Step by Step guide to tuning CB antenna
You got yourself a new CB radio and fixed it into the dashboard. You got the antenna out of the pack and got it mounted with the decent ground plane. Once everything is set, the next logical step is to connect everything and then you’re ready to go. We wish it was that simple, and in this article we will provide step by step CB antenna tuning instructions.
We will start with a fair warning that if you do not tune your antenna properly it will not only cause a weak broadcasting signal, but potentially end the life of your radio before you even got a chance to use it. Yes, it is that crucial you get things right straight away, and the most important thing is to be familiar with the concept behind SWR or the knowhow of adjusting it.
The first thing you need to do is find a suitable location for your vehicle which means that there shouldn’t be many trees or buildings in the surrounding area that should be 10 to 15 meters of your antenna. To ensure an accurate reading, make sure that you are inside the car and no one is outside it because that would cause an obstruction.
Hooking up the SWR meter is the second phase of the process. You need to disconnect the coaxial cable from the radio and connect it to the SWR meter. That will give you a direct connection between the SWR meter and your antenna. Make sure the cable goes in the connector marked “Antenna” or “ANT.” Next, use the jumper lead to connect your radio and the SWR meter through the connection marked “transmitter” or “XMIT.”
The third step is to test the output capability of your CB radio by measuring the SWR on different channels. Make sure that you keep the microphone the same distance from the meter for each test as it is important you do it throughout the process.
The fourth step is to switch the SWR meter to “FWD” and then turn the radio to channel 1. Now you key the microphone and hold the button as you turn on the SWR meter to “SET”. You need to closely see the needle and see if it reached the setting point at the end of its range.
Your fifth step is to keep keying the microphone and turn on the SWR meter to “REF” or “SWR”. In your sixth step, quickly record the reading on your SWR meter and then stop keying the microphone.
After getting it done for channel 1, you need to the repeat it for channel 40. The purpose of tuning your antenna is to get the two readings as close as possible. The passable broadcast signal should be as close as 1.5:1. If the reading of channel 40 is higher than that of channel 1, it means your antenna is too long and if the channel 1 reading higher than channel 40 then your antenna is too short.