter recently. It handles the power I have fine, seems to be less noisy. More loading towards top = more radiation higher up. If you do switch antennas look for center or top loading vs the base load you have now. A base load can be shunt fed to make tuning easier and since they are DC grounded they can help with static. Everything has pros and cons.

Sorry I didn't really answer your question. You'll get a lot of different answers when it comes to the best antenna.

[1206FL]

Breedlove does make a one hole mount, just FYI. They do have 2"and 3" one hole mounts. And as far as antennas. Like 543 stated, a 102"whip and riser would be best, but are tall!! A good all around antenna that works well that I've been using for a while now is the sirio performer 5000. They are a longer than the Wilson 5000 and height is might. At almost 7ft with mount, your not too far off from a 102" 1/4 wave and whip and riser but these antennas can fold over and most of the time the 2ft less if about the perfect length. Not too high, but high enough. The sirio antennas are of good quality. Add a 3" one hole pl259 to terminal connect on the bottom and they make a good combo. On SSB I've talked to base stations while running about 50 watts, almost 70 miles away. 30-50 miles consistently when the band wasn't filled with a million people!! And they work well for dxing as well. Just some food for thought. You might be able to add a TNT 350hd to that radio if you have the power turned back. Pep power as well as DK for AM. They are stout little amps. And they aren't bad on electronics as a 4 pill will be!! Run it at 200 watts and it will be clean! Again, just some food for thought. Have a great day. And listen to 543, he knows his stuff!!

[bcbadboy]

Better antenna is a hard question to answer because we all have different needs and vehicles. You aren't doing bad now and I don't want you to buy something that doesn't really help you. If you're going to stay with a mag mount I'd call it good and talk on it. I wasn't having any trouble hearing you but don't get discouraged on a Saturday night when several base stations running power are all going at once. 35 has became a real zoo lately but hopefully the cool weather brings back some of the old 28 crowd.

A 102 whip is king but you have to use it right. It needs to be on the roof of a decent size vehicle, the bigger the roof under it the better. You can find an aluminum whip adjuster that will allow you to fine tune a whip. In the past people used the 6 inch spring if the antenna needed to be longer.

Most of the current is a 1/4 wave from the tip of the antenna that means most of the radiating is done at the base. Mounting the 102 on the bumper is shooting yourself in the foot. It will work, swr is low and people do it all the time but they could do so much better with a shorter antenna on the roof where it belongs.

I use a puck mount on the roof of my truck but it requires an 1.5" hole and 4 3/8" holes in the roof. The open coil antennas like the Predator 10k work well but a firestick or skipshooter of about the same length works as well if not better. I ran a predator for years and switched to a 6ft skipshooter recently. It handles the power I have fine, seems to be less noisy. More loading towards top = more radiation higher up. If you do switch antennas look for center or top loading vs the base load you have now. A base load can be shunt fed to make tuning easier and since they are DC grounded they can help with static. Everything has pros and cons.

Sorry I didn't really answer your question. You'll get a lot of different answers when it comes to the best antenna.

You've said enough to get me to understand about the antenna's. You said you were able to hear me well, what part of FW are you in? I wonder if JesseJames can hear me good. I could hear him in the background, but very low. I guess I'll leave my setup the way it is if it's working.

-- Wednesday, 11 November 2015, 12:44 --

Breedlove does make a one hole mount, just FYI. They do have 2"and 3" one hole mounts. And as far as antennas. Like 543 stated, a 102"whip and riser would be best, but are tall!! A good all around antenna that works well that I've been using for a while now is the sirio performer 5000. They are a longer than the Wilson 5000 and height is might. At almost 7ft with mount, your not too far off from a 102" 1/4 wave and whip and riser but these antennas can fold over and most of the time the 2ft less if about the perfect length. Not too high, but high enough. The sirio antennas are of good quality. Add a 3" one hole pl259 to terminal connect on the bottom and they make a good combo. On SSB I've talked to base stations while running about 50 watts, almost 70 miles away. 30-50 miles consistently when the band wasn't filled with a million people!! And they work well for dxing as well. Just some food for thought. You might be able to add a TNT 350hd to that radio if you have the power turned back. Pep power as well as DK for AM. They are stout little amps. And they aren't bad on electronics as a 4 pill will be!! Run it at 200 watts and it will be clean! Again, just some food for thought. Have a great day. And listen to 543, he knows his stuff!!

1206FL, thanks for your input. I'll look into a TNT 350 for DXing. Just worried about burning out my radio. You in Florida?

[silvereagle1]

Hey halfwatt959,

Thanks for the welcome. I'm running a President Lincoln 2 with a Wilson 500 mag mount. So far the locals say I sound good. I would like to know, what do I need to reach out further?

I run the Lincoln 2 with a hard mounted sirio 5000 and a RM KL503 and the setup works great.
I drive it at lowest setting on AM and drive it with around 10 pep on SSB. I've never had a bad report and the kl503 never gets hot just a little warm.

[bcbadboy]

Hey halfwatt959,

Thanks for the welcome. I'm running a President Lincoln 2 with a Wilson 500 mag mount. So far the locals say I sound good. I would like to know, what do I need to reach out further?

I run the Lincoln 2 with a hard mounted sirio 5000 and a RM KL503 and the setup works great.
I drive it at lowest setting on AM and drive it with around 10 pep on SSB. I've never had a bad report and the kl503 never gets hot just a little warm.

Hi Silvereagle1,

Thanks for that information. is that Sirlo 5000 magnet mounted, or physically mounted? I looked up that RM KL503 and can't find it for sale. Any advice on where to get one? What was the price on it?

[1206FL]

H&Y might sell them. The KL503.

[1206FL]

**Non Sponsor** might sell them. The KL503.

(edited by MDY, removed non sponsor)

[bcbadboy]

**Non Sponsor** might sell them. The KL503.

10-4 I'll look it up. Thanks for the info.

[1206FL]

No worries.

[MDYoungblood]

**Non Sponsor** might sell them. The KL503.

10-4 I'll look it up. Thanks for the info.

**Non Sponsor** might sell them. The KL503.

(edited by MDY, removed non sponsor)

**NON-SPONSOR** might sell them. The KL503.

Not long ago there was a big scare to the stores and shops from the FCC sending out letters to them about selling illegal amplifiers and a lot of the stores/shops pulled the items off their online sites but that doesn't mean they don't have them, there is also a sponsor site that sells them if you look.

Posting of *Non Sponsor* site is against the forum's rules and that was why they were removed and especially when a sponsor sells the product/items. Please use our sponsors whenever possible, they have some of the best prices on the internet and they help keep the forum running, thanks.
If you have a particular specialty item that you would like to share with a member you could always send it to them via a PM.

3's

Greg/MDY

[bcbadboy]

**Non Sponsor** might sell them. The KL503.

10-4 I'll look it up. Thanks for the info.

**Non Sponsor** might sell them. The KL503.

(edited by MDY, removed non sponsor)

**NON-SPONSOR** might sell them. The KL503.

Not long ago there was a big scare to the stores and shops from the FCC sending out letters to them about selling illegal amplifiers and a lot of the stores/shops pulled the items off their online sites but that doesn't mean they don't have them, there is also a sponsor site that sells them if you look.

Posting of *Non Sponsor* site is against the forum's rules and that was why they were removed and especially when a sponsor sells the product/items. Please use our sponsors whenever possible, they have some of the best prices on the internet and they help keep the forum running, thanks.
If you have a particular specialty item that you would like to share with a member you could always send it to them via a PM.

3's

Greg/MDY

MDY, Thank you for that information. I'll take a look at the sponsor links.

[silvereagle1]

Hey halfwatt959,

Thanks for the welcome. I'm running a President Lincoln 2 with a Wilson 500 mag mount. So far the locals say I sound good. I would like to know, what do I need to reach out further?

I run the Lincoln 2 with a hard mounted sirio 5000 and a RM KL503 and the setup works great.
I drive it at lowest setting on AM and drive it with around 10 pep on SSB. I've never had a bad report and the kl503 never gets hot just a little warm.

Hi Silvereagle1,

Thanks for that information. is that Sirlo 5000 magnet mounted, or physically mounted? I looked up that RM KL503 and can't find it for sale. Any advice on where to get one? What was the price on it?

I drilled a hole with a unibit on top of my car toward the rear center. It calls for 5/8 but that's a little too large is the reason I used a unibit. The rubber seal on the bottom side won't seat with a 5/8 hole.
My amp came from Louisville Kentucky if that tells you anything. $149.00 They have them but they don't advertise. A phone call and credit card should be all you need. It's been a couple of years ago but I haven't seen them anywhere else. You could shoot dnj an e-mail or phone call and ask them. They are a sponsor and I've bought amps in the past from them. Very reliable store.

-- Thursday, 12 November 2015, 13:59 PM --

Lincoln 2
RM KL503
Gamber Johnson 212 rack

image.jpg

[bcbadboy]

Hey halfwatt959,

Thanks for the welcome. I'm running a President Lincoln 2 with a Wilson 500 mag mount. So far the locals say I sound good. I would like to know, what do I need to reach out further?

I run the Lincoln 2 with a hard mounted sirio 5000 and a RM KL503 and the setup works great.
I drive it at lowest setting on AM and drive it with around 10 pep on SSB. I've never had a bad report and the kl503 never gets hot just a little warm.

Hi Silvereagle1,

Thanks for that information. is that Sirlo 5000 magnet mounted, or physically mounted? I looked up that RM KL503 and can't find it for sale. Any advice on where to get one? What was the price on it?

I drilled a hole with a unibit on top of my car toward the rear center. It calls for 5/8 but that's a little too large is the reason I used a unibit. The rubber seal on the bottom side won't seat with a 5/8 hole.
My amp came from Louisville Kentucky if that tells you anything. $149.00 They have them but they don't advertise. A phone call and credit card should be all you need. It's been a couple of years ago but I haven't seen them anywhere else. You could shoot dnj an e-mail or phone call and ask them. They are a sponsor and I've bought amps in the past from them. Very reliable store.

-- Thursday, 12 November 2015, 13:59 PM --

Lincoln 2
RM KL503
Gamber Johnson 212 rack

image.jpg

Very nice setup. I'm looking into that antenna as well as the amp. Thanks for the info. How do you like your President Lincoln II? I love mine so far. I have the Galaxy 98VHP 10 years ago, and I thought that radio was the **Censored**! This one is better. Smaller and louder.

[silvereagle1]

It's the best radio that I've had so far and I've had a galaxy 99v2 and president grant 2 and neither come close to the Lincoln 2. The Grant 2 is close just less features. The sirio 5000 is a more broad banded antenna which matches well with the Lincoln. The Lincoln is a decent radio on 10 meters too because it tunes in 1khz steps instead of 5's and 10's like the grant 2.

[1206FL]

Sorry MD, I thought one of the 2 I posted was a site sponsor.

[milkman21218]

I ran Wilson 1000 & 5000's for years. And will say that they are pretty good. Then I got a Sirio PL 5000 w/mag mount and now I say that I have a really Great antenna. I did my own little test switching out the Wilson and Sirio. I saw while parked a 5-20 mile increase over my Wilson's. And I use it to cover both the 10 & 11 meter bands. With a SWR of 1:7 or less on both. If you can use a 102" it should give you everything that you want. If not follow Silver Eagle's set up you can't go wrong. Just feel that 503 with 2 watts or less and you will enjoy yourself for years.

[1206FL]

I got about the same results as you milkman21218. I switched from Wilson 5000 mag mount to the Sirio performer 5000 and there was definitely a noticeable difference in both RX & TX. The newer Wilson antennas, as of last year anyway have had some QC issues. I had 2 new ones that I tried to help a friend tune with an MFJ269 and we couldn't get the vswr below 1.7:1. And the R and X readings were bad as well. 2 brand new antennas! Switched it out for an old Wilson 5000 and it tuned flat then. The older Wilson antenna is most likely 15-20 years old. It's an old one. But it worked. I've now talked the local into installing a 3" Breedlove one hole mount and a sirio performer 5000 onto his E350 ford van. Man it's long and has a lot of metal under the antenna. The mount is installed. Just need to work on the rest when time permits. Need to run a good flat braid for ground from the bottom of the mount to frame and then run coax and such. It will come together. Will be a nice setup when done. He uses a 2950DX stock other than the conversion. Should work well. Anyway. To further on your post, I saw the about the same distance. I went from about 20-30 miles tops with the Wilson 5000 on SSB and 50 watts, to 50-70 miles consistently. I was able to talk to Daytona Beach from Orlando to some guys I know there. I was about 60 miles away right across from the the airport and had all the hills and buildings to contend with and was still able to make contact. Just some of my experiences between the 2 antennas. Good day.