want to do it myself

You can do it.... how to link

http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Setting_SWR.htm

 

If you will use a 4.5ft, or better yet 5.5ft Francis antenna, you probably won't have a SWR problem....unless you have no ground, then it turns into experimentation and voodoo!!

 

just be sure you have 18 feet of coax. for mathematical reasons, i will not go into the technicalities of the signal and power versus resistance over distance.

just understand that most antenna setups respond best with 18 feet of coax. to me, that oil cooled and air cooled is all crap. your not going to ever run enough wattage to worry if your antenna stays cool.

so after having said that, there are 4 types of antenna that i would recommend. first off is a stainless steel whip. you cant destroy them, and they will take any amount of wattage you can throw at them. they are not too expensive. i have run two types of antenna on the car. one being a stainless steel whip when permanent mounting is best for the application, or a K40 if a perm mount is not best.

having mentioned the K40, they finally made the K40 trucker (and the virtual twin, the wilson trucker). the wilson has been around longer, but either way, both are really good mid line antennas.

if you wanna sink in some cash, you can get a monkeymade. personally, i think those things are a waste of time. that big thick ### aluminum antenna held on by a 3/8 stud. sure to snap off at the stud if you hit it hard enough.

then there is the francis. the only fault i have ever found with a true orange fiberglass francis is that they are just too darn flimsy. hit a good size limb at speed and your without an antenna. they are usually under 15 bucks, so its not that big of an out of pocket expense to replace one. if you go this route, go ahead and buy a spare identical to the one you are running. you are going to need it sooner or later.

my current antenna is a Browning BR28. aluminum made and will handle as many watts as i can run without shutting the trucks ECM down. downfall...........very little flexibility. i run it on a a bird perch mount and every time i pop a tree with it, it tightens that perch stud and changes the angle of my antenna. to be honest, i cant believe the antenna hasnt snapped off already.

i picked up one of the K40 trucker antennas at a loves on sale for 39 bucks with a 10 dollar rebate so that made it 29 bucks for a 60 dollar antenna. that is going on the truck as soon as my SWR meter that i ordered last night arrives.

tuning the SWRs are very easy. Youtube a video about setting them. very easy. no excuse really to be paying a CB shop 20 bucks to set them when you can order a meter for about that and keep it with you and check them on a regular basis.

 

False info, use enough coax to reach your radio.

 

yeah i had my numbers crossed. the exception to the rule is the co phase harness used for co phased antenna.

http://www.signalengineering.com/ultimate/coax_basics.html

 

Francis says use 18ft right on the package. (or at least they used to) That said, mine works good with 9ft of coax on the current truck I drive. Length should not matter if everything else is perfect, i.e. rf ground, clearance, etc, but that is not usually the case on today's trucks. Different lengths of coax can indeed make a difference in having a safe SWR or not.

 

IF your antenna is 50 ohm AKA working right the length of coax will not matter.

 

Picking an antenna is process that has a multitude of perfectly correct answers. First, what amount of money are you willing to spend and what kind of range will you be looking for?
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Here are two general guidelines for anyone looking at purchasing a new antenna.
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First, Height is might. Longer antennas just work better. Forget the 2 & 3 foot length antennas for a tractor. A 4 foot long antenna is the minimum length you should go for.
.Personally, I prefer 4 1/2 foot Francis model CB25 [non-tuning, usually available at T/A], 5 foot long Firestick KW5[cut to tune] or FS5[adjustable tuning tip], 5 foot long Wilson Silverload FGT5 or 5 1/2 foot long Francis model CB26[non-tuning, kinda hard to find]. These inexpensive antennas usually cost $35 or less.
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The exception to the length rule are antennas with a loading coil. These either have big exposed coils like the Monkiey Made antennas or smaller coils like the Wilson 2000 & 5000. Antennas with either type of loading coil work very well indeed and will get you out approximately 6 to 10 miles possibly more; but, at a significantly higher cost as you noticed.
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Secondly, the physical overhead clearance is the practical limitation on height. As a general observation, antennas do not like to be stuck against objects like tree limbs and other overhead obstructions.
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When it comes to price and range, antennas are not linear. Twice the price gets you more range; just not twice the range. As a side note, antennas that are xxx watts refer to how many watts of power they can handle. ie watts output from an amplifier to the antenna. There is no antenna that can get 4 watts from the radio and output more than 4 watts. If you are running a non-amplified radio, antennas with a big watt rating are an unneeded expense.
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As for coax, If your SWR reading is currently less than 3.0 you could use the existing coax in the truck. If it is a co-phased setup, you require two antennas. Running a single antenna on a co-phased setup is asking for additional problems.
.However, if you want to replace the trucks setup for your own single antenna setup, 12 feet or less of inexpensive RG 58 coax is perfectly acceptable for a non-amplified radio. While you can buy the more expensive coax types, you will not notice an increase or range or audio quality.
.As others have mentioned, there is no requirement for 18 feet of coax. If you coil the excess improperly that can cause a problem in tuning the antenna due to impedence. I suggest a coax length that does not leave a quantity of excess length.
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One last thing for any newbies that are reading this. Check your SWR with an external SWR meter not one that is in the radio. If your SWR reading is below 3.0, you can use your radio without any damage.
. BUT, if the SWR reading is 3.0 or higher, you have a connection problem and can damage your power transistors what some call blown finals.
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I hope this gives the original poster some points to think about. Some content may be to basic for him and some other posters but may be educational for those who are brand new to cb radio.