Lesson learned

rg8u.THAT is some huge coax! That truly took some time i am thinking.I used to run rg8u on my base station as a kid.A single antenna is always better than the dual set up,at least per every radio shop that i have dealt with.less swr,easier to install,less likely to have any type truble.
Interesting post.KUDOS for sharing.

 

Im going to invest some money into my system soon. I will be asking questions. Glad everything worked out for ya!

 

Don't believe anything that most cb shops tell you. If a single antenna was the most efficient way to transmit a signal into a single direction, they wouldn't have invented 8 element beams.

 

Cophased antennas generate a much better omnidirectional radiation pattern than a single, less affected by the body of your truck. The PROBLEM is that most people don't know how to properly set it up. You can't just stick two antenna on your truck and call it done.

 

The problem is you don't have a good groundplane .....

 

It won't be easy with your Cascadia.......several threads on here worth reading about that truck. I think rabbiporkchop might have the best solution with his 4ft shaft and what appears to be a Wilson 2000.

 

true but as that kid,i also had a moonraker beam and that beam had 8 elements,4 verticle/4 horizontal(for talking skip),and it was a directional set up. i am not aware of a directional antenna for mobile use.

 

the absolute most efficient,best talking/receiving anntenna set up i've ever utilized was a francis on the back of a flat top bunk,mounted on the airline holder/slide rail,directly in the middle of the bunk.1/4 of the antenna waas behind the bunk and the other 3/4's was above the bunk.
I still see plenty of that type set up on flat top petes and the like,most pulling flats or tankers while still several pull vans/reefers.
regardless,running an extra ground off of the antenna seems to produce very positive results,no matter where it is mounted.