OPPO, school me on CB Antennas.

"Berang" (berang) 04/20/2019 at 01:37 • Filed to: cb radio

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I’m looking into how I should go about outfitting the Bajaab with a CB radio, and have already read up on where to mount an antenna and what effects its position on the vehicle have. What I can’t find much about though is the mount itself.

My practical options are to either mount the antenna on the rear bumper, or on one of the rear fenders. Plan on using a classic whip antenna, with a gutter clip to hold it down when not in use. But should it be mounted on a spring or not? Should I use a ball mount? I’m finding opinions, but without much fact (stated anyway) to back them up. What’s best practice?

Thanks.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Berang 04/20/2019 at 01:59

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I’m only familiar with military antennas, they are generally flexible at the base and then tied down if you are passing through low clearances. 

jminer > Berang 04/20/2019 at 02:10

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I haven’t put an antenna on a truck in a while - but I always did bumper mount with a spring. I liked to use an 8' flexible fiberglass one it was short enough it didn’t get caught on much and the spring allowed it to move and not break when it came in contact with things.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Berang 04/20/2019 at 02:11

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On the guess that the gambler 500 could involve low tree branches and/or stray vegetation , I would suggest going for a mounting option with flexibility. A really short antenna might change the calculation, but that would come with a trade off of range. CB is VHF, which (primarily) is line of sight.

Berang > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/20/2019 at 02:17

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I’ve been told that the whip is flexible enough to be used without the spring base - but also that the spring base can be helpful? The only drawback to the spring base is that the antenna may whip around too much when driving at high speeds. So I’m not sure if I need it, want it, or not.

Berang > jminer 04/20/2019 at 02:19

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Thanks for the reply. I think I’m leaning to the spring mount then.

Berang > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 04/20/2019 at 02:19

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Yeah my other idea was fitting a short antenna to the roof or roof rack, but then wiring it up becomes a problem.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Berang 04/20/2019 at 03:51

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Here in Oz...our go to brand is GME and we tend to use UHF radios . www.gme.net.au

With that out of the way...we use 2 watt handhelds. I have had units in my vehicles but the aerials are always an issue.

The little spring whips that one often sees on vehicle Bull Bars around is hopeless on rough roads. The number of times I’ve watched one fall out of the base due to metal fatigue is basically stupid.

The next step up for us is the white high gain hobbies on tough and large spring mounts. But they are massive.

What we used to do on occasion is use handhelds with an external antenna capacity. Then get a magnetic base antenna and mount it mid roof like you are supposed to...worked really well when you needed it to. And when you didn't need it...the car stayed uncluttered.

benjrblant > Berang 04/20/2019 at 09:05

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I’ve got a fiberglass firestik mounted to a spring base. I’d go with the spring. Ensure  everything is properly grounded, this is a common cause for poor CB SWR.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Berang 04/20/2019 at 11:34

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We had ours tied off most of the time and it worked fine. Ours wasn’t a spring but a rubber base that flexes. Yeah they can whip around badly and hit things, the only unsecured antennas I saw where stubby ones and a shorter type, we usually had three antennas. 

sn4cktimes > Berang 04/20/2019 at 11:52

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I had a 8' fibreglass whip mounted off my license plate on an 07' Wrangler. No flex mount. I handled everything it bumped off of just fine. And I drove it through foliage that reached the centre of the Jeep when I had no doors on it. They have a pretty amazing amount of flex. I used a Cobra all in one handheld CB . It also  worked surprisingly well.