I got my Wilson antenna today, and it has the grounding wire coming out of the side of the antenna. In looking at everyones pics with quick disconnects, I never see this wire.

Are you all using no ground plane antennas? I didn't think you were, and thus I bought the ground plane antenna. Do the firestiks, k40s, etc not have this wire coming out of the side like the wilson?

Bill

 

My Firestik II doesn't have it.

 

I just had my Firestik II checked yesterday -- it was actually tuned just fine right out of the box -- and because I used a metal bracket screwed directly to the body (beside the rear hatch), there's no need for a ground wire. The ground is accomplished through the bracket to the body.

The ground wire is there for mounting situations where you don't have a good ground, or so the Firestik installation instructions said. The guy at the CB store confirmed this. First he noticed that I'd mounted the bayonet-type quick release incorrectly and corrected that and confirmed continuity. Then, checked the SWR at the CB.

So, if you have a ground through the mounting bracket, you shouldn't need the ground wire.

 

This is exactly what the guy at the shop I went to told me, and he said to just go ahead and cut the wire off.

Thanks,
Bill

 

Any vertical antenna of this type will work better with a ground plane. It doesnt necessarily mean that its well grounded so much as it has an RF reflective plane at the base of the antenna which is grounded. IOW, the antenna is going to work a lot better, in both xmit and receive, if you mount it on a magmount in the center of your roof (where there is a ground plane) than it is on a bumper or trailer hitch etc. where there is not ground plane.