Have connex night runner, new k40 plus antenna, mount and wire. only have 1 mile range. could grounding be an issue?

Dean Pitts

• 126 Answers

SOURCE: SWR calibration waaay off the chart

You are using an inline swr meter to set your swr right, not looking at the meter on the radio? Here is the process to set swr on an antenna:

You must have an inline swr meter, which can be purchased online or from a truck stop. The ones at truck stops are cheap ones, but will do the trick for the most part.

You connect your antenna 18ft coax to the antenna plug of the swr meter, and a jumper coax (any length) to the transmitter plug of the swr meter and then to the radio.

Close all doors and make sure no one is messing around with the vehicle or antenna. You must be set up as you would normally be transmitting.

Now set your cb radio to channel 40 and your swr meter to fwd. Key up your microphone and at the same time turn the set knob on the swr meter until the needle is at the line that reads set. Unkey your mic and set the the swr meter to ref. Key up again and note what your reading is. Now leave the swr meter in ref and turn the cb to channel 1. Key up and take your reading. If the reading on ch 1 is higher than ch 40 you must raise the stinger on your antenna. If ch 1 is lower than 40, you lower your stinger. You are trying to get lower than a reading of 3 and as close to 1.5 as possible. If you lower your stinger as far into the antenna as it will go and you need it shorter, you cut the bottom of your stinger no more than 1/2" at a time, and recheck your swr reading after each cut.

Once you have gotten the best reading you can, connect your antenna directly back to the radio.

The setting of your swrs is to make your antenna as efficient as possible, by trying to get it as close as you can to a 50ohm impedance. THE ONLY PART OF YOUR SYSTEM THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR SWR IS YOUR ANTENNA, not your coax and not your radio. Your radio and coax can give you false readings, but only the antenna can actually change the swr.

On the swr meter, the fwd/ref switch stands for forward (power that is being transmitted out) and reflected (power that is reflected back into the radio.

Just for information sake, the swr cal switch on your radio is used to set the meter to reflect the swr that your antenna is set at. The meter on your radio is like a dummy light on your car. ONCE AGAIN, YOU CAN NOT SET YOUR SWR ON YOUR RADIO, only the antenna.

Posted on Jan 23, 2008

SOURCE: killer radio needs help

I'm not sure if this will solve anything...but here it goes.
1st..Make sure you antenna connections are tight. it sound like it is arcing.
2nd.. make sure you SWR is very low. 1.5 or lower. (very important)
3rd.. make sure the rf power at your radio is turned down to low..over powering (over driving) your amp will fry your finals. (just as important)

If it's not any of these..then I'm not sure.
I have always used an Road King RK56. Not the knock off but the real deal. I would sometimes shock my lips on the metal grille , when I keyed up with my linear on high. I could also power flourescent lights when I got under them..lol and that was with a 250w box and a galaxy 99!

Posted on Jun 14, 2009

Layne Johnson

• 379 Answers

SOURCE: poor receive with my Connex 3300 HP radio

get a K-30 antenna ist magnetic if that dont work your speaker in the Cb is broken

Posted on Sep 14, 2009

SOURCE: I have a Connex 4600

Had the same problem. Try backing off the RF gain just a bit (about 4 o'clock ) and set mic gain 2 o'clock or lower ...that worked for mine ..it is still plenty loud

Posted on Feb 10, 2011

Rommel Cana

• 5807 Answers

SOURCE: 1 mile range on cb

Check cables and connectors.

• check antenna SWR,

A good SWR ranges from 1.2 to 1.5.

• check power output.

Posted on Aug 02, 2012