If already connected, disconnect the coaxial cable from the radio. All measurements should be taken with antenna tip on, unless you do not plan.Take measurements in an open area with the vehicle's doors and hatches.Remember to check for continuity, shorts and opens in your coax and mount.In the end, your SWR should be checked at the radio endīecause all components will be a part of the final operational system being used. Meter in-line at the antenna instead of at the radio. The SWR of the antenna, without feedline, can be measured by placing the SWR Short piece of coaxial cable (jumper) with PL-259 connectors on both end.Properly installed antenna system (mount, coax and antenna) that was madeįor the type of radio you will be using and has been tested for shorts and.Two adjacent channels anywhere within the band, you can tune your antenna toĪchieve optimum performance on those channels. It should be noted that if you communicate on one or The goal of the antenna manufacturers is to build the antenna to resonate at aįrequency in the middle of the available band (channel 19 on CB) and make itīroad- banded enough to keep the off-frequency related SWR at the two extremeĮnds of the band below 2.0:1. Mobile antennas can only be made to resonate at one specific frequency (channel). As it is, on CB alone, there are 40 channels to contend with. If all radios only transmitted on one channel, it would be a much easier task toĭesign antennas. Setting your antennas SWR will reduce the restriction of radiated Inch pipe, your potential output will be restricted by the one inch outlet. That is, if you put a one inch faucet on a two The easiest way to understand the concept is Bad coax and mounts, or inefficient antennas and ground Radio would like to radiate all of its power, but can only do so if the otherĬomponents cooperate. System will radiate the power available from your radio. SWR (standing wave ratio), is a measurement of how efficiently your antenna Setting the SWR of Your Antenna© - Firestik® Antenna Company Setting the SWR of Your AntennaĬompliments of Firestik ® Antenna Company Technical Support TeamĬopyright © 1996 Firestik ® Antenna Company