CB radio antenna mount

[EdwinDavis]

WAIT for Babyfats bracket!!!!! they will be nice!!!!!

Thats what I am waiting for Oo.



He did say you would know something by the end of this week did he not

 

[IC Smoke]

Its a quick and easy product!

PM Babyfat for details but here is a pic.

they WILL work on the 06+ style mirrors!



#ad

 

[Tmartin000]

Not to seem insensitive... . but who the heck wants to install an antenna on a side view mirror? Additionally, who wants a foot of antenna wire poking out the side of the rig going under their hood? Is it me or doesn't it look kinda dumb? Maybe if someone drove an 18-wheeler...

Nope. I'll take a clean install with little to know wires hanging out to collect dead bugs. .

Just my 2 cents. .

 

[Jeepstang]

I am no expert but CB which i think is 1/4 wave works best on a 102" X ground plane of metal which means if you put the antenna in the center of a 102" sheet of steel it would work the best. You never get this on a vehcile but on base stations they make antennas like this and the coils make up for the lost amount deducted from 102" for auto antennas. My point is the antenna needs to be mounted to metal not plastic. I can't imagine a CB working well when the antenna is mounted to plastic what would mean it had no ground at all

correct me if I am wrong it has been about 20 years since I was building CB antennas

I found this on a google search and I hope it can explain things for you



Radio Antennas

 

[WTBurke]

This is over-kill for CB but, works well at 3. 5 through 21 MHz. This is 4 inch mandrel bent tubing with 5/8" cold rolled flat plate against the frame. Surfaces at frame to plate are polished clean with No-Lox to maintain low DC RF impedance. DC ground on a Wheatstone bridge is less than 1/100th of an Ohm at the antenna feed point. The length diameter-ratio of the mount in respect to ground allows for wide frequency deviations with low reactance. These aspects are not important to small frequency steps used in 11 meters Citizens Band transceivers however; maximum field strength readings in mobile installations are achieved with respect to ground and a large radiating element placed in the most advantageous position. Simular to running our CTD's on Dyno's for horse power achievements, RF field strength competitions for radical low band Amateur Radio mobile installations also have a very competitive edge.

 

[WTBurke]

I guess I'm serious about radio... . Oh by the way... I have a CTD attached to my radio plat form



William

 

[WTBurke]

It's done with care for maximum assault on any frequency



William

 

[Babyfat]

I'm sorry but I thought the question was about a cb antenna mount, the mount I have came up with does ground to the door because the mirror has a metal base, I have them on two of my three trucks and will be doing more testing, but there are non-ground plain antenna's out there now for marine and big trucks with fiberglass doors.



As far as not liking mirror mounted antenna's everyone has there likes and dislikes, I happen to like, but I would like to thank everyone for there opinion on the mounts



John

 

[Jeepstang]

Like I said it has been about 20 years since I was into them

I was not aware of a non ground plane CB antenna so I guess it does not need a metal surface to mount to? For me I only would use a CB for listening to the truckers to see why I am in a backup and talking to people in my caravan group to and from off road events whichs only needs to work for about a mile or so. I like the glass mount antennas they are small and no drilling is needed. they look like cell phone antennas. Please tell me more about non ground plane antennas I assume they are like the glass mounts?

 

[Jeepstang]

Wow

I guess I'm serious about radio... . Oh by the way... I have a CTD attached to my radio plat form



William

WOW now that is an Antenna mount? I bet you get alot of people asking you about that mount and why it is so stout

 

[RJWEST]

Do you have a brush guard, if so, a 'big truck' mirror clamp mount works fine.

If not, get one ; you always needed a 500 dollar cb mount.

 

[JHardwick]

Not to seem insensitive... . but who the heck wants to install an antenna on a side view mirror?

Not being insensative here either, but who in there right mind would mount their antenna under the driver side hood? Smack in the center of the roof is the best ground plane you can get on a pick-up. All other locations skew your area of propagation.



Plus, at a setting of 10W or so of DK, I have an almost flat SWR on the roof.

 

[mlewis73]

How are you guys routing your cables from the CB to the antenna? I want to route mine to the rear of the truck, without drilling holes if possible. My antenna is behind the cab, stake-pocket mounted. Have always had truckers tell comment how strong my radio sounded when I had it installed in this manner on my '91 F-350.



Galaxy DX-95T with single 4' FireStik on one side, dummy 4' FireStik on the other.



Thank you,



Mike

 

[JHardwick]

If you're going to a stake pocket, you could go through the firewall and under the cab. Or, with a 6 speed, through the floor under the shifter console.



I would make the passenger side the "hot" antenna. Stake pockets skew the signal too.

 

[mlewis73]

Thanks, JHardwick. I assume use of the passenger side antenna would result in a signal distribution more to the front/left (i. e. , further down the road) based on the diagram you attached.



Is there an existing hole I could use under the shifting console on my '06 six speed?





Thank you,



Mike

 

[Jeepr]

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I have stake mounts and I brought my wire in through the vents on the back of the cab.

 

[mlewis73]

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I have stake mounts and I brought my wire in through the vents on the back of the cab.

I'll have a look at my truck next weekend, then. How did you route once inside the cab? I don't want cable showing.



Mike

 

[JHardwick]

There was plenty of room under there for me to run 1/4" air lines from my compressor, to the control and back out to the air bags.

 

[JHardwick]

Thanks, JHardwick. I assume use of the passenger side antenna would result in a signal distribution more to the front/left (i. e. , further down the road) based on the diagram you attached.

Exactly what my research has shown.

 

[Jeepr]

Well, I'll admit, I haven't permanently mounted the CB yet. So, right now I just coil it up under the back seat and then take it out when I put the CB in. How far you have to go depends on whether you put it up near the dash or near the front seat. Either way, I'm planning on just pinching it in under the trim that holds the carpet under the doors. I'm thinking of doing one of the Cobra WX ST 75 all in the hand CB's, I haven't decided if I will put the control box under the seat or under the center console area of the dash.