What's the best CB antenna? Protect your antenna.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2021
- DIY for CBers.
Everyone want to now what the best CB antenna is. First you need to tell what vehicle you want it on. whether it's a car, truck, jeep, big rig. That will help determine if a mag mount, base load, mid load, top load, whip, or fiberglass is best for your application.
Here the link for Skip Shooter antennas.
www.antennapartsoutlet.com/Pag...
102" Stainless whip all day long. Not for everyone's application depending on vehicle, but the best I have ever used. Mine was on the rear left corner of a 1980 Chevy van. The van became the directional ground plane by pointing it at my recieving station. However, it was as good or better than anything else even off the short side. With in-town interference very common, it recived and cut thru very well. Best SWR sensitivity ever.
People say the 4' wrapped wire shorties are the same electrically, but only on paper. In the atmosphere, physical mass rules.
I never has an issue with low overhang structures. I just drove thru slow. The whip is indestructible. A tennis ball slid onto it provided excellent protection for the van.
Great advice. It sometimes can be difficult to pick the best, overall antenna for your needs. I use a 102" whip behind the driver side on the bed, so if go through a drive thru, I have to drive a little bit to the right to make sure the antenna avoids overhangs. My Wife had a 5 foot Skip Shooter which worked the best overall for her needs. I found the 5 footer avoided most overhangs and branches, but would have more range than a 2, 3, 4, or 4 1/2 footer. Later on, she wanted an orange colored antenna, and unfortunately, Skip Shooter no longer offer their orange version (I bought a few in the past, but they had a sort of pinkish/orange hue to them, and had to return them). So now I bought her an orange 4 1/2 foot Francis (I could not seem to find a 5 footer in orange, unfortunately), and it works great as well. Because of the great customer service I got from Skip Shooter in the past, I will recommend them over any other. Other brands would break easily, or when inquiring via email, nobody but Skip Shooter bothered to reply. Another reason I recommend them.
I use a Wilson 5000 mag mount on top of a 1998 Montero. No problems with it. Has been installed for 5 years. Thanks for your video. Good information.
I have also used the Wilson 5k mag mount on a suv the good results. However I am mainly speaking of semi's in this case. Thanks for watching.
have one on top of my 92 k1500 its the way to go ,,
I appreciate your video and thanks for driving those big rigs and keeping us all alive.
Thanks for watching
Okay so watching a video because I need help what is a good antenna for a caterpillar 982 m wheel loader and the only place that we can mount them are on top of the cab there are two mounts but they're only spread apart maybe 4 ft My problem is I can hear people no problem but they can't seem to hear me I have a brand new Cobra 25 ldt radio new Astatic mic
This a great lesson on cb antennas. I feel as if I have a much better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of antennas.
Thanks, that was the goal, as antennas aren't one size fits all, as some think.
Man just found you on TH-cam. You have been very informative. I also drive a freight shaker. Was looking to install my galaxy on the dash and that's how I found you. Also just ordered one of those skip shooter. Ready to get home and put everything together.
Awesome thanks for watching
I really like you .I’ve been into cub for many years you gave me more info in this video than 50 years thanks
In my nearly 50 years in the radio hobby I tried them all. For mobile, the best is the plain old 102" stainless whip, hands down. This is a full quarter wave with very low losses because there is no coils and a full sized radiator. Any coil loaded antennas introduce inductor losses that do nothing to improve your signal. Coils are used to shorten the antenna so it fits your vehicle better. If you must use a coil loaded antenna, choose one with the longest whip you can fit on your ride. I always laugh when I see these guys running mobile antennas with huge coils thinking the big coil makes them "get out" better when the exact opposite it true.
Especially the "Super Bowl" guys with four of those 10kw antennas on top of their Suburban.
Yeah that fine if your parked. 75 mph in the wind,no.
Are there smaller steel whips by chance ?
@@lewisbrown7281 Lean it forward , so that when you are hwy speed, it is straight up and down!
@@DanielKE7UUM yeah I have seen that, allways thought of having a arm that would raise the antenna above truck and trailer.
I have several four foot antennas for my jeep , right now I run a Tiger double wrap that works great on my setup.
I know there may be some issues with these antennas as well as the 'Chinese made' ones, but nice to see TH-camrs promoting American products for a change. Nice job and directing us to a US made source. I hope it works out.
Thanks for watching
Thank you !
I have been using the Larsen Kulrod NMO27, base loaded commercial low band .. easily tunable to 27mhz. Rated @ 150Watt.
Used to run a 102" Francis in the deserts of NV, CA... and maybe Mexico. Had a quick disconnect on it so I could take it down if I had to. Spring always made me a bit nervous in pre-runner conditions. Good times. Had good lungs and ears for just a peaked and tuned Cobra 148. Ran that radio by touch.
Definitely get out farther on less power out there.
I worked at 3 cb shops. Tested radios and antennas all day long 6 days a week. 5/8th wave 5 foot wilson silver load kicks ass in almost every vehicle.
👍
It's not really a 5/8 wave unless it's 21 feet long.
Very helpful info! I'm just getting into CB radio. I work at a trucking site which is what got me interested in it. but I am not a trucker and I only have a Ford Focus. I'll have to do some research than in outfitting a small vehicle like mine
I'd go with a wilson, stryker, or sirio mag mount on the roof. Thanks for watching.
Wilson Little Wil
Uniden Bearcat 880
they're on my 1999 Corolla and work fine, don't overload your 12v though as my battery died by using it too much lol, i only hook it up for highway use.
It All Depends..
I Too am a Skip-Talker for 50 years.
Radios I use that Kill it Consistently
Clear channel AR-3300 ( 100 watt version )
( incredibly clean in transmitting but also in recieving )
Ranger 2970 ( is 100 watts )
Indeed a decent radio..Not as good though as my AR-3300 ( but a loud and Proud type of radio )
Icom 706MKIIG .. an Absolute Killer radio and Most say is Much too good a radio to use on CB / 11 Meters
( this was radio I killed not just skip with at home and in car.. but also after a few months made me want to get my ham ticket..even though I use it still mostly on cb Frequency's)
Icom IC-7000 basically an even more improved version of 706MKIIG
Basically..
My AR-3300 and IC-7000 talk easy skip
But they can Hear at times further then I can talk
Where..
My 2970 and 706MKIIG if they hear it.
I Easily can Talk too it..
As far as Antennas go..
Mobile I find Both I-10k and MonkeyMade mobile antennas to be Excellent both for transmitting and recieving.. I mount where hatch meets roof or with mag mount center rear third of roof.
For Base...Interceptor I-10K Groundplane
( has a top hat too )
This thing Destroys All other Base antennas
( unless perhaps if you are willing to use a 5 element beam , but then you need a heavy duty rotor as well as a tower ) and is a Omni directional antenna that takes ones signal and basically compresses or squeezes the signal between the radials and Top hat.
Coax / feedline is Often forgotten or Ignored piece of Equipment...for car I use LMR-400 ( have even tried LMR-600 but a bit thick to use for mobile )
For Base I use Andrew's Heliax LDF5-50A
( for 2 meters through GMRS ) I use LDF7-50A
Mind you..most find it to heavy and expensive to work with...Yet I Assure you it is Well Worth it.
Audio Mike mobile Astatic M6 with Tone power mike.
Though Sometimes I use a Silver Eagle desk Mike for the AR3300 and 2970
For Base and Mobile for 706MKIIG and IC-7000 I use an Icom Desk SM-20 Mike..for Mobile Handheld HM-133 ( while driving )
I have a long time friend that faithfully use 102 stainless steel whip on his old school freight liner and he has a great standing wave, great receive/transmit and he never has to put much effort in talking skip according to conditions.like the rule of thumb rule of the radio is...*WHAT YOU DO TODAY YOU MAY OR MAY NOT DO THE SAME THING TOMORROW ON THE RADIO.ITS ALL ABOUT CONDITIONS*.💯true fact.keep up the great videos and TAKE CARE and GOD BLESS.
Yes, the 102" is possibly the greatest but not always feasible in some applications.
I believe the Francis Firestick antennas are top loaded in-spite of not having a visible coil. If you ever have your Francis antennas tuned when you cut the tip you’ll see the internal wire is actually coiled within the top section of the fiberglass whip. Unless something’s changed in the last 20 years.
In my years driving for Roadway, I used a 4 1/2 ft Francis antenna with a President Grant (NOT a Uniden Grant) and a 350 Texas Star. Some guys had 400, 500, and 667 Texas Stars. Those 4.5' Francis had the same amount of windings as their 5.5' antennas. They were made in Pataskala Ohio and we knew some people who worked at Francis. Of course, we were a slip seat operation, so we had vice grip mounts. Since we were handling the antenna daily, the Francis would eventually start shedding little strands of fiberglass. To counter that, I "painted" mine with clear polyurethane. As always, a good ground was imperative. We had R and U Model Macks, Freightliners, and all sorts of Whites...Volvo Whites, White GMs...etc and all of those steel cabs had great grounds. Once we started getting the VN Volvos, we had to go to the back of the cab to find a decent ground. Sometimes there was an air hose hanger bar and sometimes we had to clamp off on the muffler support. I had about a 550 mile skip on 26.805. I'd get responses at about 550 miles, 1100 miles, 1650 miles and 2200 miles. And the skip seemed to follow the sun and cold fronts. You'd hear Florida in the mornings, Texas mid day, New Mexico and Arizona later in the day. We could talk with our guys domiciled in Lincoln and Salt Lake as well as the ABF guys from Albuquerque. We even got to know some of those ABF drivers on a first-name basis. There was some woman, a truckers wife in Lubbock TX that would get on the frequency in the late afternoons and start talking about fixing dinner. We'd holler back at her from Sideling Hill, Clearfield, or Snow Shoe in PA But she started complaining about the "locals" interfering with her conversation. We just wanted to confirm that she was getting out and making us hungry. Then I tried a Browning antenna. Man, what an immediate difference. I got out the same but my receive came up dramatically. Brownings are stainless steel and have an open coil that looks like a miniature Monkey Made. I have a Wilson 50" stinger on mine because the Browning stinger broke off in the base. Give one a try if the radio shop will let you. I use nail polish as a thread locker,. BTW, I sought out decent radio shops and generally do not buy any radio gear at truck stops....maybe a coax or a mount...but only in a pinch. I'm in South Carolina now but was domiciled in Columbus for almost all of my Roadway career.
Lot of good info here. I would imagine you could warm up that cpvc pipe with a heat gun and slip it over the base and be a nice fit.
i just got back on CB after a long hiatus. The day i got my President Lincoln II+ I only had a real old Radio Shack Magnetic mount. That afternoon I was talking to a local who was using a Stryker antenna on his pickup. Somehow I didn't like the way it looked but he said he was running a Little Will before that. He had it in his truck and i asked him what he was going to do with it and I offered him $20 and it was mine.. I was using that until i could geta good price on a Wilson 500 which I used to have and worked perfectly. While I was looking on line I came across Copper Electronics which has been around like forever. They had the 500 and the also had the 1000. There was only a $10 difference in price so I got the 1000 which has the taller whip/stinger and the shipping was the same for either one. I think I did good. SWR is flat above and below 1-40.
Good deal.
Used a 102 which works great, no tuning when paired with a 6 inch spring. Gives a full quarter wave. I found a huge difference using a predator 10k antenna using side band. From the central part of ny i easily hit jamaica, Newfoundland and England. The receive is so much clearer than any fiberglass or Wilson I've used. And with those others, i wasnt able to make anywhere close to the stated distances. As people said, good ground and very low SWRs. That's the key
As I have said before, thise are great antennas, but not always feasible. Not everyone can run a 6-8' antenna. First question should always be, "what's it going on"?.
@@jrichtruckincbtips agreed every different vehicle and owner situation dictates thee antenna needs. I guess i have been very lucky to always be able to run 102 or 108 inch whip ..
My pick up truck I build a bracket on a piece of pie higher than the cab with hinges on it when I used to work downtown I had a lover to drop it down and drop down with the hinge comes out to Hanley
My new favourite antenna is a sirio bull-trucker 3000 , same size as the budget sirio ml 145 , but performs as well/better as my much larger Wilson 1000
I thought about trying a Sirio, but unfortunately they don't have short mid load to fit my needs.
Skip shooter antennas. I cannot get my hands on any sort of antenna for CB radio other than going to a truck stop like Pilot Flying J in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.😊. I wonder if I buy CB equipment in a different country will it work or sound different. As far as traveling in the United States I am surprised that I cannot find too many places with CB radio equipment. 😀 Thanks to J Rich Truckin & CB Tips for the great info.!
My personal vehicles get 102" stainless or K40s. They are my choice for pickup and car antennas. As far as fiberglass sticks, I say Firestik tunable is the best. My tractors had either Firestik tunable tip or Wilson's, they did the job.
What about fire stick on a car. With things coming in the country for home and car uses. Thanks
@@robertduncan2742 I really like the K40 magnet mount. Very easy to get flat SWR reading. They are excellent and you can stick it in the trunk when at the store etc.
I tried three different types of Wilson antennas, I cussed them all. Because I could never get my s.w.r. below 1.7 I tossed them all in the corner of the shed. But one day I made a mount that was. 18" higher and the Wilson came in at 1.2 I have tuned alot of antennas and had very few problems, but the Wilson corp. Couldnt answer for their antennas.
I have a Wilson 1000 trunk mount that I get out pretty good on , just using an old 1970s RCA Co-Pilot with an Astatic Road Devil .
Those do great.
I had a President HR2510 hooked to a Killer Bee HD250, with a Wilson 1000. That was one of the best combo's I ever had!
Raccoon's Radio Ranch: I've got an
RCA 14T302 Co-Pilot SSB radio of
1977-ish vintage and I love it!! I've
always preferred older radios as
they have more "personality"!!
Which model RCA do you have?
I'm about to restore a mid 70's
Radio Shack mag-mount antenna.
Back in the day it was a freakishly
good antenna!! I'm going to upgrade
the coax(not sure which to use yet),
and the connector(s) to Amphenol.
A really awesome 1970's set-up
if I ever saw one!! I can't wait until
it's done!! Please let me know about
your radio!! Take care & 73's!!
Thank, you for you're video. I, own twin fiberglass fire sticks cb Ants with the Adjustable tips at the tops of both Ants. I've. got both. ANTS mounted on both outside west coast mirrors on my Dump trk.
Excellent video! Made me a subscriber!
Thanks!!
Thanks for watching and the sub.
You are knowable. Thank you for posting!
Thanks for watching
Well for my personal experience if you know what you’re doing to me that Wilson for the trucks are the best but like you said the coil have to be in the proper position but the fire sticks work pretty good specially if the person doesn’t know too much about Cb
thank you for your efforts and info!
Thanks for watching.
Best mobile antenna- 102 whip hands down, no close second. Mounted in the center of the highest point.
Agreed, but it's not always feasible on a tractor trailer.
Great job with the video
I lean between Sirio 1k-5k turbo or Performer antennas (50-90$) or the good old 102" stainless.
I still have a bucket of $15 fiberglass Francis antennas for my Semi, They always get broken off with lower bridges.
I had a 102" steel whip with a flat 1 SWR and trust me I talked all over the country from Connecticut. Nothing beats a 102"
sorry but a 102 can be beat
@@rogerhancock8732 Well.I hit Australia from Gardner Massachusetts on a 102. No linear.
@@rogerhancock8732 The 102 can handle 30,000 watts of power
Thank you so much for all the info. I learned a lot from your video and appreciate the effort. I looking to get into doing pilot car work with a Ram ProMaster 1500 cargo van with 8' vehicle height. Do you have any specific tips or info I should be aware of for installing a skip shooter beside keeping the pipe around 1/3 of the length? Also trying to figure out where is there is a "best" location to mount it on my van. Thank you so much for your insights and info.
i use predator 20ks love them wont change em
It's all about what works for you.
102' was always my go to antenna.
Yeah, it's the best, if you have a great spot to mount it. Unfortunately it's not always the best for a Semi.
@@jrichtruckincbtips I ran it with my president grant and d104 in my truck and people said it sounded amazing. I also ran a 2510 that didn’t sound as good but still a very strong radio for what it was.
@@Fox250R it's trial and error sometimes. I've been geared towards semi's mostly with the cb stuff and just sharing what has worked for me. I have reached out to some companies for sponsorship to try different cb products. And nothing has panned out, yet. I also don't have the budget to keep buying. So, I welcome, and appreciate the comments , letting others know what works well together.
@@jrichtruckincbtips Thanks for the video man
@@Fox250R thanks for watching
I drive a 2021 114SD Freightliner flatbed grapple truck with a bulkhead rack behind the cab, it has an 18" X 18" 1/4" steel plate 12" above the cab for the amber strobe and a 400mhz NMO antenna on the right side of the strobe, I have my 56" PROCOMM antenna mounted on the left side of the strobe, it's way up high above the cab, bulkhead rack and booms, my SWR is at 1 - 1.1, elevation is key and I like my antenna high above any obstructions.
I've seen guys with their antennas mount way too close to the cab and way too low too and I don't think they realize the signal is bouncing back to the antenna and no ground plane.
You're correct, I see it all the time, wrong antenna and wrong location.
I'm perplexed at drivers spending one or two hundred on big coil antennas, rated for 10k, up to 25k watts! You know the brands. Some will co phase two, or just run one, but buy the other for some ocd need for symmetry. All that, while running a stock, barefoot 4 watt radio! Even a 300, 400, 10 meter radio, or 1000-1500 watt kicker doesn't call for all that. People get hooked into hype. I've used everything from cheap Francis, Cobra, Firestick, Wilson 2k and 5k, and a 102" whip behind my Pete, with everything from stock 29, to a 4 pill Ranger, to a 1200 watt Dave Made, and they all seemed to do the same job. Decent. The only rules I go by, is good ground, as flat swr as possible, and be able to handle twice the max transmit power. So, a stock 4-8 watt cb only needs a low watt antenna, tuned. A Francis is perfect. Yes, just a trucker's opinion, but I tried all types, and big coils do not make a little cb transmit further, louder, or recieve better necessarily. That has as much to do with internals, and tuning.
I've also seen co phased 102s on trucks, using the rear antenna brackets, with a small arm holding it to the rubber wing section, to keep it from flopping, with a tiny ball at the tip. Interesting set up. A lot of coax though.
As for 1/4, 1/2, 5/8 wave... I've heard the recieve of 1/4, and 5/8, with the 5/8 slightly louder, but the 1/4 much clearer, so not sure if all that matters for general highway cb use, as opposed to home base, or big amp skip shooting. Finally, I see this on pickups, comphasing antennas. Antennas ideally should be at least 8 feet apart. Pickups are too narrow. Use a single. Don't need two anyway with the low roof.
You got that right.
Excellent 💡 ideas
I'am Your Newest Subscriber Great Videos
Thanks for watching
Great video. I have never had a CB. I will be purchasing 2. 1 for a Dodge ram 1500 big horn and one for Jeep wrangler JK 2 door. What would the best antennas be for each of these?
I subbed and saved great info
Thanks for watching
Dodge Dakota 98 man this was Informative
Thanks, don't let anyone tell you there's a 1 size fits all best antenna.
francis your right plain simple antenna wire in the stalk and reasonably priced had several cb tuners say that
They usually are great right ot the box, and have a low swr without trimming when using 18' coax.
I'm newer to driving truck I have a 2023 frieghtliner cascadia and I recently bought a cobra classic ltd29 and a skip shooter antenna my question is does the antenna have to be grounded? I've heard so many diffrent answers and you definitely seem like you know what your talking about so I would to hear what you have to say thank you
I like the quarter wave wipe antenna .
The best CB antennas are the 1s that work, lol!
Put a lock washer on the firestik when you mount it….the base is not contacting the stud mount correctly….unless you use the firestik stud mount….the antenna and mount are tapered like a lug nut and it takes the stress off the threads….or just put a lock washer on it and done….I’ve run any length they make with lock washers with ZERO breaks….mounted 2 skip shooters the same way and broke both….all were mounted on a spring as well….all my mobiles unless roof mounted or center loaded Wilson’s are mounted on a spring….only breaks I had were 2 7’ skipshooters….that’s everything from procomm 2’ base loads to 108” whip….I have broken the cheap brass studs with Wilson 2000 before but changing to stainless studs stopped that….I also like the skipshooter but for some reason I have better results with firestik….both are great all around and hard to beat for the price
Thanks for making such great content!
Can anyone help me with this question.
I am thinking about getting an old CB radio for my car, nothing too serious, but with all respect to the community ofcourse.
I just think it will be interesting and add that Smoky and the Bandit cool factor to my car.
Only problem is, it would be pretty unpractical to have a 6 foot antenna sticking out from the top of my van, so my question is:
Are there any shorter antenna's available? Maybe something that is just two foot or something, more low profile. Will it work at all? I can live with having reduced range, but I do want to get some use out of it ofcourse.
Love the big fiberglass antennas but not very practical. Really happy with the Wilson 1000 base loaded antenna.
Exactly, the best antenna is not always the best for you or your application. Thanks for watching
I am a Skip-Talker for 50 years.
Radios I use that Kill it Consistently
Clear channel AR-3300 ( 100 watt version )
( incredibly clean in transmitting but also in recieving )
Ranger 2970 ( is 100 watts )
Indeed a decent radio..Not as good though as my AR-3300 ( but a loud and Proud type of radio )
Icom 706MKIIG .. an Absolute Killer radio and Most say is Much too good a radio to use on CB / 11 Meters
( this was radio I killed not just skip with at home and in car.. but also after a few months made me want to get my ham ticket..even though I use it still mostly on cb Frequency's)
Icom IC-7000 basically an even more improved version of 706MKIIG
Basically..
My AR-3300 and IC-7000 talk easy skip
But they can Hear at times further then I can talk
Where..
My 2970 and 706MKIIG if they hear it.
I Easily can Talk too it..
As far as Antennas go..
Mobile I find Both I-10k and MonkeyMade mobile antennas to be Excellent both for transmitting and recieving.. I mount where hatch meets roof or with mag mount center rear third of roof.
For Base...Interceptor I-10K Groundplane
( has a top hat too )
This thing Destroys All other Base antennas
( unless perhaps if you are willing to use a 5 element beam , but then you need a heavy duty rotor as well as a tower ) and is a Omni directional antenna that takes ones signal and basically compresses or squeezes the signal between the radials and Top hat.
Coax / feedline is Often forgotten or Ignored piece of Equipment...for car I use LMR-400 ( have even tried LMR-600 but a bit thick to use for mobile )
For Base I use Andrew's Heliax LDF5-50A
( for 2 meters through GMRS ) I use LDF7-50A
Mind you..most find it to heavy and expensive to work with...Yet I Assure you it is Well Worth it.
Audio Mike mobile Astatic M6 with Tone power mike.
Though Sometimes I use a Silver Eagle desk Mike for the AR3300 and 2970
For Base and Mobile for 706MKIIG and IC-7000 I use an Icom Desk SM-20 Mike..for Mobile Handheld HM-133 ( while driving )
Great video, looking to set up my first cb radio. I drive a 2008 columbia, want great coverage, what do recommend radio and antenna, I like the skip shooter. Thanks
The radio depends on budget really. You can get a used Cobra 29 tuned up for about $100, or go all out for a galaxy or ranger with 200+ watts and ssb for $600. Other than that, I'd run 1 new coax to the driver's side mirror, with a 6'-7' Skip Shooter, and definitely ground the antenna mount to the frame.
It All Depends..
I Too am a Skip-Talker for 50 years.
Radios I use that Kill it Consistently
Clear channel AR-3300 ( 100 watt version )
( incredibly clean in transmitting but also in recieving )
Ranger 2970 ( is 100 watts )
Indeed a decent radio..Not as good though as my AR-3300 ( but a loud and Proud type of radio )
Icom 706MKIIG .. an Absolute Killer radio and Most say is Much too good a radio to use on CB / 11 Meters
( this was radio I killed not just skip with at home and in car.. but also after a few months made me want to get my ham ticket..even though I use it still mostly on cb Frequency's)
Icom IC-7000 basically an even more improved version of 706MKIIG
Basically..
My AR-3300 and IC-7000 talk easy skip
But they can Hear at times further then I can talk
Where..
My 2970 and 706MKIIG if they hear it.
I Easily can Talk too it..
As far as Antennas go..
Mobile I find Both I-10k and MonkeyMade mobile antennas to be Excellent both for transmitting and recieving.. I mount where hatch meets roof or with mag mount center rear third of roof.
For Base...Interceptor I-10K Groundplane
( has a top hat too )
This thing Destroys All other Base antennas
( unless perhaps if you are willing to use a 5 element beam , but then you need a heavy duty rotor as well as a tower ) and is a Omni directional antenna that takes ones signal and basically compresses or squeezes the signal between the radials and Top hat.
Coax / feedline is Often forgotten or Ignored piece of Equipment...for car I use LMR-400 ( have even tried LMR-600 but a bit thick to use for mobile )
For Base I use Andrew's Heliax LDF5-50A
( for 2 meters through GMRS ) I use LDF7-50A
Mind you..most find it to heavy and expensive to work with...Yet I Assure you it is Well Worth it.
Audio Mike mobile Astatic M6 with Tone power mike.
Though Sometimes I use a Silver Eagle desk Mike for the AR3300 and 2970
For Base and Mobile for 706MKIIG and IC-7000 I use an Icom Desk SM-20 Mike..for Mobile Handheld HM-133 ( while driving )
It would be nice if you had a spreadsheet that you could pick your vehicle and it would tell you the best antenna.
Good idea, but too many variables.
I actually purchased a 7ft skipshooter after watching your video. One question I can't find an answer to is, if a 102" SS whip+spring is a 1/4 wave... how long and what wavelength is the wire coiled around the 7ft skip shooter. Forgive my ignorance if this is obvious to anyone here.
Thanks.
-Roadblock (Northwest GA)
My question about tuning, you would have to either bend the antenna or take it off to tune it bc you couldn’t reach the top of it while it’s installed
Not seeing the problem.
Greetings friends, I need your advice.
I have a station Alinco DX-10 and an antenna Santiago 1200, I have it at home, and since I do not have a chance to make a large assembly I bought a small metal stand and a magnetic base, the metal bracket attach it near the window with some Plastic flanges so that it is well suited.
My problem is that it is impossible to calibrate the antenna and make it go down Roe .. Just lower the Roe when I hold the magnetic base with your hand. So I think there should be a mass problem, any idea?
Thank you and greetings from Andorra
(Translated with Mr Google)
The link doesn't work..in the UK anyway. I was using 7' firesticks and also DV and DX 27's back in the late 70's. Those antennae with a coil in the base will always be beaten by a top loader. 6' Moonraker magmounts were good but very rare back then (and now?). You are lucky stateside, things are way cheaper than in the UK. Even a moderate steel whip antenna here will cost you over 40 bucks. I'm on ham radio since 1984 but CB 'twigs' still have their uses and I had a lot of fun on CB and learned a lot too. 73 and thanks.
Thanks for watching. I get them from antennapartsoutlet.com but check Skip Shooter website to see if you can get them in the UK. 73
I am a Skip-Talker for 50 years.
Radios I use that Kill it Consistently
Clear channel AR-3300 ( 100 watt version )
( incredibly clean in transmitting but also in recieving )
Ranger 2970 ( is 100 watts )
Indeed a decent radio..Not as good though as my AR-3300 ( but a loud and Proud type of radio )
Icom 706MKIIG .. an Absolute Killer radio and Most say is Much too good a radio to use on CB / 11 Meters
( this was radio I killed not just skip with at home and in car.. but also after a few months made me want to get my ham ticket..even though I use it still mostly on cb Frequency's)
Icom IC-7000 basically an even more improved version of 706MKIIG
Basically..
My AR-3300 and IC-7000 talk easy skip
But they can Hear at times further then I can talk
Where..
My 2970 and 706MKIIG if they hear it.
I Easily can Talk too it..
As far as Antennas go..
Mobile I find Both I-10k and MonkeyMade mobile antennas to be Excellent both for transmitting and recieving.. I mount where hatch meets roof or with mag mount center rear third of roof.
For Base...Interceptor I-10K Groundplane
( has a top hat too )
This thing Destroys All other Base antennas
( unless perhaps if you are willing to use a 5 element beam , but then you need a heavy duty rotor as well as a tower ) and is a Omni directional antenna that takes ones signal and basically compresses or squeezes the signal between the radials and Top hat.
Coax / feedline is Often forgotten or Ignored piece of Equipment...for car I use LMR-400 ( have even tried LMR-600 but a bit thick to use for mobile )
For Base I use Andrew's Heliax LDF5-50A
( for 2 meters through GMRS ) I use LDF7-50A
Mind you..most find it to heavy and expensive to work with...Yet I Assure you it is Well Worth it.
Audio Mike mobile Astatic M6 with Tone power mike.
Though Sometimes I use a Silver Eagle desk Mike for the AR3300 and 2970
For Base and Mobile for 706MKIIG and IC-7000 I use an Icom Desk SM-20 Mike..for Mobile Handheld HM-133 ( while driving )
And it's also best to tune your antenna by an analyzer not a meter you want a really low SWR you want a 1.5 and lower
Great video. How about using a heat gun on the CPVC?
It works
2020 Freightliner Cascadia I have mirror mount installed but not sure what antenna I should use let me know what you think
Pretty much any tall antenna with the coil at least half way or at the top. Not any antenna like the Wilson 2k
What antenna would you recommend for a 2016 Peterbilt 389. Currently it has dual Fire sticks that you see in every truck stop. I'll be upgrading the CB as well.
Most any antenna works good on those, if you have good ground
Exelent video *****
Hey man I just gave you a sub. You did say your truck is a Freightliner ?? I’m struggling to get a low SWR in my Cascadia so I’m going to try the 7 ft. SkipShooter. Will they ship something that long?? Also I seen a video you did a while back grounding your antenna on a Kenworth. On that next video can you show how you grounded it on the Freightliner?? I appreciate the info. New to this Freightliner and not liking it at all. Worst reception I’ve ever had in 28 years of driving.
Thanks for the sub! Yes, they will ship the antennas got mine by US Mail, but had to pick them up at the post office. I have not put my external meter on the new antenna yet, but on the radio I'm below 1.05 swr. I think you should also run your own coax just to the driver's side with the "bird perch" mount.
I have a Coronado same as Columbia, but different than Cascadia. In this truck in run my own coax. Here's that video th-cam.com/video/VWX9VZulIkI/w-d-xo.html.
Heres how I mounted my Galaxy th-cam.com/video/GK-BsLF5OZo/w-d-xo.html
Here's how I finally got a good ground th-cam.com/video/TqQ5KJsnw3s/w-d-xo.html
And here's what I came up with for better am/fm radio reception th-cam.com/video/3tv68Ol4_ko/w-d-xo.html
Here's how to make your own ground cable th-cam.com/video/9rzvfheIjpE/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching!
7 ft skip antenna is next the cab, the truck is in the way. Hight is might, get a 9" shaft coil antenna ,above the door window. These antenna that are mount on the lower mirror support is always bad, them some use a longer shaft on a center load, that reduces the envelope. Get mount the fits on the two small bolts at goes on that mirror that looks down at the steps. Get a light weight aluminum 9" coil antenna ,I favor the Big Cat Tran 9 on ebay for 37$. As Good as any Mr Big Show 150$ antenna.
@@lewisbrown7281 I actually did get that bracket your talking about but the issue I’m running into with that is grounding it. I’m running a 2 pill driving a 8 pill so grounding is real important. But this is most definitely the best spot. Still picking at it but still trying to figure it out the correct way.
@@244-badnews2 ok ,I have never run power in the truck like that. Had no experience with that. The braided ground is just from antenna mount. Regular heavy 12v battery cable on you radio / 8 pill . Uses glass inline fuses are quicker acting.
I have a Jeep Wrangler JK 2018, What size/height (3 or 4 foot?) above the jeep roof is good for a skipshooter antenna?
Thank you for your advice.
Whatever gets the top 2' of the antenna over the roof minimum.
What would be the best option for A 2016 Mack Granite tri axle dump steel body ? I do demo and paving and am in the trees from time to time also it's a company truck so I can not drill holes. I just upgraded to the quad 6 from A 980 and would like get out about 10 to 12 miles in the Philly area. Thanks
If I remember right the Mack antennas are mounted high on the mirror. I'd probably lean towards a 3' Skip Shooter with a Hustler spring. Not sure you'd get 10 miles consistently. You're just really limited for options.
Any heavy antenna like a skip shooter or a 5' firestik, add a 3' shock spring on the bottom, great for reception because 3' higher, and great for movement too, especially on big rigs, every antenna should have 1, worth every buck
Thanks
i have a 6ft. skip shooter antenna, installing it on a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia, I need a heavy duty mirror mount bracket , where can i get one at, that. will support this antenna, all the brackets i see are good for up to 5 ft. antennas, i any suggestions
There's one antenna he didn't mention and it's a full wave length and that is 102 inch stainless steel whip you could put it on a truck or a car but keep in mind it is a big antenna and this big antenna puts out some good signals because it is a full wavelength it comes with a spring and a ball mount I know there a little work to do when you mount it, but when it's all said and done and the right length of coax usually at 9 ft or 18 ft to give you a one to two match and as far as getting out you'll pick up two DBS more over the best antenna out there. Then go out and get yourself a Ranger they are one of the baddest radio you can find out there. Rci 99 n2
Look it up!
I am wanting that 99n2, damn good looking radio!
@@jrichtruckincbtips I got a old Cobra 19DX IV and I got a cheap mag mount someone gave me but what could I expect if I bumper mounted it and ran a 18ft into the cab. (idk if its needed but its a single cab long bed so the bed itself is 8ft)
@@jasonjr2500 you want the antenna to be as near to the center of the vehicle as possible. Without any other info, I wouldn't expect more than a couple miles of range.
@@jrichtruckincbtips well if I put it in the center of my truck it would stick almost 9 1/2. 10FT above just the roof and it would smack every single thing
@@jasonjr2500 it's a 10' mag mount? Or is it a 102" whip that's screwed in to a magnet? If the base is also the coil it needs to be above the vehicle. If it's a 102" whip, what about mounting it in the bed behind the cab?
Any thoughts on a predictor antenna I have looked at the Br- 77 and the Br-78 both are flat coil antennas and both seem to be well made. This would be mounted on my Kenworth tractor with at least a nine inch shaft. Your opinion would be appreciated. Thank you for posting your TH-cam videos.
What model KW?
@@jrichtruckincbtips 2020 kenworth T-680 no sleeper I have used Wilson and K-40 over the years and looking for something well made with a little better gain.
@@MrJefp2 the Predator and Browning antennas are great choices. However a 9" shaft is too short. A 20" to 24" shaft is the better option, as the coil needs to be above the mirror. Also grounding the antenna is key on the T680. I have a video on T680 coax and antenna grounding that can walk you through getting a good ground. Look through some of my oldest CB related videos to see what I did and used on the KW. Also I had great luck with 6' fiberglass Skip Shooter antennas.
I am a Skip-Talker for 50 years.
Radios I use that Kill it Consistently
Clear channel AR-3300 ( 100 watt version )
( incredibly clean in transmitting but also in recieving )
Ranger 2970 ( is 100 watts )
Indeed a decent radio..Not as good though as my AR-3300 ( but a loud and Proud type of radio )
Icom 706MKIIG .. an Absolute Killer radio and Most say is Much too good a radio to use on CB / 11 Meters
( this was radio I killed not just skip with at home and in car.. but also after a few months made me want to get my ham ticket..even though I use it still mostly on cb Frequency's)
Icom IC-7000 basically an even more improved version of 706MKIIG
Basically..
My AR-3300 and IC-7000 talk easy skip
But they can Hear at times further then I can talk
Where..
My 2970 and 706MKIIG if they hear it.
I Easily can Talk too it..
As far as Antennas go..
Mobile I find Both I-10k and MonkeyMade mobile antennas to be Excellent both for transmitting and recieving.. I mount where hatch meets roof or with mag mount center rear third of roof.
For Base...Interceptor I-10K Groundplane
( has a top hat too )
This thing Destroys All other Base antennas
( unless perhaps if you are willing to use a 5 element beam , but then you need a heavy duty rotor as well as a tower ) and is a Omni directional antenna that takes ones signal and basically compresses or squeezes the signal between the radials and Top hat.
Coax / feedline is Often forgotten or Ignored piece of Equipment...for car I use LMR-400 ( have even tried LMR-600 but a bit thick to use for mobile )
For Base I use Andrew's Heliax LDF5-50A
( for 2 meters through GMRS ) I use LDF7-50A
Mind you..most find it to heavy and expensive to work with...Yet I Assure you it is Well Worth it.
Audio Mike mobile Astatic M6 with Tone power mike.
Though Sometimes I use a Silver Eagle desk Mike for the AR3300 and 2970
For Base and Mobile for 706MKIIG and IC-7000 I use an Icom Desk SM-20 Mike..for Mobile Handheld HM-133 ( while driving )
Nyet, antenna is fine (102" stainless steel + tuner for non CB use). You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like (8 foot antenna mounted top of the roof of vehicle lol)
Hey J Rich good video what's the best skip shooter antenna for a 2003 Honda Odyssey, and how high should I go?
Skip depends more on the atmosphere conditions than the antenna. I'd get as tall of an antenna as you can handle.
@@jrichtruckincbtips I live in new England north east Rhode Island so what would you recommend?
interesting video- I'm curious about the firestik type top loaded coil antennas. all the really smart commenters insisting 8.6 ft stainless whips are the best aren't wrong, but living with one absolutely sucks- it hits everything. everything is a compromise
See, you get it, the 102" is not always the best choice. And, the 102" is a 10 meter antenna you would also need a ball mount and spring to get it past 106" for 11 meter. The Firestik and Skip Shooters are a good choice on certain applications as well. I have also talked with Big Rig Radios out in Phoenix AZ he has developed a 5', 6', and 7' top load fiberglass antenna with Firestik that he claims is superior to the fiberglass antennas on the market.
i took my wilson 1k of my truck because it hit everything. i would forget about it. then bang, scraaapppe.
I used to have a wilson i think it was a 1000 or 5000 on top of my van but when i stopped somewhere i took it off and put 102 inch steel whip on it and the signal improved drastically two solar cycles back i was talking to a guy in Australia with just a hundred watts with the wilson and he gave me a 5'7 and then i switched to the 102 in and it went up to almost 20 over!
Stryker antennas make perfect boat anchors
So say you.
How far from the back of my cab should I mount skip shooter dodge pickup.?Wanting to mount it in the center behind the cab.
Hey j rich, I’m new to ur channel, love the videos keep em coming
I have a cobra 29 lx chr le
I used for day cab 2007 KW T8000 awhile back, monster truck by the way, now I’m back in the truck which is 2015 mack Cxu613 sleeper, comes with the antenna mount in the mirror which I hate so much so, I decided to have double antennas I mounted them on top of the mirror arm but it’s coated black does that effect the ground? And I have 2 2000 Wilson’s and I’m not looking to spend any money on diff antenna, I need to work what do u think regarding ground plane and coax length ?
I am not a fan of dual antennas, as the SWRs are higher, and the bidirectional pattern vs the omnidirectional pattern of a single antenna. However you'll need 75 ohm co-phased coax, which will come 18' on each side. You'll probably need to ground the mount to the door, then I recommend RF bonding the cab. Then you'll need someone to properly tune both antennas. Watch this on RF bonding
th-cam.com/video/J6PJyw6jh2M/w-d-xo.html
As of now I got the one antenna on the passenger side with 18’ coax and the swr is 3 decimals way below the 1.5, to be clear it’s only when u key the mic ? But once I start talking while it’s on swr it goes full blast as I was keying on s/rf is that normal
@@hannaransport I'd stay with the 1 antenna. I believe you need good ground to the mount. The SWR should not raise when talking.
So I checked my connects again now on swr while im talking it’s one decimal over 2 is a better ground gonna make that stay below 1.5
@@hannaransport if the antenna is above the ground plain, then yes the ground should help it.
What do you recommend on the new Peterbilt 579s with the dual roof mounts?
what kind of antenna would u suggest for a 2007 jeep wrangler 4 door? considering i dont have alot of metal to use for a magnet mount..i will be mounting on the rear where the spare tire is on a mount
If it were my Jeep I would use a Skip Shooter antenna. You will need to get coil (top half) above the roof line, so probably 4' or 5'. You can get them cheap from antennapartsoutlet.com
@@jrichtruckincbtips thanks..ill check them out
Something different. I have a sirio snake antenna. But the blade is broken. I haven,'t the top part anymore. Do you also have such an antenna and can you measure for me the blade. Thanks Grz E
No, I sure don't.
Getting back into cbs again last time I used a cb I was 16 I just picked up a Wilson 5k center load it’s going on a 2000 Dakota thinking of mounting it as high as I can on the bed rail since I don’t care for mag mounts I’ll be useing a cobra 19 ltd till I get a galaxy with side band or a connex Raido the better radios are hard to find as of right now was thinkin of makeing a bracket to mount the Wilson on so it’s higher then the cab of the truck any ideas will help
Coil needs to be above the roof, preferably in the center of the truck, and ground, ground, ground.
@@jrichtruckincbtips guess I don’t have a choice but to use a magnet mount then
I got a 2020 international lt and my antennas are on the back of the cab what kind of antenna should I get or should I change location of the antenna if I can on this truck
I would change the location to the driver's side mirror with new coax, and leave the factory coax intact because some trucks use the cb antenna for am/fm radio reception also. Walcott has a mirror mount for the Prostar and Lonestar part# PCA60 and use LMR 240 ultraflex or RG8X for the coax.
Putting a CB in my 4dr sedan. I'll be putting an antenna on a lip mount on my trunk lid, centered at my rear glass. Radio is a Uniden Pc68 peaked, tuned and aligned . What antenna do you recommend? Middle of the road as far as cost please...
I'd be looking at a Sirio base load or mid load antenna.
I used a K40 lip mount on a '79 Caprice. Worked OK back in '79.
what is the best antenna for a 2000 land cruiser with a Rhino Rack mounted on the original roof rail. I want to mount it on the rack on the either the rear right or left
As tall of an antenna as you can stand, I like the Hustler SCB for a short antenna at 4.5' . I'd prefer to have the antenna as close to the center of the vehicle as possible.
What antenna do you recommend for someone who has a semi truck that is as tall as the trailer? I currently pull dry van and drive a Volvo 780. I’m not using the factory mounts due to them just not working.
I'd use a bird purch off the mirror bolt. If mounted high a Hustler or Browning mid load. If mounted low I'd call Big Rig Radio in Phoenix AZ and get one of his long shaft Predators or one of his 7' fiberglass antennas.
@@jrichtruckincbtips I currently have a perch set up. My current antenna is similar to the Browning antenna you mentioned. Should keep pointed straight up into the air? Or should I angle it downward like a see on a lot of other rigs that are driving down the highway?
@@cweber9112 that depends on the SWRs. Check with an external meter and see if the swr gets lower with some forward tilt.
I got a 2015 freightliner cascadia looking to change my antenna system. Looking at the skip shooter but aont sure what lenght to get amy suggestions
The 7' Skip Shooter and the mount that most every cb shop has for the Cascadia. It will also require a lot of grounding, which I have a video on grounding the Cascadia.
@@jrichtruckincbtips thxs I'll see if I can find that video
So I got a question for you. what about heavy equipment. I run a 980m cat loader and have a very hard time hearing the trucks that I load, and they say the same about not hearing me. Are cigarette lighter12v outlets a bad power source? I have firestick on mag mount on the fender but surrounded by the guard rails. I'm upgrading to a cobra 29 nw ltd radio. But should I try to get a better antenna mounted up higher through the plastic cab roof???
Heavy equipment can be tough. If the antenna is surrounded by other objects, it's probably getting reflection. Check all connections and maybe a taller firestik is the answer.
'06 F150 with flush fiberglass camper cover. Which would you suggest..... 4-6 ft cab center mag mount or 6-7 ft SkipShooter on back bumper/ with bumper grounded to frame?
Mag mount
I've talked 10 miles with my Wilson 2000s on my peterbilt 579! I've noticed the fiberglass semi cabs don't reflect a whole lot
I hear ya, I'm just not a fan of the Wilson's I think there's better choices for the money.
True! But I'm also from Canada and somethings shipping from the USA costs more the the antenna it's self!😂 Wilson's I can buy locally!😁
What are your thoughts using dual 4' Firestik antennas mounted on springs on the mirrors?
Don't really care for springs unless they are needed for a little extra height or on something like a dump or log truck, where you are in the trees a good bit.
2003 Dodge Ram 1500, going to run a peak and tuned cobra29, not sure what antena to get, roof mag or one that bolts up to the fender
Also what type of coax? Are there different thicknesses?
I like a mag mount, I've used wilson 5k with good results. People say the Stryker Sr a10 is great. I know the Stryker uses 18' of RG8X coax which is a good coax. You can also use a bolt on mounted antenna. I prefer to mount it at the front of the bed, and center of the cab. This will mean you need an antenna with the coil above the cab, also grounding the antenna to the frame. For this the LMR 240 ultra-flex is the best coax, and RG8X being second choice.
Remember to tune the SWRs with an external meter, don't rely on the Cobra meter.
Any chance you know which antenna and mount to use on a 2010 chevy silverado 2500hd extended cab WITH a fiberglass canopy? I'd prefer not to drill holes into the bumpers. Currently running a Wilson Little Wil Magnet. Oregon coast driving mountains.
If I out a 102 whip where is the most practical place to mount it? Is it even practical for a daily driver?
The 102" whip is a great antenna, but you'd be looking to bumper mount it ,having a camper top. I'd probably stick with a mag mount on the cab roof, and a lot of people like the Stryker SR A10. I should have a video out in a couple weeks comparing the Wilson to the Stryker mag mount. I just need time to do the install.
@@jrichtruckincbtips appreciate it. Maybe I'll wait. I was just about to buy a 7ft skipshooter with the hood mount. I smacked a couple trees with my Wilson little wil yesterday and was constantly worried about it falling off so figured with a 7fter I'd feel more comfortable with a fixed mount.
If I was to go with the 7ft skipshooter for the hood mount on my truck what mount would you use? Would you recommend a spring coil for the bottom or just leave it as is unless my swr is untunable?
Also currently rocking a uniden pro 505xl and am looking to upgrade that as well. Are ssb CBS worth going for or should I just stick with a simple cobra Nightwatch or something similar? Also (sorry a lot of quedtiond) is the peaked and tuned option worth getting off eBay or just buying a stock Amazon cb?
Also (again I'm sorry) which Coax would you recommend? Is it important to get the sometimes recommend 18ft or just whatever I need to reach my cb?
@@Belmork You lose at least 1 db for every item you put above the mount.
I’m in a w900 with two 4ft Francis on now but was giving two Wilson 2000 trucker antenna is it worth swapping out running a Texas ranger tre 797
The Wilson's are almost 1' taller so don't be upset when the stingers get bent up. But, you should get a little better performance if tuned properly.
Thanks for the information on the antennas, I like to experiment with antennas as well. I hit all your buttons, and a thumbs up. Stop in sometime. Dirty Diaper 21, Old Radio Night.
Thanks for watching
Do you just hook up the Francis and go or do i need to calibrate the cb radio. My SWR right now is a .5 ?
The Francis is supposed to be used with 18-19' of coax and usually swr is even.
I recently got a Stryker SRA10MM Magnetic Mount for use with my Stryker SR-955HP for vehicle mount. Was this a good choice?
Yes sir!👍
@@jrichtruckincbtips Thanks, Bud...
I have twin Wilson 2000 Trucker antennas on my Kenworth dump truck.
The masts are so tall that they bent and eventually, they break because I'm always hitting trees.
Can I put shorter masts on? Say, Cab height?
I don't need to transmit or receive more than a 1/4 mile.
Thanks
Yes that should be fine just check swr.
What would you use for a 2022 international? With a cobra digital cb.
What is the best antenna for a car I'm a ex truck driver and a volunteer firefighter and would like to have a CB in my vehicle on my car for my calls for accidents to let trucker know what's going on
A Tram, Wilson 5k, or Stryker SR A10
Eilson is really. Good too
I just put a 4’ firestick on my 24 freight shaker