byron4

ok i want to get a firestick II antenna and mount it on the passanger side corner of my front bumper so i can better judge where that blind corner is while offroading. anyway... i want to do a quick disconnect because i drive my car to school and jerks will rip it off. so i found this quick disconnect: http://www.walcottcb.com/product_inf...roducts_id=572 i want to know if this will do what i want it to do and i dont know how it mounts? anybody know? if it wont work then does anyone have any other suggestions. thanks all.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

It simply screws in where the antenna goes, and your antenna screws into it.

However...
I do not care for that style, they rattle.
Look on my homepage under my CB section for the quick disco I use.
It is much more heavy duty, but also around $20, but worth it.
It does not rattle.

I had one like you pictured, but I only ran it for one day then got the one I have now.

Merlin

That looks like the Hustler quick disconnect on your mount? I'd have to second that mount - easy to install (screws onto your mount on one end, other end screws onto base of your antenna/spring) and even easier to use. It's very sturdy - it doesn't move or rattle around with a 7' skipshooter, a coil antenna, or even a 102" whip.

Makes going into parking garages much easier - instead of running around with a wrench, you can pretty much remove it with one hand and toss it into the back of the truck/4Runner.

Hope this helps,

Merlin

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I think that is the brand.
Google found it.

http://www.dxengineering.com/Parts.a...artNo=HUS-QD-2

Bottom end screws into your mount, the knurled end screws onto the antenna.
Makes for a simpple one had operation to put on/take off.

Merlin

Yep, that's the one. The other kind of neat thing is that they appear to be all keyed a little differently, so that you can't mix and match bases and antennas. I can't take the skipshooter off my wife's van and swap it for the whip on my Runner. At least if someone does take your antenna, they won't be able to use it on anything else (well, unless they take the antenna base part off - but that's what LocTite and lock washers are for...)

Aloha,

Merlin

byron4

ok well that disconnect is perfect. now onto a new problem... i am having trouble finding a simple flat mount so i can use the antenna on the front of the bumper... all that i can find are specialized mounts like for the mirror or hood etc.

Merlin

Actually - you can just use a flat piece of sheetmetal or bracket, bolt that to your bumper so it pokes out the front or the side, and drill the hole for the antenna mount in that (I think it's a 1/2" hole). Assemble the mount through the hole exactly as it comes out of the packing and follow the assembly instructions - that little plastic or rubber isolator is important to have in the right place.

You could also drill the bumper, but if you ever decide to remove the mount, now you have a hole in your bumper.

As long as the top load coil of the firestick is above the hood, you shouldn't have too many SWR problems. Ideally, you want the loading coil over your roofline, but I'm not sure if you want that kind of height on the antenna or how long your antenna is.

Other than that, you shouldn't have too much trouble. All you really need is a good, sturdy piece of bracket material and a good ground.

Aloha,

Merlin

byron4

thank you very much! now i think my last question would have to be what is SWR?

Merlin

SWR = Standing Wave Ratio. My memory is really, really bad, but IIRC, it's a measure of energy reflecting back from the antenna to the feed line. Energy not transmitted is reflected back down the feedline, setting up standing waves of energy in the line. This is basically power wasted, because it is not being used for signal transmission. The higher the SWR, the more energy wasted. Too high of an SWR can damage your radio. A general rule of thumb is do not transmit if your SWR is greater than 2:1.

The ideal SWR is 1:1, but it's pretty hard to get to this point. Most people are happy with an SWR of under 1.5:1.

A Firestick is a good starting antenna because it has a tunable tip (much easier than cutting a whip in 1/8" increments - go too far and you can't add material back on). All you do is adjust the screw on top for lowest SWR.

Hope this helps,

Merlin

byron4

indeed thank you!