Best Antenna for Distance

where on gods green earth did you get the 18 feet of coax for proper SWR and ground? that is the biggest line of BS told by everyone for the CB radio. you only need the amount to run the distance from the transmitter to the antenna. google is more then a tool than most realize.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc/myth-1.htm

 

You can get amps on eBay (when eBay doesn't pull them) or a few online CB shops sell them. Some CB shops don't/won't deal with them because they're illegal on CB.

You connect the amp inline between the antenna and the CB.

 

Because coax length can make a difference in your SWR reading. (don't jump to conclusions, read what I actually said.....)

 

Not this again. The link is to yet another expert. The only real experts are physics professors who can use quaternion math to answer what the differences are when reactance is presented to the system. Failing to mention reactance at the feedpoint only proves he is a 'layman expert'. His mention of the term was only in discounting any variance in the coax itself. A complete lack of understanding the difference between intrinsic reactance in the coax to a situation of reactance being presented to the coax at the feedpoint. In short this 'expert' would be as incapable of explaining using quaternions how a coax can be used as an impedance transformer as he would the negative solution to Maxwell's 4th equation. Ironically people use stubs of coax in ham antenna systems yet cannot explain the theory in depth but will argue this subject forever. Waste of time even talking about it.

 

Boss,
Now you've got me confused. Your initial post was looking for second opinions about dual Firestiks for your vehicle, wondering if they'd be good. Several posts answered you, mostly steering you *away* from that arrangement. But in less than 24 hours, you posted again, happier than a clam, reporting that you had that very installation, had been been able to convo with folks, told it sounded great, 5 miles away, and so forth and so on.
After that post from you, I complimented you on your good fortune (but without looking at the timing on the posts), and I see your response was,
"I did it myself not knowing what I was doing. It took a lot of trial and error."
Really? When? Sometime in the 18 hours between your initial post and your "This is great!" post?
I'm really happy to take the time to answer legitimate questions from folks who are sincere in their desire to know the answer. I think of this forum as a place to learn and teach. Every time I come here, I learn something new, too.
A couple of messages above this one is a follow-up from you, from just 18 hours ago:
"Where do you get an amp from and how do you connect i to your CB?"
The little "cynic light" inside of me is starting to glow, albeit dimly. Is there a chance you've already got three amps, and two are installed, with the third a smoking heap in the trash?
Surely a quick use of the "search" function button in the forum, or a perusal of one of the well-known online sources like Wikipedia, eBay, or even good ol' Google could turn up a raft of knowledge, even if it might be tainted with some salesmanship.
Easy answer, in case your question is sincere and I've jumped unfairly to an incorrect conclusion: 1 red wire to battery, ground to chassis or battery. Two jacks marked "radio" and "antenna". Read the instructions that come with the amp. And remember that they are always, without exception, regardless of manufacturer, unlawful for use on CB in the U.S.
Handlebar

 

I was told by the guy at loves in dandridge tn cb shop I40 that for my truck 07 freightliner Columbia that I would need 18 feet to achieve the proper ground plane. An you know what I had 12 feet an I couldn't adjust my swr. Put 18 an I'm getting 2.5 swr..so there might be some truth to that.

 

OK, so I can't follow a timeline accurately. But I also can't figure out how you're measuring 94 watts *before* you put on the amplifier that you haven't gotten yet and can only talk 5 miles with it, so there's clearly something flawed in either your test technique or my meager experience. I'm going to stop trying now. Best of luck with your experimenting.
73,
Handlebar