Baffled by the range claims

I’ve never achieved anything worth a darn on a stock antenna setup. Maybe a mile or two at best. Heck, even with my Wilson 2000, it was only about 3 miles. I mean you “could” keep talking with the squelch opened up and faintly go back and forth. For those slip seating or not wanting to use the factory coax and your own mount for a decent antenna, I’d recommend a Wilson mag mount. Stick it on the roof and go.

 

I've had 10-15 mile contacts on stock antenna setups. Freightliners. The old style with the external antennas and the new internal style. BUT never more than a few weeks.

I think it's the cheap 259 conector they use. It's a cheap conector and it's a crimp on style. Crimp on connectors are notorious for failure. Cheap coax with a thin solid wire dosent help either.

I think the setup can work, not the best, but plenty for casual radio use. They just use the cheapest of cheap to implement it with.

It's not an optimal setup. There is a splitter so the antenna can be used between the CB, and AM/FM sterio. But as long as you aren't running power with your CB it isn't that big of a deal.

They can work, but something breaks in them quickly.

 

There’s a bunch of caveats to observe.

1). Assuming a guy has a quality radio with factory-align spec transceiver.
More than 4w. Preferably 30w.

2). Clean power to radio.

3). Quality coaxial cable

4). Quality top-load antenna tuned

5). Quality external speaker

6). Any necessary bonding done

Plenty of time with details. No sloppy work. And someone with an antenna analyzer to dial it in.

Then 3-5 miles can be 7-10 miles. Let’s call that while out on a rural Interstate.

It can certainly be farther with more work and $$$.

But at this point it WILL come down to the other guys rig.

Often, the other driver CAN hear you, but past 6-7 miles you can’t hear him. Poor quality setup (although gear is okay).

A good base station and it’s 20-miles plus. (Where he has the cards. Can hear you AND has the punch you can hear him).

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Save yourself some headache. radios depend too much on the other guys setup. If theyre bad, and youre good, youre sol...get close to a CB shop that talks and judge your distance based on them.

 

Your range is partially determined by who is listening. I've heard radios like yours from 30 miles away. Focus on your antenna system. Accept the fact 2/3 of your performance is lost by hanging an antenna off the side of a tractor. Your range might triple in a car with antenna mounted to center of roof.

 

A picture always helps.



Here’s one I was stuck with for a month last year. International LT. Those PRO-COMM Quads were a distinct improvement over stock. But the location is a killer.

The trailer was a tanker. Another man got into it and I used a different brand of tractor with mirror mount antennas. We’d pass waaaay out in the Oklahoma Panhandle and he’d just flat disappear in a short distance.



Here’s what I’m working with now. 579 Peterbilt. This is a 5’ Skipshooter. Gets about 4” above van trailer. Far better than the previous picture setup.

I’m waiting for an aftermarket supplier to finish mirror mounts for this truck. (See “Bad Influence” thread on 579 Pete Install).

Receive can be very good. Not limited.

And I can follow someone on the Interstate and converse at around 5-miles (hills/trees). But coax is screwy. And cheap. Needs better.

And in passing opposite directions the other guy is gone fairly quickly.

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I am currently in a 2019 T680 with two 4" Firesticks and a stock President Mckinley ( 4 watts,pep 12 watts) and usually average 5 miles on the Interstates assuming mile marker from receiving station is accurate. I have made contacts up to 10 miles to base stations, once again assuming location by said station is correct. When I happen to travel through my home city( Bradenton Fl) I know exactly where the location is of cb friends and have no problem accurately determing distance to their stations,whether it be a mobile or base setup, and on occasion I have talked to them at 15 miles before, but as Rabbi pointed out alot of it depends on their setups and I know for a fact they all have excellent stations. Im not disputing your claims regarding range that you are acheiving but I would venture a guess and say that you are probably at least getting out 5 miles.