| Author |
Message |
    
Herron74
New member
Username: Herron74
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2015
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2015 - 10:26 pm: | 
|
Hello,I've got a dx94hp with a Wilson 2000 connected with 18' of rg-8x. My swr are 1 1.6 20 1.5 40 1.6 (Checked with a cheap astatic pdc1) For now I have the antenna grounded to frame of my peterbuilt with a 10 gage ground. Working on getting proper ground straps. Would a better quality coax help get the swr even lower? I want to use a dx 500 in the future but want my swr as low as possible. Any advice? |
Wire_saber
New member
Username: Wire_saber
Post Number: 6
Registered: 4-2015
| | Posted on Monday, July 20, 2015 - 10:25 pm: |
|
Unless your RG-8X is wet, kinked or badly cut, there will be no perceivable improvement from changing your 18 feet of coax to other brand or design. You have addressed the primary factor to obtain a low SWR: good grounding to the frame. Well-installed connectors, and a quality antenna are a close second. Once you obtain a low SWR from radio to antenna, don't expect it to stay low after sending the signal thru the TS 500DX. It WILL go up. The Wilson 2000 is a good match to your 94hp, but you may want to consider the Wilson 5000 for an un-compromised marriage to a TS 500DX. |
Press_man
Advanced Member
Username: Press_man
Post Number: 867
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 - 5:57 pm: |
|
My friend's rig had ground issues that seemed to want to stay. He runs a Wilson Trucker. We bought a couple of rolls of braided strap material. On each run we test fitted it and then soldered the ends 1/2" back to get good contact as well as using contact paste. We punched 1/4" holes in each end unless a 3/8 was needed. Watch the corners/edges for punch though. I have a Roper/Whitney hand punch set. Harbour Freight has a less expensive set. We grounded doors, hood, fenders, block and every thing made of metal to the frame. It took a while but was worth it. The SWR dropped from 1.5 to 1.1 across the 40ch band. About the only change happens when a trailer is connected, but that's normal. He only runs bare foot, no amp.
73 Pressman
|
Herron74
New member
Username: Herron74
Post Number: 2
Registered: 6-2015
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2015 - 10:42 pm: |
|
Thanks Wire_saber, I added ground straps and leaned my antenna a little further away from my stack and got 1.1 on 1 and 20 and 1.2 on 40. I will follow your advice on the Wilson 5000 when I add the dx 500. |
