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Shiny cb radio.... What antennas are you running?

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Old 09-15-2013, 08:34 PM
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Default Shiny cb radio.... What antennas are you running?

I have been told the antenna makes ALL the difference. I have a ladder rack on mine now (not shown in my signature) so mounting is not an issue. But I'm confused. I would rather save another month or so to get a good one, and I want the range. I have a Cobra 29 Night Watch Limited Edition with a Road Devil mic that is begging to transmit the sultry sound of my voice. I have a stick shift, so I will mount my radio in the stock cubby bole that would be a cup holder on an auto. I would like a roll-bar type mount, and I love the idea of twin antennas, but again, I want the range. I keep hearing about Firestik and Wilson. What do you run, and how well does it work?
 
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Old 09-15-2013, 09:28 PM
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If you can stand it a quarter wave whip right in the middle of the roof will work best. Get the 102 SS plus six in spring mount for near ideal quarter wave at CB freq's. That same antenna works almost as well mounted on the hood across from the FM antenna and that location is a little more normal human lifestyle friendly that way though just a hair.
 
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Old 09-15-2013, 10:34 PM
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My truck had one mounted on the toolbox when I got it. I took it off when it cracked my front windshield after it hit a tree branch.
 
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Old 09-16-2013, 12:04 PM
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I run a 4' firestik mounted on the fender under the hood with a dodge ram mount. (old school style that you unwind and cut to tune)

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and I removed the cubby hole and cut a piece of angle iron to fit within a few thousandths of an inch in the cubby hole mounting location, and mounted it with some machine screws to the factory drilled and tapped holes with some washers.

I then mounted the CB mount to the angle iron and it fits nice and snug.

 

Last edited by Jigabop; 09-16-2013 at 12:16 PM.
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Old 09-16-2013, 01:36 PM
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Dual firesticks I think they are mounted to the box. Got another CB, some cheap one, for free so figured I'd throw them back on.
Edit: here is how theyre mounted
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Last edited by Johnn123; 09-17-2013 at 02:09 AM.
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Old 09-17-2013, 03:17 AM
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Try this one on for size, its a Wilson dual antenna set up. http://www.rightchannelradios.com/wi...tenna-kit.html
 
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Old 09-17-2013, 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by nighthawk10mm
Try this one on for size, its a Wilson dual antenna set up. http://www.rightchannelradios.com/wi...tenna-kit.html
Dual antennas will do nothing for you electrically if mounted side by side like that. Strike a pose. They don't have enough physical separation to yield any gain from being co phased. Our trucks just aren't wide enough. Ever notice how the semis, which are already much wider, mount them out on the ends of the mirrors to get them even further apart?
 
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Old 09-17-2013, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Ugly1
Dual antennas will do nothing for you electrically if mounted side by side like that. Strike a pose. They don't have enough physical separation to yield any gain from being co phased. Our trucks just aren't wide enough. Ever notice how the semis, which are already much wider, mount them out on the ends of the mirrors to get them even further apart?
+1 to Ugly.


Here are some other threads that might give some help on antenna choice and related.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-we-found.html

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...all-image.html

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-tie-down.html
 
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Old 09-17-2013, 12:54 PM
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I got the 3' Firestik II on the hood mount also.

For some reason, i can't get it tuned, even with an swr meter it keeps reading over 2 and is in the red zone. Can't pick up a single thing.
 
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Old 09-17-2013, 08:24 PM
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Originally Posted by ChillyPhil
I got the 3' Firestik II on the hood mount also.

For some reason, i can't get it tuned, even with an swr meter it keeps reading over 2 and is in the red zone. Can't pick up a single thing.
you might want to consider a 4' antenna... you want most of the transmitting mass above the roof of the cab (the tightly wound part of a firestick as it is a top loader antenna)

also make sure you have good solid connections with the coax, and a good ground on the antenna.
 


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