Mcrib

Ok I got all the materials you said but it didn't change the swr change when the truck is turned on...should I tune the antenna with the truck on or off

unit505

SWR should have nothing to do with the truck running or not. It's all about grounding the antenna base and reflectivity. If your whip is right up against the cab of the truck, your getting allot of reflection back into the antenna. You have to find the best spot with the least blockage from the vehicle. Not to argue, but running more coax than needed is not good. Coax has a rated line loss per foot. The more feet, the more line loss.I've been running these things for 25 years including transmitter hunt competitions. You can go directional, omni directional, high or low reception, any number of combinations with the antenna height and placement. If you want good all around reception, go with a monster mag mount with that 3ft. whip on top of the cab or get 102" on the back bumper or bed side. If you want to learn allot of tips, tricks and tech stuff that will grow your enjoyment and usefulnes of your equipment, Google "cb transmitter or fox hunt". Lot's of great and helpful clubs out there with tech info and problem solving. If your swr changes with the truck on or off, it's a ground problem. You have to have your antenna bracket and/or antenna connector against bare metal with a good shoulder washer. A bad coax connector can also cause ground issues and/or center wire issues. Make sure your coax ends are soldered well and that your center coax wire is not broken. My local cb shops charge about $5 to solder a new coax end. Only about $25 to tune and check grounds.