CB Radio mounting location

[Gasman 2]

I think Entegra just give up trying to providing a decent CB antenna system. Must have been getting a lot complaints about how poorly their antenna worked.
Had to lol when I read a thread where Entegra was giving advice to a dealer on how to improve their antenna, I thought if they knew how to make it work why didn't they do it in the first place.

[gjw]

Originally Posted by Gasman 2

I think Entegra just give up trying to providing a decent CB antenna system. Must have been getting a lot complaints about how poorly their antenna worked.
Had to lol when I read a thread where Entegra was giving advice to a dealer on how to improve their antenna, I thought if they knew how to make it work why didn't they do it in the first place.

I have a word docvwith pictures, but I can't seem to up load it...

RFG237AARS Ice Maker Reset Button Location For The Ice Maker In The Refrigerator Compartment Of The French Door Refrigerator
If the ice maker is not working, perform the following:

• Verify the ice maker is in turned on by looking at the Ice Off icon on the display panel. If the Ice Off icon is illuminated the ice maker is turned off.
• A newly installed refrigerator may need up to 24 hrs to produce an entire bucket of ice.
• The reset button is on the side of the ice maker. Remove the ice bucket. On the right side of the ice maker, press and hold the test button for a full eight seconds.

Important: Read all steps below prior to performing the reset function.
If you can not find the reset button, perform the following steps:

• Remove the ice bucket by pulling the release lever towards you, and then pull the bucket out of the ice maker compartment.

RFG237AARS Ice Maker Reset Button Location For The Ice Maker In The Refrigerator Compartment Of The French Door Refrigerator
If the ice maker is not working, perform the following:

• Verify the ice maker is in turned on by looking at the Ice Off icon on the display panel. If the Ice Off icon is illuminated the ice maker is turned off.
• A newly installed refrigerator may need up to 24 hrs to produce an entire bucket of ice.
• The reset button is on the side of the ice maker. Remove the ice bucket. On the right side of the ice maker, press and hold the test button for a full eight seconds.

Important: Read all steps below prior to performing the reset function.
If you can not find the reset button, perform the following steps:

• Remove the ice bucket by pulling the release lever towards you, and then pull the bucket out of the ice maker compartment.

• Continue sliding your finger around the corner of the ice maker untill you feel the test button.

• Once located, press and hold the reset button for 8 full seconds.Once the reset button is pressed, it will take 5 - 8 minutes to complete the test cycle. Normal ice production will resume after the reset is performed.

Notes:

• Do not remove the ice maker. The ice maker in this article was removed to more clearly show the location of the test button.
• As you are sliding your finger along the lip, note the difference between the feel of the hard plastic and the rubbery gel switch.
• Be aware that a housing screw and the rotating joint for the ice maker arm just past the button. Sometimes, these two things are mistaken for the reset button.
• If after reading through the previous troubleshooting steps you still have questions, please contact a member of our technical support team so that we may further assist you. To speak with a Samsung technical support agent on the phone, please click the "phone support" button below to receive a transaction number which will provide the technical support agent with the details of this session. If there is an orange 'live chat" button below, there is a Samsung technical support agent available to help resolve your inquiry via live chat.
• If after reading through the previous troubleshooting steps you still have questions, please contact a member of our technical support team so that we may further assist you. To speak with a Samsung technical support agent on the phone, please click the "phone support" button below to receive a transaction number which will provide the technical support agent with the details of this session. If there is an orange 'live chat" button below, there is a Samsung technical support agent available to help resolve your inquiry via live chat.

[LVUS101]

We took the CB to Kelly Poots CB shop in Las Vegas. Kelly has 24 years of installing and working on CB radios. Check out his web site.

Kelly opened our Radio and tuned it's output from 8 watts to about 20 watts while hooked up to his system in his office.

Next he went on our roof and check the Entegra antenna. According to Kelly the antenna is a standard antenna that was hooked up correctly on our Anthem. According to Kelly the antenna can not be grounded but the antenna bracket has to be and all checked out correctly on our Coach.
We mounted the radio in the likely spot. I had him mount it a little higher then I previously thought I would like. Turns out it fits me just fine.

The antenna cable was behind the kick panel as Entegra told me it would be. Once the radio was installed we had to use the Entegra antenna as he was out of this particular model antenna he wants us to use. FirestikII Model: FS2-? 2 Ft (61cm) 5/8wave Rated @ 300 watts $25.99 (MSRP*) This Firestik will replace the Entegra antenna on the roof.

The Entegra antenna worked fine when tested on the way home in Las Vegas surface streets. I didn't get much range, maybe a couple of miles but we were not in highway conditions.

I am ordering the Firestik II tonight from Amazon and will install it when it arrives. Kelly told us to bring it back down to him if it didn't get the output we desired.

Kelly told us when our inverters are on they create a very high volume of white noise that is picked up by the CB radio causing interference. According to him the conversion from DC to AC creates interference for CB radios.
Your standard CB radios are not designed to push out more than a few miles and if lucky 5 or 6 miles at best. The better antennas and tuning can push it farther. I will install the Firestik and post the outcome.
Thanks for all the help.

[LVUS101]

Originally Posted by Gasman 2

After you get antenna installed would you post a picture of location and the details of the antenna your installer used? And did he obtain a low SWR.

Thanks, a lot of us are struggling with this issue. Apparently Entegra gave up on getting it right.
Jacob at Entegra told me no one was using CB anymore? But I'm not "no one".

Gasman after I try the roof mount if it doesn't work I will take it back down to his shop and look for a different location. Kelly wanted to try the roof spot first. I will let you know. Have you had your CB tuned.

[brobox]

Great report Jim. Do you happen to know what the SWR was on the factory antenna? Mine was 4 to 1. Keying the mic would have blown the finals in the radio if I tried to use it.

It will be interesting to see what kind of mount he uses.

[Gasman 2]

Originally Posted by LVUS101

Gasman after I try the roof mount if it doesn't work I will take it back down to his shop and look for a different location. Kelly wanted to try the roof spot first. I will let you know. Have you had your CB tuned.

Have never had radio tuned. Could never get a good match with stock antenna. I have tried different antenna s and locations without much improvement.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Gasman 2

Have never had radio tuned. Could never get a good match with stock antenna. I have tried different antenna s and locations without much improvement.

X2. The next time we have a CB shop at one of the truck stops I was going to have the radio checked and suggestions for replacing the antenna. Anxious to hear how Jim's mount works.

[LVUS101]

Originally Posted by brobox

Great report Jim. Do you happen to know what the SWR was on the factory antenna? Mine was 4 to 1. Keying the mic would have blown the finals in the radio if I tried to use it.

It will be interesting to see what kind of mount he uses.

Chuck I text Kelly and he said my SWR was 1.2 or so

[brobox]

That is great. That is the first factory antenna I have heard of the had a usable SWR.

[Gasman 2]

Originally Posted by LVUS101

Chuck I text Kelly and he said my SWR was 1.2 or so

That's good. Now Chuck and I are going to have to get ours figured out.

Tell us what kind of range you are getting after you use it a while. Mine you almost have to see the person you talk to😔

[Gary.Jones]

Jim

The FCC limits CB radios to 5 watts out so your buddy just kicked you well above the legal limit however, it has been decades since anyone cared, and of course, there are truckers and pick-up truck jockeys who are running 500 to 1000 watts out from amplifiers, so I don't think you need to worry.

Is the antenna that he suggested an simple replacement to the same mount that you have so you need do nothing more than unscrew the OEM and replace it with the Firestick??

Gary

[Gary.Jones]

Jim

One other thing..... from the model number that you referenced, it appears that this antenna is 2 feet tall.... right? If so, that is going to make the tip of the antenna at 15 feet above ground if surface mounted on the roof.... that could mean that you are going to banging against bridges along even some interstates.... Maybe my assumptions are incorrect. I wish they had mounted the antenna on the side of the coach and the height issue would not be a problem.

Has anyone found a different place to mount an antenna on an Entegra.... on the mirror bracket, on the screen door, ??? that works well?

Gary

[LVUS101]

QUOTE=Gary.Jones;2807711]Jim

The FCC limits CB radios to 5 watts out so your buddy just kicked you well above the legal limit however, it has been decades since anyone cared, and of course, there are truckers and pick-up truck jockeys who are running 500 to 1000 watts out from amplifiers, so I don't think you need to worry.

Is the antenna that he suggested an simple replacement to the same mount that you have so you need do nothing more than unscrew the OEM and replace it with the Firestick??

Gary[/QUOTE]


Good Morning Gary, Yes to the question on replacing the antenna on the same Entegra mount and location with a spring loaded base. We hit trees and probably some bridges now so we shall see if it takes a beating. If I don't get good reception and strong output I will be working on a new location for mounting.
As far as the Wattage goes my 2000 Watt Amplifier is in the mail.

I am not sure about a lot of the inner workings of the CB itself but did see my Tech open her up, hook her up to some equipment and make some adjustments as I watched the adjustments on a computer screen. The CB started out with around 8 Watts and he tuned it to just above 20. There were a couple of truckers waiting for Kelly to finish my system and one of them showed me his CB and Amplifier in his Rig. Nice set up with several different antenna configurations. Trucker told me he is pushing normally over 20 miles and on the right atmospheric conditions a lot farther.
I have been unable to tell if my system is junk or not as I am located miles from a main road where Truckers would normally be talking.
I anxiously await our new antenna. I will keep you all posted. In the meantime I will work on a secondary antenna location and bracket. If anyone has a good ideas let me know.

[lp5151]

I had my cb tuned but until I tuned the stock antennae with a SWR meter, I wasn't getting more than a 1/4 mile in or out. with a few trips up the ladder to tune the antennae, we are back in business. couldn't get 1.2 but we got it to 2.0...