Best CB Antenna

[Hitec.Redneck]

If you want the best antenna and want the best performance get a stainles 102" whp. It has no loading coils which means no loss. If you have a tool box in the bed of your truck, mount it on the toolbox. If you use a loaded antenna, which is anything that is not 102" long( a 1/4 wave on the cb band) get the coil ( typically at the base on mag mount antennas) on the cab of the truck. When you mount an antenna on the bumper it does not perform at max, you need the antenna above any obstruction. Soldered connectors and the lowest loss coax and the shortest run of coax is best . Coax has loss, for every 3db of loss you loose 1/2 of your power. For ex, if you running 4 watts, and the coax has over 3db of loss, at the antenna you have 2 watts. I have been a Ham for over 20 years and I love fooling with antennas. The Wilson mag mounts are great, but mounting on the roof will work better than on the fender. With it being on the roof you have a better reflector, on the fender it the antenna will work best to the rear and across the body of the truck ( opposite side the antenna is mounted on). Good luck on your decision. Twin antennas work ok if they are installed correctly and tuned correctly, which is a pain if you have never done it before.

 

[bkroupa]

It's kind of like what's the best tire

The whip is cheap & effective but mounted on the rear bumper is somewhat directional.

The loaded base type give more mounting choices (like roof mount) so you can be less directional. I've seen test results comparing K-40, Wilson 1k, 5k & whips & the better loaded base antenna's perform right there with a whip.

My wilson is barely noticable, a whip screams Redneck, so that's a personal choice.

 

[BIG BOB]

wilson 5000

I agree!!!!!

 

[Spooled-up]

I also vote Wilson 5000. See pics in my reader's rigs.

 

[MMeier]

The antenna system is 90% of your battle with a cb setup... you can have a 2 dollar radio and a 100 dollar antenna and out talk a 1000 dollar radio and a 5 dollar antenna. I own a cb shop and run a Wilson 1000 mag mount on my personal vehicle 03 ctd dually and have never had a problem with it coming off at 100+mph ... there is none better... if you want a permanent mout antenna buy a wilson silver load... or tunable fire stick but make sure the majority of the load (thats the wire under the plastic) is tword the top and above the vehicle. Also use good coax with hand soldered pl-259 connectors. One thing that a mount like big papa has is that you have no ground plane... that’s crap as far as a cb antenna is concerned... its convenient but that is it. The better the ground plane the better the antenna works... . period! Also don’t ever trust a built in swr meter or antenna warning light. I can make them do magical things with a couple of adjustment inside the radio but there will be no change in performance. So have a shop tune your swr's once you get the antenna mounted under 1. 5:1 across al 40 channels would be optimal but sometimes not achievable because of mounting. You can also get you radio tuned up by a shop to help you get out. This is where some get ripped off in the cb world. Most shops out there are fly by night hacks. In it for a quick buck... get a shop with the proper test equipment to work on the radio get them to tune the receive as well as the transmit... you need to hear after all... also stay away from twin antennas or co phased antennas as they are sometimes called... more gimmick from the world of cb ... to make a set of twin antennas work properly you have to space the antennas a full wave length apart (that’s approx 36 ft apart on cb frequencies) good luck with that!!!!!! They look cool but a single will out talk them hands down.

Shaun, is that you ?

 

[cwbyinjeep]

I own a cb shop and run a Wilson 1000 mag mount on my personal vehicle 03 ctd dually and have never had a problem with it coming off at 100+mph ... there is none better... if you want a permanent mout antenna buy a wilson silver load... or tunable fire stick but make sure the majority of the load (thats the wire under the plastic) is tword the top and above the vehicle. Also use good coax with hand soldered pl-259 connectors. One thing that a mount like big papa has is that you have no ground plane... that’s crap as far as a cb antenna is concerned... its convenient but that is it. The better the ground plane the better the antenna works... . period!.

Do you have a source or can you hop up the output on my K40 Radio? Or what would your recommendation be for a very durable compact CB that is robust. I use the cb only several times a year in a Jeep mounted in a prefabbed overhead tuffy console. Just got a real Firestik and tuned to 1. 2:1 this AM and going to try it out this weekend. But in the N GA mountains it would be nice to have some more juice then the 10 or so watts my K40 Radio puts out.



Thanks

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Do you have a source or can you hop up the output on my K40 Radio?

To obtain a meaningful power increase, one noticeably improved on the receiving end, requires an absolute MINIMUM of doubling the power - few radios have that much power increase available by means of tuning or similar INTERNAL manipulation. Either an improved antenna system, or an illegal power amplifier is needed for greater radiated power.



Then, of course, there's the very possible likelihood you will talk lots further than you will ever hear...

 

[bkroupa]

and your point is? [/QUOTE]



No point, I live way out in the woods outside a town with one working traffic light (the other one just blinks) so Redneck is not a derogatory term to me :-laf



I almost bought a whip for some of the reasons you listed, but the roof mount worked out better for me.

I have to put a camper shell on occaisionally & pull a 30' TT.

I haven't ever been refered to as a "Mud Duck"

 

[DWeiler]

:-laf :-laf :-laf ,aren't those trailers a magnet for twisters---sorry couldn't help my self--from an Albertian redneck to another(at least thats what the rest of eastern Canada calls us out here--- Alberta redneck hicks). Ps so far i had better luck with my Wilson 5000 than my Firestiks for what its worth. Later DW.

 

[KennethS]

What wrong with the K40, it works for me

I also have a extra power supply added on and I don't know why because I don't need it. I don't talk much on the CB jusr liston to hear what up ahead.

 

[bkroupa]

Nothing is wrong with the K-40, the fact that Wilson (the one I have) did test to show they were better performance tells me the K-40 must be pretty good

 

[idahogn]

Quick question, Idahogn ... where'd you run the coax, through the rear slider? And if so, does the window stay open and let rain in?

my coax runs into the cab brake light area because it was convienent then down the headliner.

 

[idahogn]

Idahogn, you didn't say what brand CB you're running in your '03. Mind sharing that info?

http://www.icomamerica.com/products/amateur/706mkIIg/

 

[PWitteveen]

wilson 5000

I second the Wilson.

 

[idahogn]

I have Uniden 76 and sometimes when I have the echo just right the antena light comes on a lil, Is that all bad???

I run a lil Will.



I want to get a wilson 5000 sometime.



Is a magnet mount better or worse than a bolt mount?

as i said before you can make the antenna warning light come on anytime its an adjustment inside the radio..... if i was to guess at your problem your echo board is introducing stray rf into the chassis which is turning on the light.

 

[idahogn]

Shaun, is that you ?

yah its me ... ... lol hows the new transmission?

 

[CRuth]

I have the wilson 1000 mag mount on my truck. Not once has it come off. Even trees don't knock it off.

 

[SOneill]

street price is about $1K



Once I pass my HF test for HAM (damn morse code) I will be getting one of these too

 

[cwbyinjeep]

To obtain a meaningful power increase, one noticeably improved on the receiving end, requires an absolute MINIMUM of doubling the power - few radios have that much power increase available by means of tuning or similar INTERNAL manipulation. Either an improved antenna system, or an illegal power amplifier is needed for greater radiated power.



Then, of course, there's the very possible likelihood you will talk lots further than you will ever hear...

Being able to broadcast alot further then I can hear is fine by me,..... being out in the boondies 4x4ing its good to be as prepared as possible.

 

[steved]

If you want the best antenna and want the best performance get a stainles 102" whp. It has no loading coils which means no loss. If you have a tool box in the bed of your truck, mount it on the toolbox. If you use a loaded antenna, which is anything that is not 102" long( a 1/4 wave on the cb band) get the coil ( typically at the base on mag mount antennas) on the cab of the truck. When you mount an antenna on the bumper it does not perform at max, you need the antenna above any obstruction. Soldered connectors and the lowest loss coax and the shortest run of coax is best . Coax has loss, for every 3db of loss you loose 1/2 of your power. For ex, if you running 4 watts, and the coax has over 3db of loss, at the antenna you have 2 watts. I have been a Ham for over 20 years and I love fooling with antennas. The Wilson mag mounts are great, but mounting on the roof will work better than on the fender. With it being on the roof you have a better reflector, on the fender it the antenna will work best to the rear and across the body of the truck ( opposite side the antenna is mounted on). Good luck on your decision. Twin antennas work ok if they are installed correctly and tuned correctly, which is a pain if you have never done it before.

While the 102" whip (with the 6" spring to make it a true 108") is "ideal", it also falls on it's face because it is way tall, most people mount them so much of them are below the body (you end up talking to the truck body), and they are somewhat problematic to SWR.



I personally run a Wilson 500 magnetic on the roof... I can talk with the best... and receive great too... the only down sides to the 5000s are the fact that the magnets tend to damage paint and they are almost 12 feet tall on the roof of a truck...



With my little Cobra 29, I have talked well over 30 miles on a clear night... with my 4600... I have talked over 35 miles and 9 pounds of noise during the daytime...



steved