Dual Antenna Set Up Question

[thetez]

i really need to upgrade my antenna... its horrible, and ive been looking at a lot of antennas, radio shack has a dual setup and all the reviews i could find on them were great and a few people even said they got 15 miles on a bad day... which i find hard to believe.... I think these are what i want.

Ok so... they are 48" and i have a pickup. Ive heard they work fine even on smaller pickups, and i know a guy who has them on his bronco, he says they work amazing. but i have also heard they shouldn't be on a pickup because they are too close, and thats no good...


Umm... so whats the verdict on this....

[Bullwinkle]

I have never really noticed my radio perform any better with two antennas, than with one.

[weewilly]

Hi Im thinking about goin with a single antenna so I can use the mounting space on one side for my XM ant. If I go with 1 ant. is ther one better than another? I run a basic Cobra . Dont need lots of range. thank you in advance

[thetez]

well ive been doing research and reading other comments here, the Wilson's look amazing, and are pretty cheap... google "Wilson Silver Load" From their on out its all preference i guess

[tfisher63]

You wont gain much with 2 antennas unless you can mount them at least 8 and and half feet apart. ( one quater wave )

[mackmobile43]

Originally Posted by tfisher63

You wont gain much with 2 antennas unless you can mount them at least 8 and and half feet apart. ( one quater wave )

This is true only it's 9' before your radiation pattern is acceptible, If you are going to mount it directly behind the cab of a pickup you'll be wanting a top loaded antenna as you need to get the radiating portion of the antenna above the roofline so it will have a clear view and not screw with the standing wave ratio.

If you chose a coil type antenna you'll definately need to do the same as the coil section radiates alot of the radios output at that point.

If you chose a base loaded antenna you should mount it directly in the center of the top of your cab and out of all of these choices it's gonna be you best performer.

[thetez]

Well mac, you seem to know your stuff.... but if i was to get one of those coiled antennas ... kinda like the Wilson silver load... wouldn't that work just as good as mounting a base load on the cab. the coils .... pretty much extend the cable dont they?

[BobC]

If the coil radiates so much of the radios power, why couldn't I just put the coil on the mount & forget the whip & stuff?

[thetez]

not power... necessarily, by extend i mean ... the coils could "virtually" turn the 4 foot cable into a 10 + foot cable... just better reception....

[mackmobile43]

Originally Posted by thetez

Well mac, you seem to know your stuff.... but if i was to get one of those coiled antennas ... kinda like the Wilson silver load... wouldn't that work just as good as mounting a base load on the cab. the coils .... pretty much extend the cable dont they?

The wilson silverload is just your basic top loaded antenna, by coil antenna I mean one of these. well I don't have enough post to add links so put predator 10-k
in a search engine and there you go


If you like you could just peel back 9' or so of your coax and peel the shield back and ground that but you'd have to figure out how to make the center conductor stand up.