This section is dedicated strictly to repair and 
assembly of your antenna system.

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Proper assembly

Troubleshooting an existing system

Troubleshooting a new system

All the info on this page assumes that you know how to check your SWR.  For information on checking SWR, or just a refresher be sure to check the How to Check Your SWR page on our site.

Proper Assembly

    The Antenna

    Avoid tilting the antenna, keep it standing straight up. Although it looks cool, it's not good practice to do so. If the antenna is too tall, get a shorter one, if that is not an option keep the tilting to a minimum. 
    Make sure the antenna is all by itself, don't put anything along side it. Avoid running it along side panels or metal structures. If at all possible stay at least 8" to 12" from any obstructions.
    Try to keep the load (the area of tight coils) at or above the height of the top of the door. Avoid any antennas that are shorter than 3 feet long, convenient as they may be, their performance is very low.
    When running a dual antenna system keep them as far part as possible, 9 feet is recommended. What you do to one side you need to do to the other, both sides need to be identical. NEVER use two  different antennas, don't even use one old and one new, if you break one replace them both.

    The Bracket

    Probably the most common improperly assembled part of the antenna system is the antenna stud. The diagram on the right shows the proper way to assemble a common antenna stud. The most important item is the Nylon Bushing (D), note the small tab on the bottom of the bushing. The  tab MUST seat down inside the 1/2" hole of the bracket, this keeps the center bolt from touching the bracket. The Lock washer (B) and the Flat washer (C) do not come with every stud, some just come with a star washer. In either case they don't have to be there, the Nylon washer (D)  however, NEEDS to be there. When installing the antenna stud it is also important not to over tighten it. Tighten the stud by hand then another 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn or until the lock washer is flat.
    Most brackets on the market are made of aluminum and they corrode fairly quick. A good practice is to clean your bracket assembly with a wire brush and some sandpaper  twice a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. Brackets made from stainless steel are best and really only need to be cleaned once a year. The use of plain carbon steel is not recommended because it will rust very quickly, if you must use steel clean it often.
    When assembling the bracket and antenna stud its a good idea to coat it with a little silicone lube or light weight grease. This will help resist corrosion and increase the longevity of your system. No need to over do it, just enough to coat the threads. Avoid using any lubricants containing graphite (like Never Seize) or any other conductive lube.
    What ever you mount the bracket to, be sure it is metal and it has good solid ground. The larger the mass of metal you mount to, the better the chances of getting a good SWR. Most of the newer vehicles have more and more fiberglass and less and less metal. This can cause some interesting challenges when looking for a good mounting location.

    The Cable

    The recommended length of cable is 18 feet. For best performance and ease of tuning it's a good idea to stick with 18 feet whenever possible. Other lengths of cable can be used just stay in 3 foot increments. Whatever excess cable you have left DO NOT coil it. Keep it stretched out as much as possible, if you must bunch it up, make big loops of 2 to 3 feet. Avoid wrapping the cable around anything like your mirror arms or sun visors. 
    Cable routing will usually determine how good a quality of cable I recommend. When doing a permanent style install with the cable routed behind the dash, under panels etc, I recommend using a higher grade of cable like a RG8x or mini 8 with good heavy duty PL connectors. If you can find the handmade ones they will be best. When using a temporary install, with the cable run through a vent window or the door gasket, I would just recommend a mid grade cable. A decent pre-made cable will be adequate. Reason being, in a temporary install you will most likely cause some kind of physical damage to the cable before it will ever start to deteriorate, so why pay double the money for half the lifespan.

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Troubleshooting an existing antenna system

    First and foremost

    When your working with an existing antenna system, assume nothing. Irregardless of how old an item is, don't rule it out as being bad, check everything in the system. The first thing you always do is to take everything apart, clean it, and inspect it. Check the antenna for any cracks or breaks, check the cable for any pinches or bare spots. Make sure the bracket is put back together correctly and is clean. Refer to the top section to make sure the system is Properly assembled.

    Checking the Antenna Stud

    The Antenna Stud is often overlooked, it is thought that if it holds the antenna its good. Well I hate to break it to you, they go bad, they go bad a lot. Here are just a few ways to tell when to replace it.

    Checking the Ground

    The ground seems to be everyone's scapegoat. As soon as someone has any kind of problem the first words out there mouth are "You have a bad ground, all of those (Insert vehicle here) have a ground problem". Granted there are times when you suspect the ground but, it doesn't happen as often as people say. You can easily check to see if your have a ground issue.
    Perform the standard SWR check (See How to Check SWR) then while the mic is keyed and your getting the reading, reach out and grab hold of the mounting bracket. Be sure to only touch the metal BELOW the nylon washer (D). Watch the SWR meter to see there are any changes, if the reading changes by anything more the than a 1/2 of a point or so you most likely have a ground or ground plane issue. The more movement you get the bigger the problem. If the reading does not change or moves very little, its a safe bet that the ground is not the issue.

    Checking the Cable

    Start off by performing the standard SWR check. With the mic keyed wiggle or move the cable around at every section you can get to. When you see any drastic movement you have located a break in the cable - Replace it. If you notice no notable change try hooking a dummy load to the end of the cable by the antenna bracket. Perform a standard SWR check and you should get a SWR of 1.5 or less, if you don't the cable is bad - Replace it.

** A Dummy load is basically a 50 ohm load that will simulate a perfect SWR** 
Don't have a dummy load? Click Here to learn how to make your own.

   Checking the Antenna

    Fiberglass
    Do a thorough inspection of the antenna for things like;

    Steel whip
    When you have a steel whip antenna that's been around a bit, its best to completely tear it down and clean it with steel wool. Anything you can take apart, take it apart. Inspect the load for any cracks, If you find any - Replace it. Any bends in the stinger can be straightened by tapping them with a hammer on a hard steel surface. They do not need to be perfectly straight just keep them from making any sharp bends.
    Keep in mind that every antenna does not like every mounting position. You may find some applications were a fiberglass antenna will perform better than a steel antenna. A good example of this would be the mounting of an antenna behind the bunk on a KW T-2000. Having a low mounting point and being in close proximity to a lot of obstructions, the top loading of most fiberglass antennas will allow more signal to radiate above the truck and trailer. Also if you find yourself coming in contact with a lot of trees, a good steel whip on the mirror will take more punishment than a fiberglass one.

    What your readings are telling you

    In most cases but, not all, your bad readings can kind of tell you what problems to look for. Pay close attention to the readings, I strongly recommend writing all your readings down next to what changes you made. This helps you remember your readings correctly without mixing them up. For more info on checking SWR, or just a refresher go to How to Check Your SWR

    Reading of 5 or Higher
    This usually tells you something is broken or shorted. The system can be misassembled, coax could be bad, antenna could be bad, etc. Typically when you see readings this high, its not a simple tuning problem.

    Both Channels read from 3 to 5
    When both channels read the same its doubtful that tuning the antenna will help. Typically both channels having the same reading means the antenna is already at its lowest point. Do a SWR check on channel 20 to see if it has the same reading. In the event that channel 20 reads low (1.5 or less) with channels 1 and 40 being higher, the antenna is not very broadband. Make sure you have at least 18 feet of coax, if so try a different style of antenna. When channel 20 reads the same as channel 1 and 40 suspect things like bracket or stud problems, grounding issues, or even possible placement problems.

    Readings keep changing
    If you run into a situation where you readings seem to change when you don't really do anything. This will usually be a ground or a stud problem. Also be sure you have done a check on the cable to rule out any possible breaks.

    One channel reads lees than 3 and one channel reads higher
    In this situation you can most likely tune it down by adjusting the antenna. This is done by changing the "Electrical" length of the antenna. 

    How to adjust the antenna
    On Standard Fiberglass antennas, this is done by trimming the wire at the top, under the cap. On a Tunable Fiberglass antenna you move the adjustable tip to change your reading. MAKE SURE you replace the cap EVERY TIME you adjust the tip. With a Steel Whip style antenna you change the height of the steel whip at the top. Most cases the whip will need to be shorter so you will need to cut it. Cutting the whip is best done with a pair of bolt cutters or a grinder. The whip is way to tough to cut with wire cutters or pliers. When cutting, always cut in small increments, remember once you cut it you can't put it back.

    *REMEMBER*
    When the readings on channel 1 are lower than channel 40 you should lower the antenna. When the readings on channel 1 are higher than channel 40 you should raise the antenna. For more info on checking SWR or just a refresher go to How to Check Your SWR

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Troubleshooting a new system

    Installation
    First find a good mounting location for some kind of a mounting assembly. Look for an area that has a decent amount of metal and a minimum amount of obstructions. Before you go and route the coax, do a SWR check to see if you can get a good SWR with that location. This way you can avoid tearing everything apart if it doesn't work. You don't want to do any fine tuning until everything is where it will stay.

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