broken CB antennae

[Trader]

No....the picture is not something from north Korea

 

I broke the top tip off my CB antennae...still trying to save it....cheaper that way

any suggestions?

can't seem to get the screw??? out.

 

Is it even a cap screw?

[etcswjoe]

It is supposed to be a cap screw, you may be able to drill it out and retap. For less than 30 bucks I would switch to a firestick or someone may have an OEM laying around.

[utadventure]

Try an extractor. You likely can remove it without damaging the threads.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Condor]

It's an allen plug. That said I've tried on several antennas and never have been able to get the dang thing out....

[dacheedah]

Dangle this into a cup with penetrating oil and let it soak overnight. A screw extractor should get it out if it will grip that puppy.

[Geobob]

I just found my antenna either broken off by accident or vandalized but I need a new top. There are none on Ebay and what was there was not cheap. Can just the top of this thing be replaced with something from radio shack or what is a "firestick" I'll try anything

[Prairiehammer]

IF, if you can get the Allen head set screw out and the broken stainless steel remains of the upper antenna out of the center load, you should be able to insert a suitable diameter stainless steel rod to replace the missing tip. You should then check your SWR and adjust the length of the tip to get a good SWR reading.

Failing that, here is what a Firestik is: http://www.firestik.com/CatalogFrame.htm

You can also go here and research how to do the Marshall Mod: http://www.bludolphintravel.com/gmg/marshallmod.htm

Here is just one thread concerning the Marshall Mod, there are more: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17675

Edited May 25, 2013 by Prairiehammer

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Soak it in penetrating oil, as mentioned earlier, then use a small, thin, cutting wheel on a dremel tool, and cut a narrow 'slot' across the edges of the setscrew, so that you can insert a flat blade screwdriver, and remove it that way. If the cutting wheel makes a bit of a 'gouge' in the ferrule it wont hurt anything, other than expose some shiny metal.

 

Clamp either the workpiece or the dremel in a vise, wear googles, and work carefully. (hint: if the setscrew is really stubborn, use a square shanked flat blade screwdriver, with a tip thats in new condition, that just fits in the newly cut slot, and grip the shank of the screwdriver with a small cresent wrench to control the torque applied)

 

You will need to find a new metric setscrew to replace the old one, and then you will need a new antenna 'stinger' to replace it.

 

It might be easier to just replace the entire antenna with a new one, pre-measured so that that SWR will be correct, or close to it. Just using a random length rod will cause the SWR to be way off, and make the CB barely usable.

 

Let us know.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2013 by tx2sturgis

[Yammer Dan]

Pilot Truck Stops have the 3 ft Firestick with cable and mount for 19 bucks. I don't have any idea on the SWR.

[painterman67]

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=57269

 

heres what I did

 

David

[Geobob]

So I went to radio shack and they had one of the connectors, that was the pl 259 twist on. And of coarse it was made for a much larger diameter coax cable. So can I just wrap the coax in electrical tape and try and get it to thread on or just tape the whole thing up.

 

I had a feeling this was going to be a problem.

 

I did get the new fire stick on there and it picks up a good signal. I think it is working all the time but its hard to tell. I think the coax is secure in the connector but I really have no way of knowing.

 

So now we need to figure out this SWR thing. First of all just how in the world and I going to adjust the lenght of the firestick if it needs to be longer or shorter. It

is not like there is an adjustment on it. What am I missing here.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

that was the pl 259 twist on. And of coarse it was made for a much larger diameter coax cable. So can I just wrap the coax in electrical tape and try and get it to thread on or just tape the whole thing up.

 

 

You should have purchased the screw-in reducer, UG-175 or 176, depending on which mobile coax you are using.

 

http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/zqhdx.mmwva/v/vspfiles/photos/17010-1.jpg?1366996255

 

 

 

So now we need to figure out this SWR thing. First of all just how in the world and I going to adjust the lenght of the firestick if it needs to be longer or shorter. It

is not like there is an adjustment on it. What am I missing here.

Most fiberglass antennas are made purposely just a bit too long, electrically. This is so you can shorten, as needed, for your particular vehicle and ground plane combination.

 

Assuming your Firestik is the kind with the wire in a spiral pattern, visible under an outer vinyl jacket, and a vinyl cap on the end, here is the procedure:

 

After measuring and determining that it IS electrically too long, (higher SWR on ch 40, and a lower SWR on ch 1) you simply pull the cap off the top of the antenna, pull out a small amount of wire, about a half inch, snip it off with a wire cutter, (if needed, you can trim the vinyl to get to the wire). Then push the wire back down in the vinyl covering, leaving the end of the wire where you can grab it again with a needlenose. Re-install the antenna, and measure again. If you need to, you can cut the fiberglass rod in a vise, using a fine tooth blade hacksaw.

 

You dont want to cut TOO much, its possible to solder wire back on, but easier to just work slowly until the SWR is about equal on ch 1 and ch 40, with a slighly lower reading on the middle channels.

 

Example before cutting:

 

ch 1 reads 1.5

ch 20 reads 1.9

ch 40 reads 2.5

 

Tuning is needed, trim until you see something like this:

 

ch 1, 1.5

ch 20, 1.3

ch 40, 1.6

 

If you see numbers like this, your good to go. Replace the cap....adding a few drops of glue will help seal it.

 

'Francis' and 'Shakespeare' style fiberglass whips, have the wire actually embeded in the fiberglass, and have a smooth apprearance, like a fishing rod, and no wires are visible. I prefer this style of fiberglass antenna, they tend to last a lot longer, and dont present as much windload or vibration on the mount.

 

On these, if the measured SWR is needing adjustment, you pull the cap off, put the whip in a vice, and using a hacksaw with a fine tooth blade, cut about 1/4 inch off. (after cutting half way thru the rod, rotate the rod 180 degrees, and finish the cut, to prevent splintering the rod). Again, be careful and remember, its better to make several small cuts, measure each time, than to whack off an inch of the material, which will remove several inches of wire...and then you find that you've removed too much....ooops!

 

Continue trimming (use smaller cuts) until you get the SWR in the ballpark, under 2 or maybe even under 1.5, and when you do, seal the cap with a few drops of superglue, call it good, and go for a ride!

 

 

For more details on SWR, see this post:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showpost.php?p=740831&postcount=31

Edited May 27, 2013 by tx2sturgis

[Geobob]

thanks for the heads up on the adapter. I'm willing to bet its an order only part from radio ****.

 

I did some reading last night about tunning and I'll have to find a meter. And yes, no place in Binghamton NY sells them.

 

I need to move?

[dacheedah]

any good truck stop will probably have a basic one for about 20.00, and probably have any parts you need also, I just set the swr on my bike and needed to trim the factory antenna down.

Edited May 26, 2013 by dacheedah

[Trader]

I bought myself a new antennae and Saddlebum brought the fixin's to mount it on my stock mount.

 

Carl had the SRW meter and I was all set....except now I discover my headset is bad!

 

Oh well....I could hear everyone during the ride. They were probably just as happy I couldn't talk to them.

[Geobob]

So I went in search of the adapter at the radio shack and he could not even find it to order it. I'll have to see what I can do with the numbers you posted thanks again.

 

I looked up SWR meters and they look like they can be ordered for very little money.

 

So at this point at least my girlfriend and I can communicate again via cb. He J&M system is transmitting a bit more static than I like. At idle with the bike running it is a clear as day. Once we get moving it starts to pick up some static. We put a taller windshield on her bike and that help a lot. I now wondering if mounting the noise filter to the bike would help. Right now it is just laying in the tool compartment above the battery.

 

I kind of doubt that tunning the antenna will help with the static but we do that once I get a meter.

 

Any suggestions on the meter. There must be 10 different ones on ebay. How do you know what to buy. You can spend 20 bucks or 300 bucks. I'll be happy with a suggestion of any kind.

 

And can anyone suggest a thread on clutch slippage. I'm starting to experience that little problem now that we have 60k on it.

[saddlebum]

Just drop I on any of the major truck stops most of them carry a good assortment of most items needed to repair, install or modify CB radios and antennas.

[Jayceesfolly]

Bob:

 

I have a SWR meter. If you want to travel to Rochester, I will help you tune your antenna. Make a day trip of it and we will do DQ when you get here. :fnd_(16):

 

Jim

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Just drop I on any of the major truck stops most of them carry a good assortment of most items needed to repair, install or modify CB radios and antennas.

 

I disagree on a technicality.

 

Many major truckstops do have a section in the store, where they carry CBs, and a few antennas and accessories.

 

But 'repair...or modify'? Not so much.

 

 

 

[Geobob]

Yes, I went up to the Loves, which is the largest one around here. They had some of the parts but I don't recall seeing the adapters or any SWR meters.

[saddlebum]

I disagree on a technicality.

 

Many major truckstops do have a section in the store, where they carry CBs, and a few antennas and accessories.

 

But 'repair...or modify'? Not so much.

 

 

 

Ok I stand somewhat corrected, repair or modify CB radios, No ...but as far as external hardware is concerned many of them (not all) have a very good selection of antennas, mounts and a various assortment of cable repair items such as replacement cable ends, connectors and adapters as well as various antenna mounting bases and replacement mikes etc..

Quite often the quality of the items they carry is much better than those carried by places like radio shack who often only give lip service to CB items. I have been messing with CB,s since the very early 70's and short of CB and Ham radio specialty shops (which these days are becoming hard to find) I have found truck stops to be the best and most convenient source unless you go online.

[Geobob]

CB shops are hard to find anymore and radio shack here in Binghamton has very little. Lots of cell phone extras but not much else.

 

It would have been nice if the guy could have found the parts and ordered them but no he just did not know what to look for.

 

I just put the item number into a search and it came up and yes you can order them from Radio Shack which I did. I got both sizes just to be sure.

 

They had an SWR meter but I held off on purchasing it. It was a bit higher priced than some that I saw on Eban and did not come with a cable.

 

Any suggestions on a meter?

 

And thanks for the offer to help out, that is one of the best things about the Venture riders. People are always so willing to lend a hand. If I can make it up to Rodchester well meet at the DQ.

[Freebird]

I also have a SWR meter. Anybody coming to MD is welcome to use it.

[Bob Myers]

I'm a little late in this conversation but the replacement whip for the top can be had about any parts house or WalMart. Buy a cheap auto replacement antenna, the cheaper the better, slide top section all the way out, cut it off at the point where #2 section starts. Replaced mine like this, with one from autozone for $9.95. And yes the little ball on top is important, it dissipates static to a degree.

Pulled it out and snipped a little off 20 times or more sneaking up on the swr

[ChurchBuilder]

sierra-mc.com has them for $45.00 plus shipping.