"No-Ground Plane" CB Antenna Kit

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Utilizes a built-in ball and socket that allows the user to hand loosen
the loading coil and either adjust the antennas angle or lay it down for storage

PURPOSE: The DS14-FG "No ground plane" (NGP) CB antenna kit was specifically designed to solve the lack of ground plane (counterpoise) problems found on vehicles constructed of plastic, fiberglass, wood or aluminum. This includes, but is not limited to, motorcycles, motor homes, boats, automobiles and 18-wheeler trucks. Ground plane problems typically show up in the form of high standing wave ratio (SWR) and poor performance. The isolated ground plane that is built into this kit will also eliminate problems on metal base vehicles that lack the sufficient ground plane for proper operation. This could be due to the size of available ground plane (ATV, bicycle, motorcycle, wheelchair, etc.), or because the operator chooses to mount the antenna in a location that is unable too properly take advantage of available ground plane. The DS14-FG kit has an adjustable base so you can mount it on the roof, trunk, top of fender or on side of a vehicle with up to 70 degrees of tilt from vertical. This is the perfect kit for motor home roofs, the roof of a pick-up camper or cap, the trunk deck of a Corvette, or the roof of a fiberglass or aluminum 18-wheeler tractor. The installed height above roof line is a mere 13.5" (343mm).

COMPONENT INFORMATION:

ANTENNA: The antenna used in this kit is similar to that which is used on our regular Designer Series DS14 antenna kit. The antenna's frequency was altered in order to maintain a desirable center band position when used with the included tuned coaxial feed line. Accordingly, the antennas may only be used with the Firestik NGP cable. The radiating element on this antenna has a series of spring-like coils similar to most cellular phone antennas. The base coil has a built-in ball and socket that allows the user to hand loosen the loading coil and either adjust the antennas angle or lay it down for storage or washing. Adjusting the SWR is as easy as loosening a pair of set screws and moving the whip up or down as required. The rated maximum wattage for the antenna in this kit is 30 watts, which far exceeds the FCC authorized output of 4 watts by 650%. All parts of the antenna are finished in black.

COAXIAL FEEDLINE: The seventeen-foot (5.2 M) coaxial cable used in these kits is of the highest quality. As a matter of fact ... our NGP cable assembly utilizes a custom manufactured coaxial cable that can only be found at Firestik. Unable to find the performance characteristics in any of the commercially available coaxial cable ... we designed our own. First we use a multi-wire stranded center conductor to the prevent breakage that can occur with solid center conductor cable. A condition known as "cold working" occurs where vibration is present and this action can cause solid conductors to become brittle and eventually break. Surrounding the center conductor is a long life, flexible, polyethylene insulation. Since shielding is extremely critical on NGP systems, we used a double shield around the center conductor. First, a 100% aluminum tape covers the center conductor insulator and then a copper wire braid (averages 95% coverage versus the industry standard of 70%) is applied over the aluminum tape. The coaxial feed line, besides being the conduit for the signal to reach the antenna, serves as a tuned circuit that creates the necessary counterpoise. If a longer cable length is required, the user may add standard RG-58 A/U cable between the radio and system cable, preferably in lengths that are multiples of nine feet. Because it is a tuned circuit, the length cannot be reduced without causing non-repairable damage.

MOUNT AND HARDWARE: The base of the mount is about 1.25" (32mm) in diameter. An integrated rubber o-ring on the base seals the mount tightly to the vehicle. One 13/32" (10mm) hole is all that is required to install the mount. All necessary hardware is supplied with the kit.