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[Grey Ghost]

I am experiencing poor transmit/receive with the CB radio using the stock antennas on my '11 SERGU. I am planning on checking the tuning of the CB antenna with an SWR meter and before taking the fairing front off to do so I inspected the antenna and the antenna base and cannot figure out how these antennas are tuned. There appears to be no mechanism to lengthen or shorten the antenna.

Does anyone hav eany experience doing this on the stock antenna??

Grey Ghost

[Sklywag]

Do a search here on CB's or Antennas.  I did a complete write up on the subject.  The antennas are not tunable.  The only way to tune them is with cable length. 

My guess is when you put an SWR meter on you will find out it just pegs.  Very bad design.  I could not get the stock antennas below 2.2 to 1.

I was able to tune the short antennas that HD sells to about 1.8 to 1 but you have to pick a 10 channel range you want to tune.  The antennas are so poor you cannot tune 1 - 40, some where it will be high.

To tune it you need to replace the HD coax cable with an 18' high quality coax.  Stow the excess under the fairing.  Then start cutting it shorter and checking SWR on the channel range you use until you get it all somewhere in spec that works for you.  I ended up at about 16' on one bike and 17' on another.  It's just all crap!

Remember these are ground plane antennas & the MC's have no ground plane.

Now, if looks isn't important, for a while I ran a 3' Firestick, non ground plane antenna & special Firestick Coax.  I was less tha 1.5 to 1 across the 40 channels.  It worked very well but it was ugly with the big Firestick.

Hope this helps

[Sklywag]

Here you go, I was a little off in my memory on lengths

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=55380.msg847899#msg847899

[murphy]

I thought it wasn't the length that counted? 

[Grey Ghost]

Here you go, I was a little off in my memory on lengths

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=55380.msg847899#msg847899

Excellent posting!! I sort of suspected the issue was not going to be an easy one after looking at the stock antenna install. I don't think I will mind the Firestil appearance as long as I can get both antennas to look the same and I can get decent performance. Is it possible to do a dual Firestik install and use one as the AM/FM/WB antenna?? Or, am I better off doing a dual CB Antenna install and replacing/moving the AM/FM/WB antenna up underneath the fairing?? I am guessing the latter, but want a second opinion.

When you installed the Firestik, did you also include the 17.5 ft of cable they recommend?? If I do a dual CB antenna install, is it OK to run one cable to the trunk and then split or do the split under the fairing?? Trying to reduce the amount of cable I would have to conceal.

BTW Do you still have the Firestiks for sale??

Sorry, lotsa questions!!
Grey Ghost

[Sklywag]

PM Sent

[T-Hawk]

Still, if you find you have excess cable legnth... keep it as straight as possible, and away (best you can) from anything that might be radiating electrical energy.  Never wrap the cable into a nice neat coil.  If you have tuned with the cable relatively straight, and then wrap it into a coil... you just defeated any tuning you were able to achieve.   

[Grey Ghost]

Yes, Finding a place to hide the extra cable will be a challenge. I think I read that Firestik suggests a compromise of creating a figure 8 with the extra cable and finding a place to put it. Then tune the antenna.

[codten]

If my memory serves me correct, on my 04 ultra classic you could tune those antennas. They were old school alum. whip antenna. They had a hex screw at the bottom to allow adjustment