using a moble as a base unit

[night ranger]

i have a uniden grant xl , a opek steel whip , and 50' foot of coax
and fifty foot of tower ...... and a dosy 1000 meter

im trying to get my swr down from 1.7 on channel 1 and 1.6 on channel 40

i had it hooked up on just a ten foot sectin of twoer and a ten foot steel pipe

i can't get wave down much at all
the other catch is got major power lines going through yard
any suggeestions would be helpful
thank you

['Doc]

First recommendation is to stay away from those power lines. May sound like it, but that is not a joke. How far away? As far as possible.
Try adding a couple of radials or a groundplane to that whip. You should then be able to get the SWR down to a 'normal' usable range (you aren't far from it now).
- 'Doc

[Foxhunter]

You know that's not a really bad SWR at all, many will be glad to settle for a 1.3 or 1.5 and be totally happy. Even a few more decimals like you have is entirely livable. I can understand though at a lone radio's low wattage, why you'd want the SWR to remain low and conserve as much power as you can. And really anyone should try and strive to get things as optimal as possible, within reason anyway. I wonder if you're getting "reflect" off the powerlines in close proximity ? Any other nearby objects. It's quite possible a small amount of additional tuning to the antenna can bring you down even lower. I didn't know Opek made a steel base whip (or any CB antennas actually) but I'm guessing it's a mobile antenna ? I have a 2M fiberglass Opek here at home currently going unused from them. Still, I would also venture to say that you may be lacking proper counterpoise due to not having an elevated groundplane. Sometimes a vertical antenna really can stand to benefit from radials beneath it, many mobile whip antennas are designed with counterpoise in mind for proper reflect. Would perform better too. Also, are you sure the meter is entirely accurate ? Still it's not a really bad SWR by any means, although a little lower I'm sure would be nice I can imagine.


Foxhunter 351 NJ


PS---Welcome to the CBRT!

[night ranger]

it is a moble antanna ...... when i had system up at other house swr was 1.3 on 40 and 1.2 on channel one
would like to be again but antanna was mounted on pvc pipe on roof not metal pipe
i am higher up now anit went full tower yet want swr down little more first

i anit exactly sure how high those other power lines are but i need a ground plane for the antanna
i ran a ground rod 5' foot long and left 3" inches above ground brought it down some but still got lot of static to it
bout 4.5 to 5lbs. at first got it down to bout 2 lbs. now

but i talk to lot of boys out of corbin and they said i was louder before gonna work with it some more today and
see what i can do .....do you all know how to make a ground plane from home ?

thank you again for your help

['Doc]

A 'groundplane', or radials, or a counterpoise, is the 'other half' of the antenna. A car or truck's metal body is that groundplane, or counterpoise for most mobile antennas. Got some metal tubing the same length as that whip? Connect it to the braid's contact at the end of the coax, have it stick out sideways. The angle that tubing makes with the whip changes the SWR. Find the right angle for your set up by playing with it. Want more than one radial/counterpoise to make it 'look right'? Have at it, but one is all that's required.
- 'Doc

No tubing? Use a stick, tie wire on it, it'll do the same thing.