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Post by BurntOrngeLonghorn on Mar 23, 2004 21:04:48 GMT -5
So I'm going to buy a CB radio, and as we know mounting the antenna is key to the radio....so i was wondering if anyone had any clever ideas about mounting the antena....i prefer to have more of a hidden antenna, not the kind that are 8ft tall hitting overpasses. I was thinking about mounting it onto my tool box.
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Post by fourwd1 on Mar 23, 2004 21:29:59 GMT -5
If you don't want a 9' antenna and do want maximum range, a quality mag mount such as the Wilson or K40, mounted on the roof works best.
Just remember the antenna basics -
The shorter it is from a 9' quarter wave, the less efficient it is.
The antenna needs to be mounted on a large sheetmetal surface, which acts as a groundplane for the antenna (simply put, the 2nd half of the antenna).
The higher the better.
The antenna should be tuned for the lowest VSWR possible (typically 1.5:1 or less is fine).
There are tons of CB mis-information floating around, ignore it.
There's a whole lot of other technical stuff I could go into, but the basics should help you for now.
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Post by BurntOrngeLonghorn on Mar 24, 2004 0:35:18 GMT -5
I'm not really digging the roof mount.....do you think it would be okay mounted on the tool box with a L bracket. that way i could run wires between the cab/bed and everything would look clean. I've never messed with CB's before. I'm going for the CB system to be stealth.
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Post by fourwd1 on Mar 24, 2004 18:31:01 GMT -5
If it's a metal toolbox and the antenna is not up against the back of the cab and is centered on the top of the box you may get decent results.
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Colotoyboy
Full Member
1990 Toy 4x4 pickup, exhaust, Amsoil(airbox mod) 31'' BFG Muds, Rancho 5000's, Hella 500's, Cobra CB
Posts: 173
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Post by Colotoyboy on Mar 24, 2004 19:45:24 GMT -5
Im goin through the same process longhorn. I bought my cb and am tryin to decide the right mount. I saw a guy with a nice bracket and mount on the side of his toolbox the other day, im thinkin thats what i wanna do. Let me know what you decide.
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Post by fourwd1 on Mar 24, 2004 21:26:22 GMT -5
That's a handy place but not the greatest.
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Post by snorkleman on Mar 25, 2004 0:54:15 GMT -5
For the most part I only use my CB while wheelin or heading to the trails to talk with buddies who are close anyway. So mounting the antenna high in the best spot wasn't a big deal to me. If your not interested in the best reception then the toolbox would probably work fine. I have mine on the swing gate of the bumper.
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Post by Mike Kelly on Mar 25, 2004 10:27:00 GMT -5
I've got an 8' steel whip that I mount on the outside of my rear bumper. GREAT reception... only downfall is the tennis ball I have to keep on it to prevent it from chipping away at my paint. Oh, and parking garages.
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Post by Hoodlum on Mar 25, 2004 11:42:07 GMT -5
we use those small superballs that bounce 100ft in the air serves the same purpose but less visible
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Post by Mike Kelly on Mar 25, 2004 12:22:14 GMT -5
The little ones? Like an inch or so in diameter? Good idea!
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Post by Hoodlum on Mar 25, 2004 16:49:05 GMT -5
Them be the ones
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Post by BurntOrngeLonghorn on Mar 25, 2004 17:07:32 GMT -5
Alright, this is my plan.....use this mount www.firestik.com/Catalog/MK-JBS4R.htm ...with this antenna... www.firestik.com/Catalog/FS2-FS5.htm ....mount it to the side or rear of my tool box depending on tool box clearence, running the cable down between the cab and the bed, up the frame, into the engine caparment, and into the cab.....anyone got any other suggestions. It's most likely going to be hooked up to a cobra radio....if that matters.. Chad |
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Colotoyboy
Full Member
1990 Toy 4x4 pickup, exhaust, Amsoil(airbox mod) 31'' BFG Muds, Rancho 5000's, Hella 500's, Cobra CB
Posts: 173
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Post by Colotoyboy on Mar 25, 2004 17:42:53 GMT -5
You stole my idea!! jk, thats exactly what im thinking of doing, let me know how it goes, cuz i wont do mine for a little while.
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Post by L8sho2003 on Mar 26, 2004 22:25:22 GMT -5
CB's always introduce the battle of style vs. function. Seems that the uglier it is the better it works. It's a shame you dont like the roof mounts. The k-40 and Wilson's are nice units and look clean when properly done. I finally said "to hell with it", I guess I'll just have to look like a "neck". ;D Try to mount it as far from the cab as possible for a decent swr.
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Post by BurntOrngeLonghorn on Mar 28, 2004 19:56:44 GMT -5
Okay, so this saturday I mounted my CB radio. Sounds great, works like a charm. I don't think it looks to bad either, has great range. I guess it pays to have a trucking buddy that's always upgrading and you get his old stuff....haha. The radio I have is a Cobra 29 mounted under my seat. You can't see the wiring in the picture but I have it running to one side of the tool box, under and then running between the cab and the bed. I would of taken a picture, but the sun was already going down and ya'll wouldn't of been able to seen. Anyhow, the antenna wire is comming up from the drainhole below the passenger seat. I chose to mount the antenna on the back of the tool box and not the side because when i do most of my work I work from the side of the toolbox, not right in the center. Enjoy and let me know what you think.   |
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Colotoyboy
Full Member
1990 Toy 4x4 pickup, exhaust, Amsoil(airbox mod) 31'' BFG Muds, Rancho 5000's, Hella 500's, Cobra CB
Posts: 173
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Post by Colotoyboy on Apr 1, 2004 12:46:00 GMT -5
dude i dig! i just bought my cobra and thanks to you i decided to go with the same mount and just a little shorter whip. i am planning on mounting it to the side of my toolbox rather than the back, only difference. 10/4, over and out!
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Post by BurntOrngeLonghorn on Apr 2, 2004 2:36:44 GMT -5
Yeah, I have to take off my antenna so I can park in my garage, I could get a shorter antenna but it wouldn't stick above the cab enough to get me the 15 mile range I have now. Truckers provide good info....wrecks, police, anything on the road that might cause trouble. That and learning CB talk is cool  . I also got my mount at radio shack instead of firestik, it was actually the mirror mount and I just modified it. Just a word of advice....DO NOT key up on the CB unless you are positive your antenna is grounded, if you do, you'll fry the radio. |
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Post by MudRunner on Apr 8, 2004 23:35:35 GMT -5
I'm thinking of running a whip antenna like the military trucks, and tying it just over the driver door. That way, I can unhook it from the seat, and when wheeling, it's not flapping around. |
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Post by Mike Kelly on Apr 9, 2004 8:30:44 GMT -5
I had an 8' whip on my truck. I rigged up a tie down to my rain gutter that held the antenna down when I went into parking garages. The reception was great!
What was really fun was watching the reaction of the McDonalds drive-thru employees when the whip would slap the drive through.
Mine was on a spring, so when I made hard turns, it would really whip around. Hit a couple of trees that way. I like the spring though because when wheeling it gave way in tight spots....
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Post by carlos4x4sand on Apr 9, 2004 11:59:52 GMT -5
Ok ive been reading here, and you guys have said that the more surface area the better. The thing i cant get is Truckers usually mount them on their side mirrors and get great reception. Is this because they have two ant. one on each side? BTW Heres a picture how i mounted my CB 
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