nothing in particular but It just seems like it would look very odd haveing a 5 foot antenna comeing off the roof of the truck lol
I am looking a the Firestik Stake pocket mount with a fiberglass antenna, and the reading the reviews and alot of guys are saying there SWR is 1.5-2.0 is there anything I could do to get this setup with a lower SWR?
American Trucker
Advice on CB antenna for Pickup
Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by American-Trucker, Mar 20, 2010.
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Saddle Tramp and American-Trucker Thank this.
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I see what your saying, I'm gonna have to look at some more magnetic ones to go on the roof. Thanks for the advice.
American Trucker -
Good grounding is essential to good SWR. RF grounding is different than electric grounding. There is lots of information on here and around the web about it. SWR isn't everything. In theory, a 102" whip is the best performing mobile antenna you can buy, but the best SWR you can get with one, again, in theory, is 1.3:1. By contrast, my dummy load has a nearly perfect SWR, but is a terrible antenna. Most folks that try Firestik's end up switching to something else, I was just recommending the info on the website. I personally run Everhardt SOTT5 antennas (on my pickup and big truck both), which are top-loaded fiberglass antennas, and I would recommend them but they don't make them anymore. If you want a fiberglass antenna, a lot of folks recommend the Skip Shooter antennas, but I've never tried one. If you're going to mount your antenna anywhere other than the roof, a top-loaded fiberglass antenna would be a good choice because it will get the loading coil above the roof of the cab.American-Trucker Thanks this. -
I am not a cb expert by any means, but I drive a chevrolet colorado pickup truck and I have a 5 foot firestik antenna attached to the front of the bed right behind the back window of the cab. It was really easy to do and it is a top loaded antenna. My SWR stays very low and I get out and recieve really well.
American-Trucker and Saddle Tramp Thank this. -
I have heard to many horror stories of perfectly acceptable radios being butchered by less than competent CB techs. The name of the shop is not relevent. Exactly who is doing the work is what counts. Any clown can call himself a CB radio tech. There is no license or training requirement.
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I just leave the radio in pristine stock condition. If I run a decent yet inexpensive antenna, okay coax and ground the antenna, I should be able to get out around 4 miles maybe more. While not the greatest, I can live with and be happy with that. There are people who swear by peaking and tuning. I am just not one of them.handlebar and Mad Dog 20/20 Thank this. -
I had a Wilson 2000 laying around. I purchased a magnet mount from a local truck stop. Installed the antenna in the mount, put it on the roof and adjusted the swr to were it needs to be using a radio chack swr meter that I had laying around. Plugged the antenna into my Connex 4300 HP and was talking across the county.
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However I don't know if a 102 whip is going to work without being over the 13'6 limit. But you could run a smaller style antenna.
And if you think a 5 foot tall antenna on top of the roll bar is too big, have a look at the 102 I had in my truck....Attached Files:
American-Trucker Thanks this. -
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That is actually one of the things i was considering if i do the roll bar to put it on there. Thanks for posting that pic, that why I don't want the 102 for one its huge but it just would look good on my truck.
American Trucker -
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