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CB Antenna

Truckin4life

Texas Chapter Leader
I had a cb for several years, rarely did i pick anything up. Everybody uses cell phones now a days...

But i am just post padding i know diddly squat about CB's i had mine tuned at a shop in LBK...
 
Yeah well its be nice to be able to talk to the truckers when I'm doing 80 on the hwy for 40 miles...
 

73F100Shortbed

That's how we roll!
5,937
320
NJ
Mine appears to work just fine and I didnt do any tuning or anything because i didnt buy the meter.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
It's been a while since I did any research...I ruled out 102" whips pretty quick, because they're just too big for my taste.

If memory serves, though, that's the ideal length for the CB frequency, which makes them easier to tune. (Shorter antennas are "wound" so they behave as though they're 102".) I'm thinking there's supposed to be a 6" spacer (coil spring or otherwise) to really be ideal, though.

Check out www.cbradioforum.com I think you have to register in order to read the posts, but you can probably pick up some good information over there.
 

Austin

FTF's #1 Knob Polisher
10,350
297
Cumming, GA
I ruled that one out because my local store didn't have it in stock. (I was in an instant gratification mood!) I ended up with a 3 foot magnet mount whip that I've yet to tune. Works well on the highway, but poorly in my hilly hometown (CB antennas are line of sight).
 
What antenna ...Depends on where you mount it.

I like a 102" mounted behind the cab on the side of the box as you need HEIGHT to help out your ground plane (your truck) the signal goes off the furthest end of your truck.
ie: mounted at back signal is stronger out the front

With it mounted behind the cab the signal pretty well goes off every direction the same. That way you can take longer with people as you approach each other and as you go away from each other.

MY preference is the 6' FiRESTICK that has a top load, which will gain some distance
 

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
This should keep you busy.

http://www.signalengineering.com/ultimate/index.html

Nick has two CB's, a scanner, and god-only-knows what else in the truck. Enough to set up a mobile repeater station in the woods for these guys.

http://www.mwave.org/

If you check out the first link, the brand of antenna is actually unimportant. How it's mounted, however, is everything.
 
Why am i not suprised at truckers doing 80 through houston.... hahaha

Thats me doing 80 :D

Don't forget to put the tennis ball on it so the antenna won't band against your truck.

Yep yep..

It's been a while since I did any research...I ruled out 102" whips pretty quick, because they're just too big for my taste.

If memory serves, though, that's the ideal length for the CB frequency, which makes them easier to tune. (Shorter antennas are "wound" so they behave as though they're 102".) I'm thinking there's supposed to be a 6" spacer (coil spring or otherwise) to really be ideal, though.

Check out www.cbradioforum.com I think you have to register in order to read the posts, but you can probably pick up some good information over there.[/QUOTE

102 is "ideal", also that site wouldn't let me register..

I ruled that one out because my local store didn't have it in stock. (I was in an instant gratification mood!) I ended up with a 3 foot magnet mount whip that I've yet to tune. Works well on the highway, but poorly in my hilly hometown (CB antennas are line of sight).

Get it tuined and you will see a Big difference..

What antenna ...Depends on where you mount it.

I like a 102" mounted behind the cab on the side of the box as you need HEIGHT to help out your ground plane (your truck) the signal goes off the furthest end of your truck.
ie: mounted at back signal is stronger out the front

With it mounted behind the cab the signal pretty well goes off every direction the same. That way you can take longer with people as you approach each other and as you go away from each other.

MY preference is the 6' FiRESTICK that has a top load, which will gain some distance

I plan to mount it On the cab..

I always ran firesticks. The whips were always hitting things which annoyed me.

We'll see what happens...
 
That's it. I'm getting a C.B. again. Missed the c.b. radio since it seemed to fade out in the late 70's. I remember a great antenna called the K40, was the best at the time outside of dual steel whips.

your welcome.. lmao

This should keep you busy.

http://www.signalengineering.com/ultimate/index.html

Nick has two CB's, a scanner, and god-only-knows what else in the truck. Enough to set up a mobile repeater station in the woods for these guys.

http://www.mwave.org/

If you check out the first link, the brand of antenna is actually unimportant. How it's mounted, however, is everything.

I have that one bookmarked somewhere, thanks I had forgot about it...
 

countryboytn

'78 Bronco owner
I run a 102' whip with a 6' spring on everything I own. I love them. They are almost indestructible. I'v had couple magnet mounts and couple fiberglass whips but didn't really like any of them. For convienece you can get a whole kit for a reasonable price though... check the truck stops for stuff LIKE THIS

Jeep and Bronco are both set up for one, just gotta install and hook up the CB(antenna and mount and everything is there)
Got a Uniden 520xl and a 8ft whip in the Monte Carlo,
About to be running a Cobra 29-Chrome Edition, with a little kicker (100watts?) and a 8' whip in the new truck.

and for the base station I'm running a JCPenney 23 channel, with a tiny kicker (25-75 watts swing) and a 18ft fiberglass antenna on a 20ft pole about 10ft up in a tree. If the skip is rollin' I can reach west virginia, georgia,ect. plus I'm on channel 8 every chance I get talking "local". I go by french-fry
 
I'm going to run the 102, just trying to figure out the rest of it..

I've got a couple of radios, but there almost to big for my truck...
 

countryboytn

'78 Bronco owner
I'd be sure to run a spring aswell, but I'v heard they can short on the inside (never been an issue for me, but has been for other people)
 

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