Quick CB antenna installation question
12-08-2006, 09:11 PM
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Quick CB antenna installation question
About to start mounting my dual Firestik II's. I'm going to mount them against the front of the bed behind the cab (well, on the backside of the front, you know what I mean.
I also have a bare aluminum diamond-plate toolbox sitting there up front.
Should I just mount them right up to the frontside of the toolbox, and then ground the toolbox afterwards?
Or, should I mount them on the bed? If I mount them on the bed, can I mount them with through-bolts against the plastic bedliner (hoping the bolts ground them), or should I cut square holes out of my plastic bedliner so the stainless steel brackets are right up against the body? If I go that far, should I file the body down to bare metal to get the best possible contact? I don't want it to rust either...
Thanks!
I also have a bare aluminum diamond-plate toolbox sitting there up front.
Should I just mount them right up to the frontside of the toolbox, and then ground the toolbox afterwards?
Or, should I mount them on the bed? If I mount them on the bed, can I mount them with through-bolts against the plastic bedliner (hoping the bolts ground them), or should I cut square holes out of my plastic bedliner so the stainless steel brackets are right up against the body? If I go that far, should I file the body down to bare metal to get the best possible contact? I don't want it to rust either...
Thanks!
12-08-2006, 10:17 PM
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For starters 5ft firesticks mounted behind the cab might look cool but are not going to perform well. Will they work; Yes well; NO. If you insist on using firesticks, fender mount them and only hook up one. Dual antenna on a p-up are pretty much pointless. Also make sure that the coil on that antenna is above your cab line (you should be ok with a 5 footer) and try to move the antenna as far away from your rear glass as possible. The glass is likely to play heck with your SWR.
Next while aluminum is conductive and will make a ground it makes for a lousy ground plane (the ears of your radio) If you want to mount an antenna to your aluminum tool box your best bet is to mount to a steel mounting plate and then runa ground strap from the plate to a chassy ground (not your painted bed rail but a hole in the bed and a strap to the frame works well)
Next while aluminum is conductive and will make a ground it makes for a lousy ground plane (the ears of your radio) If you want to mount an antenna to your aluminum tool box your best bet is to mount to a steel mounting plate and then runa ground strap from the plate to a chassy ground (not your painted bed rail but a hole in the bed and a strap to the frame works well)
12-08-2006, 10:40 PM
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Oh man...that's about 100% opposite of what I'm doing.
I saw the fender mount kits for the Dodges. I've already spent the money on this setup so there's really no going back now...I DO appreciate your experience/ advice with this stuff though!
My previous setup on my F-250 was a pair of Radioshack antennas mounted on my mirrors, and that was "good enough" for what I was doing, with no effort involved, heck the antennas weren't even tuned. I know I know, you're already cringing. I just didn't know much about it. That's why I at least got the tunable antennas this time.
I currently don't have any steel available, so I'll just have to mount straight to the box, and pick up some plate later on. Road-trip in a couple days, so time is against me. Should be able to get some at Lowes though.
So with that, should I run the gnd from the steel plate to a bare spot on the bed? Or, just put a hole in the bed, run the gnd through a grommet, and right to the frame?
Thanks again for your help! Hey, at least I have the box leveled and a level on the mounts so it's not crooked.
I saw the fender mount kits for the Dodges. I've already spent the money on this setup so there's really no going back now...I DO appreciate your experience/ advice with this stuff though!
My previous setup on my F-250 was a pair of Radioshack antennas mounted on my mirrors, and that was "good enough" for what I was doing, with no effort involved, heck the antennas weren't even tuned. I know I know, you're already cringing. I just didn't know much about it. That's why I at least got the tunable antennas this time.
I currently don't have any steel available, so I'll just have to mount straight to the box, and pick up some plate later on. Road-trip in a couple days, so time is against me. Should be able to get some at Lowes though.
So with that, should I run the gnd from the steel plate to a bare spot on the bed? Or, just put a hole in the bed, run the gnd through a grommet, and right to the frame?
Thanks again for your help! Hey, at least I have the box leveled and a level on the mounts so it's not crooked.
12-08-2006, 10:57 PM
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http://www.firestik.com/CatalogFrame.htm
This is what I have. Fits right in the stake pocket hole. Doesn't interfere with anything.
This is what I have. Fits right in the stake pocket hole. Doesn't interfere with anything.
12-08-2006, 11:08 PM
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FDC, I saw those, but with my toolbox there, and the bedliner, heck I don't even have access to those holes. I'll post a couple pics of what I come up with. I guess it won't be the best for communicating but it will at least be decent work. 
12-08-2006, 11:43 PM
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CSA is absolutely correct. Co-phasing 2 Fire Sticks on a PU doesn't help at all. Like he said. Mount both of them, but only hook one of them up. It will work much better. The 2 antennas should be at least 1/2~ (wavelength) apart and CB freqs. are 11 meters long. So they would have to be about 16-17 feet apart to do you any good. I wouldn't, but you could mount one on the front bumper and one on the back bumper. J/K...
Hay
Hay
For starters 5ft firesticks mounted behind the cab might look cool but are not going to perform well. Will they work; Yes well; NO. If you insist on using firesticks, fender mount them and only hook up one. Dual antenna on a p-up are pretty much pointless. Also make sure that the coil on that antenna is above your cab line (you should be ok with a 5 footer) and try to move the antenna as far away from your rear glass as possible. The glass is likely to play heck with your SWR.
Next while aluminum is conductive and will make a ground it makes for a lousy ground plane (the ears of your radio) If you want to mount an antenna to your aluminum tool box your best bet is to mount to a steel mounting plate and then runa ground strap from the plate to a chassy ground (not your painted bed rail but a hole in the bed and a strap to the frame works well)
Next while aluminum is conductive and will make a ground it makes for a lousy ground plane (the ears of your radio) If you want to mount an antenna to your aluminum tool box your best bet is to mount to a steel mounting plate and then runa ground strap from the plate to a chassy ground (not your painted bed rail but a hole in the bed and a strap to the frame works well)
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12-08-2006, 11:53 PM
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Mount em' straight to thi toolbox. That's what I did. Took a peice of angle Iron and drilled a 3/8 hole in it and two smaller ones in the other end, and walla, I had the perfect mount. Something to look for though is wheather or not you have a single, or dual lid toolbox. if you have a single lid tool box it will not work to mount them on the front of the toolbox.
12-09-2006, 12:37 AM
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Will running the co-phase cable with only one hooked up hurt performance? I know single antennas use 50-ohm coaxial cable (RG-58A/U or RG-8X) and duals use75-ohm coaxial cable (co-phase).
I know that a larger space is optimum, but going off what I read on Firestik's tech info, I decided to give them a shot:
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/SNGL-or-Dual.htm
I just checked mine out, they're actually only about 4 feet apart. Reason I space them in like that is because if I moved them out any further, then they would be directly behind the stacks once I installed those.
One option to fix that would be to mount the antennas against the bedrails on the outside, and move the stacks in an inch or two, and then I would get forward vision...
I did realize I definitely need to sandwich this aluminum between steel plate; waaaay too flexy. I'll be hitting up the hardware store tomorrow.
I know that a larger space is optimum, but going off what I read on Firestik's tech info, I decided to give them a shot:
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/SNGL-or-Dual.htm
Spacing of the antennas in a dual antenna installation will have an affect on the radiation pattern of the antennas. Technically, spacing between the antennas should be nine feet (2.7m) to have the most balanced pattern. If that distance cannot be achieved, that alone should not discourage you from using co-phased antennas as you will still receive most of the benefits of a dual antenna set-up. However, spacing less than five feet (1.5m) may require some special tuning skills in order to achieve satisfactory SWR readings.
One option to fix that would be to mount the antennas against the bedrails on the outside, and move the stacks in an inch or two, and then I would get forward vision...
I did realize I definitely need to sandwich this aluminum between steel plate; waaaay too flexy. I'll be hitting up the hardware store tomorrow.
12-09-2006, 07:59 AM
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Since it sounds like you're running a different set up than a normal toolbox, I agree put them on the box.
12-09-2006, 10:41 AM
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I'd have to cut out a section of the bedliner to access the stakeholes. Do they fit flush with the top of the bedrail? They don't lift the toolbox up on one side? I have the kind that sits on the bedrail...
I'm stupid and I was just thinking, why couldn't I move them on the OUTSIDE of the stacks instead of on the inside, as in, move them to the CORNERS of the toolbox, I think that would be a better bet...?
I'm stupid and I was just thinking, why couldn't I move them on the OUTSIDE of the stacks instead of on the inside, as in, move them to the CORNERS of the toolbox, I think that would be a better bet...?
12-09-2006, 03:48 PM
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Forbid the idea of putting a coax heater behind it! talk about frying a radio and the heater! You'll smell somthing burning! I tried that setup! crazy SWR's
The only thing that worked was an astatic 5k
The only thing that worked was an astatic 5k
12-09-2006, 04:20 PM
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I'd have to cut out a section of the bedliner to access the stakeholes. Do they fit flush with the top of the bedrail? They don't lift the toolbox up on one side? I have the kind that sits on the bedrail...
I'm stupid and I was just thinking, why couldn't I move them on the OUTSIDE of the stacks instead of on the inside, as in, move them to the CORNERS of the toolbox, I think that would be a better bet...?
I'm stupid and I was just thinking, why couldn't I move them on the OUTSIDE of the stacks instead of on the inside, as in, move them to the CORNERS of the toolbox, I think that would be a better bet...?
Poor quality pic. They work for me, now after reading your post they probably won't work for you. Doesn't lift the toolbox at all, and I have a spray in liner which makes my installation easier.
12-09-2006, 06:05 PM
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What's that?I'm almost done mounting and drilling everything, if nothing else at least it looks like it's some good work.
12-09-2006, 07:05 PM
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[QUOTE=Dave88LX;1244370]Coax heater? What's that?
QUOTE]
Do a search for a texas star 667 or a texas star sweet 16......
i would say your just putting a radio in.... but if your going for turning your neighbors lights on thats the wrong place for a antenna! Also not very good if your running a modded radio! Make sure you get a swr meter!
What's that?QUOTE]
Do a search for a texas star 667 or a texas star sweet 16......
i would say your just putting a radio in.... but if your going for turning your neighbors lights on thats the wrong place for a antenna! Also not very good if your running a modded radio! Make sure you get a swr meter!