silverbullet02

So I just bought a new cb for my first gen, a Cobra 148NWST, and right now I'm trying to figure out how to mount it on the ceiling above the mirror...just because I think it'd be neat there. Any suggestions? Anyway, I'm not a very big cb guru, so what antenna do you all recommend and how to mount it? I'm not really sure how I wanna mount the antenna yet, so all opinions are greatly appreciated.

Brian

SjLingenfelter

I like the Firestiks. Most guys and girls down here mount them to the bed by the back window or to the toolbox by the back window.

Mopar1973man

Like Kracker a lot do put them by the bed of the truck other like myself will mount them up by the front fender or bumper. This is so you can watch the whips (cb and stereo) and not break it off while four bying in the woods..

Also if you do four by in the woods you should by a short whip and mount it lower than the roof. Yes, I do relize that it will reduce signal strength but you won't distroy your roof and whip.

Find someone that has a SWR meter so you can match the whip to the CB. A ratio of 1.5:1 to 2:1 is good anything highier 2.5:1 is getting weak in signal also can damage your CB. Usually the whip will have instructions on how to match/tune...

Try to to keep your ant. cable shorter in length. I've heard rumours that excessive length ant cable can/will change signal strength or SWR reading...

Be sure of all ground connections... Whip, cables, and CB... Cb's rely on good ground planes to transmit.

Try not to route the ant cable close to the stereo ant... Boy that is a nasty thing to do.... Every time you transmit the stereo will pick it up even if the CD player is running!

I think that cover most of it...

SjLingenfelter

I have also seen them on the PSD mounted on the extended mirrors. Loooks really nice there too. But yea like mopar said couple guys infact one on here has them on the bumper. I think Phox has them that or esel he has corner marker sticks.

firestorm

I mounted another stock AM/FM antenna on the drivers fender, and got a box to convert the am/fm to am/fm/cb. For the am/fm, I use the stock ant. on the passenger side, and the cb uses the one on the drivers side.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P.../p-310/c-10101

TPilaske

From Firestiks website:

Q Is the length of the coax cable important?

A We find that it is very important ... especially with high performance top-loaded antennas. Your safest bet is to use 18 feet (5.5 meters) coaxial leads on all of your CB installations.


Just in case anyone told you shorter!

Dan Brooks

Here is some good reading regarding the 18' coax length: http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc/myth-1.htm

I cut my coax to the necessary length when I installed a CB in my Jeep. Works fine, SWR sets well, etc.

Haven't installed a CB in the truck yet - gotta find a cabover-friendly antenna location....

TPilaske

Dan,

Interesting reading... that's probably why I can't ever get the firestik to tune properly and have since thrown a regular radio shack antenna w/ a magnet back on the cab roof!

It does have a rather lengthy coax on it, but it tuned up real nice... who knows who's right... don't care as long as I can get the bear and acccident reports!


Tony

racermatt2606

I had my antena mounted next to the other antena for the radio. but it had a magnet on it. I have another truck with a camper top on it and i mounted that one between the back of the truck and the camper top. so it comes right in the middel and it work good. but i dotn really get on the CB's anmore becuase i have to listen to the dispatch for the fire department.

Patrick Campbell

Get a Wilson 1000 and you will not regret it. I have a 1.1:1 SWR on my radio and wow it gets out.

18 ft. is the proper length for a CB antenna and many antennas will come with this length of cable permanently attached to the base of the antenna.

SWR check is a must.

Mopar1973man

Well, Thank you TP... I stand corrected for length of cable... Funny though I do have a 10 foot coax in the truck now and getting roughly 1.5:1 - 1.8:1 Maybe if I jump for the 18 foot cable it will improve...

The only problem I see is where to hide that much cable at! From the Tranny Stick to the driver side fender at the door jam is only like 6 feet! That sure going to make a wad under the dash!