Antenna advice for 4 wheeler

[JakeyCakez]

Besides this antenna costing more than my radio (cobra 19)

I think this will be a major improvement over my radio shack mag mount ( around 3 miles on a good day)

I'm looking at getting a Wilson 1000 Trunk mount antenna from WalcottCB I've already drilled a hole in the trunk of my car and found out that my mag mount antenna will not work in this setup.. it pegs the SWR meter like it had a dead short, but when I open the trunk some it drops to almost 1.2 Apparently I picked a bad spot to mount an antenna, or the antenna isn't high enough.

According to the specifications of this antenna it has a 62 inch whip, I'm worried about it putting a lot of stress on my trunk, since the metal is relatively thin, and developing leaks later on.

It also says that the antenna will work on the 10 meter band, whenever I decide to get my HAM license and buy one of them fancy export radios this might be useful, if it works decent.. I don't understand why they make these antennas to handle 3kW when the maximum allowable output in the US is 1.5kW (for HAMS)

[Lightninrod]

You will need to use grounding straps around each trunk lid hinge to help lower the SWR.

If you think the lid metal is too thin, it is and I don't have an answer for that.

[clantonman1983]

Well, your first problem is the radio. upgrade to a cobra 25 or 29...

[JakeyCakez]

Originally Posted by clantonman1983

Well, your first problem is the radio. upgrade to a cobra 25 or 29...

I got a radio check from someone who was about 5 miles away today, I think my radio is fine.

the other day I strung up a dipole in a tree behind my house, it was about 19 feet total length, I don't know how far it was getting out, but I heard people talking that sounded really far off..

[clantonman1983]

I say it's your radio because if you spent a little more money and went up to something like a Cobra 25, you could easily have it looked at by a tech. (some techs charges as little as $10) and you can be getting out a lot farther. I've always heard that it is hard to tune a 19, plus i looked at them and read all the reviews and decided not to buy one, but hey, that's your choice. Not trying to be mean but five miles... isn't that much. Unless that's all you want. I have a cobra 25 and when it was barefoot before I got a kicker put on it i was talking to people in the next county because i had it properly tuned and a good antenna. Just saying, if you want a CB that's going to get out farther (and you may not) go up to a Cobra 25 or 29.

[FriedTater]

For the price of that 19 purchased "new" one can easily find
used 25,29 LTDs for the same if not cheaper.($30-$40)

Originally Posted by clantonman1983

Well, your first problem is the radio. upgrade to a cobra 25 or 29...

[clantonman1983]

very true, all cb shops i come across have all kinds of different nice radios for super cheap prices. and you don't have to worry about if they work or not because they are in a tech's shop, so...