using a 5' firestik as a base antenna

I made one of these several years ago. I had 8-10 miles barefoot, and much much more with a DX180
A Stealthy Homebrew Vertical Dipole Antenna Using Mobile CB Antennas

I used the 3 ft. length FS-II tunable tip antennas.
I also made a setup using 2 102" whips with springs and a heavier central mounting bracket. I just had them laying around and too much spare time...