Homemade quarter-wave ground plane base antenna

**222DBFL** · 10-13-2016, 06:23 AM

There are plenty of videos showing the mods, but IMO, it's best to send the radio to a good tech and have a tune and alignment done and also have variable RF power installed like JJD has his. Great spot for it as you don't ever really turn the delta tune knob on that radio!! There are a few good techs and out there. Screwdriver at Bells CB, Doug's custom CB, Mikes Radio and Repair, Key CB, and a few others that do a good job and have the proper equipment to do them the correct way!! But if you want to mess with it, just google the mods for a 29lx. There is a bunch of info. Be careful inside the radio! And like I said, if you are serious about messing around for a while in the hobby it's either buy the proper equipment to tune and align a radio or find a good tech and have them do the work. Either way you are going to pay LOL! Not being harsh, just truth is all man!!!! Have a good one and be safe inside that radio if you mess about. No metal screwdrivers!!!

**mattsowders1989** · 10-13-2016, 07:16 AM

It is not SMD inside the radio. I see everything I need to do but I believe I'm going to find a respected tech to do it for me. I've been working with electronics my whole life and as my full time job but I'm 27 years old. I'm a pup. I'm new to the CB world. I'll let someone with my age in experience work on it for me. Thank you both so much for all of the info. My SWR is down to a 1:1. And that's on that home made quarter wave I started this thread with. Thank you both so much!!!

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**222DBFL** · 10-13-2016, 08:52 AM

Mine isn't either, SMD that is. It sending to a good tech is a good idea. They have the proper equipment on hand like oscilloscopes, signal generators, proper watt meters. And all other equipment and tools necessary to perform a proper tune and alignment and add a variable DK to the radio. And glad to hear you got your antenna tuned well

. Have fun and enjoy man!!

**222DBFL** · 10-16-2016, 05:17 AM

Also just some food for thought, the uniden 980's are getting cheaper. As in price. You can a new one shipped for about $112 or less if you look around. They are great SSB radios. They aren't bad on AM either. And if I have said it before, I still will say it again, out of the box they are pretty well dead on frequency. And it's not hard to lower the dead key on one either. Just need a 50ohm dummy load and a watt meter capable of handling about 20 watts or so. You can find small dummy loads on eBay for not a lot of money as well. RT206 is the pot that you turn to get your AM carrier down to about 2 watts and then you can adjust the modulation to swing to 8 watts PEP by turning RT205 which is the AMC limiter. Use a plastic tip screw driver or make one out of something. Not hard to adjust these 2 things on this radio. RT203 is for the SSB power or the SSB ALC. You can leave this as is or turn it down slightly to keep the heat down.
I know you are working on your AM radio at the moment. But the uniden 980 can be used for both AM and SSB. Add a decent power mic like an RF Limited 2018 extreme to one of these radios and they kick butt. Clean, clear audio. I believe JJD uses an 880 which is the AM only version of the this radio. He may chime in and give some review of his radio as well. I just know the 980 is a great little radio for the money and there aren't any other new radios in the same price range that offer as much as they do. Again, just some food for thought. Let us know how things are coming along as well. Hope all is well with you and yours and stay safe man.

**JesseJamesDallas** · 10-16-2016, 09:05 AM

I have the Uniden 680...the "runt of the litter". Only reason I bought it, was for it's size...fit real nicely in the dash... and it is a SMD radio, along with the 880 and 980.

**mattsowders1989** · 10-16-2016, 11:31 AM

I know this is going to sound like a stupid question and I apologize for it before hand. I'm some what new to CB so bare with me. Why is it when I role up my excess coax, my SWR is 1:1 but when I stretch it out, it jumps up to a 1.9:1? Seems like I need something to fix that problem. Is it something I can make?

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**222DBFL** · 10-16-2016, 11:35 AM

Sorry JJD. I knew you had the smaller one, didn't know it was the 680. Let me ask. Performance wise, Good radios?? I am pretty sure I know the answer but it makes it seem less opinionated when more than just one person answers I suppose. Thanks for any and all replies. Just trying to help someone get a decent radio that won't break the bank. I know there are many other radios that I could mention, but most cost double what the 980 does.

**JesseJamesDallas** · 10-16-2016, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by 222DBFL

Sorry JJD. I knew you had the smaller one, didn't know it was the 680. Let me ask. Performance wise, Good radios?? I am pretty sure I know the answer but it makes it seem less opinionated when more than just one person answers I suppose. Thanks for any and all replies. Just trying to help someone get a decent radio that won't break the bank. I know there are many other radios that I could mention, but most cost double what the 980 does.

I have the 680 in my Tacoma, and a Uniden 520xl in the Suburban's dash...IMO, the 520 is a better radio...for what they are.

Biggest, (if not the only) problem is channel rejection with these small radios. They just don't have the filtering the larger radios do so if someone with a strong radio is anywhere near you on a different channel, they are going to bleed all over you... Also not much of a swing monster either, but stick something like a 1x2 or 1x4 behind it and they become Audio Monsters! (need a amp with a driving stage since these radios don't have allot of "get-up-and Go")

**JesseJamesDallas** · 10-16-2016, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by mattsowders1989

I know this is going to sound like a stupid question and I apologize for it before hand. I'm some what new to CB so bare with me. Why is it when I role up my excess coax, my SWR is 1:1 but when I stretch it out, it jumps up to a 1.9:1? Seems like I need something to fix that problem. Is it something I can make?

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If you have that much extra coax, I would either leave it rolled up, or cut off what is not needed...If you cut it off, you may end up having to re-tune the antenna.