CK5
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'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

Started out with 2wd TBI350 with SM465 to current 4wd with 454, 700r4, NP241
Tennis ball over the antena were it hits the cab works good. I don't mind that placement for it...good idea on the reenforcment plate!
Firestick advises the use of a tennis ball for that purpose will effect the SWR values. It's effective but you might want to check the SWR values before and after the ball is installed to make sure you don't get it into the red zone at 3 or above.

Firesticks are very sensitive to changes I've found. I've tuned in one on Larry's truck, a buddy's jeep and mine. Even leaving the little cap off of the end when checking SWR changed my values by .5 on my meter.

My 5 foot firestick is mounted off of a self made bracket bolted to the jamb area near the left tail lamp. Using a heavy duty spring and quick release it still moves around a little. The fiberglass shaft won't bend like a thinner one would so it tends to be a bit rigid when trees tag it. The spring lets the whole assembly flex back with a tree, but does nothing to stop the rebound when it whips back forward. Larry broke his firestick on the desert trip last year by trees bashing it without a spring on it. But if you add the quick release to the base, taking the antenna off is a simple push down and 1/4 turn to release it. Just don't use the radio to transmit with the antenna off or you will burn it up.
 
I did buy an SWR meter with the antenna. I was surprised to see that it needed to be tuned with the cover over the tip. Wouldnt think that would matter.

Also found it interesting somewhere on their site I read that 73% of the antenna returned to them show no sign of being tuned.
 
I did buy an SWR meter with the antenna. I was surprised to see that it needed to be tuned with the cover over the tip. Wouldnt think that would matter.

Also found it interesting somewhere on their site I read that 73% of the antenna returned to them show no sign of being tuned.
I didnt tune mine. Must work ok?
Its a 4' though
 
I've just got a magnet mount one on my roof from napa and our fancy comm tech radio guy used his $20,000 stuff to tune it and said it works good so no worries. My cb is like an 18 yr old cobra one also. The antenna is spring loaded and I usually just unscrew it and keep it under my seat most of the time. You better just switch over to a ham radio next . Lol
 
I bought a little magnetic base antenna that will connect to my handheld ham radio. I've used magnetic base CB antenna before and they work great with the giant crew cab roof. Problem is branches knock them off. Eventually either the cord breaks or last time I ran it over.
 
I did Cane Creek (I think it's called)
good lord I thought I was going to loose my antenna every couple minutes. So many trees/bushes. Its magnet mounted to the roof and hit a lot of branches but never bent.
 
Our trails are so tight and over grown with trees here, nothing that sticks out makes it. I think I'm on my 3rd firestick.
 
It looks to me like the black coating is just scuffed off of the flare seat. That part doesn't move when tightening so nothing has turned against it causing any scoring, probably just scratched the coating off as it compressed. I agree, sand the coating off in case the scratch is allowing a leak but I can't see the fitting being damaged.


As long as i have been here I just noticed your avatar is a .gif! DOH!!
 
re the an flares: There should not be any movement of the hose relative to the nipple. The hose just basically rest against the nipple with the "B" nut just holds it against the nipple...
 
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