what antenna should i get

I fully expected a response about the metal roof. I knew exactly where you were trying to lead me with the question.

My issue is anyone mentions a setup performing, and you take it upon yourself to criticize it and scenario it to death. You are not an analyst working in a Tektronix laboratory, and your Anytone isn't the industry standard by which other radio's performance are measured.

I have at my disposal no less than 100 mobile antennas my dad has collected over the years, you name it he has it. Picks them up off the highway. Handmade coils, monkeymade's, predators, francis, tiger, wilson and on and on. We've got radios you've never heard of, we've been in cb since the early 70's running beam antennas with moonrakers, big guns, and gizmachi. I've never read anything you posted and said "Wow, I never thought of that".

If you are going to question everything people post and attempt to diminish it, then apply it to your own anecdotes. Video proof, picture proof, whatever it takes. Go to channel 6 or 11 and take over with that Anytone, I'm waiting to see it.

No one should post on this forum and feel like they have to prove or defend something if they are just sharing an experience, especially to someone with a 50 watt radio.

 

Mike said "Now I know a guy that won many key down contests with a 7' Skip Shooter......and he won over the 108" steel whips......numerous times. Something about take off angle and so forth."
This is probably true. It doesn't make me want to go out and purchase one.
How is what I said construed as criticism? I was simply being realistic.
Just because my radio transmits and receives freakish distances, I'm under no delusion I wouldn't be better off with a 108" whip. I know It would be better, but I deliberately sacrificed a little performance for the sake of aesthetics.

 

No, your radio doesn't transmit and receive freakishly long distance. Not without you proving the other station location, output, antenna, did the tech tune both radios, potential skip conditions etc. That's your standard, so it applies to you to. Video proof or save the anecdotes.

 

Not sure what's the point of your hostility since I'm just trying to help keep things in perspective. We all have to be realistic and people who are unwilling to drill a hole in the middle of the roof of their vehicle need to recognize that they are drastically compromising performance by using another mounting location or mounting method. I don't want to give anybody false hopes of achieving astronomical performance from his moped when he attaches a 7-foot skip shooter to the handlebars of his moped. I think it's pretty fair to everybody to point this out.

 

Well, I'm just gonna pop in here and say that I replaced my ½-wave vertical fiberglass whip with an end fed dipole and the reports are it is as good or better. This is great for me because I need some stealth: Store | LNR Precision Inc
(no affiliation other than a customer).

 

Rabbi said: “30 years ago I had a 16 in rubber ducky antenna on the roof of my car and I talked 10 miles with four Watts but that doesn't mean that 16in antenna was a good antenna. The only reason I was able to do it was because I drilled a hole in the middle of my roof and I had sheet metal underneath that antenna.”

I totally agree with you on the many factors involving mobile antennas, that effect their performances. But when you said you can talk 10 miles using a rubber duck antenna, I think it had more to do than just the counterpoise that the suburban offered. If not, then that rubber antenna is keeper, because most of those antennas are just a little better than a dummy load. Another factor you may consider is that maybe the band condition was really good that day and you weren’t aware of it?

 

The receiving station was a friend of mine with a base antenna. We talked to each other all the time. Definitely helps having a quiet channel.

 

This discussion is good because I'm sure a lot of frustrated first-timers with a CB get so frustrated when they hear of others talking 10 miles or more and they can't seem to get out three that they throw their stuff in the closet in disgust.

Although it may be a bother to do, it would be good if someone is reporting long distance communications that seem out-of-the-ordinary, that they take the time to explain what they think might have allowed that to happen. Unfortunately, often the operator hasn't a clue what happened, because the many variables that could have allowed it to happen are either unknown or otherwise not understood under any given set of circumstances.

Example: the case of the small antenna talking long distances. It did make a lot of difference that the small antenna was talking to a base which probably had an antenna way up in the air that made up for the shorty on the car. Contrast this with a short antenna trying to talk to another short antenna, and there is a big difference in results, to say the least.

Such is life.

 

I agree. Otherwise someone trying to replicate the situation will usually be disappointed if one of the variables is not met.
Precisely why I try to describe all the variables including the terrain and both vehicles involved, both antennas and their mounting locations, along with the cables used and the tech that tuned both radios or if one of the radios is stock out of the box.
BTW, my LMR400uf just got installed, and I should be back on the airwaves today after a 4 month hiatus after snapping the Wilson 5k off my roof.

 

Cb radio magazine compared the predator 10k with a 108 whip..They could barely tell the diff..STILL its gonna depend on what its getting mounted to..