where did you mount your CB antenna on your 40?

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nicholastheczar

nicholastheczar

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I had originally mounted my 4' firestik cb antenna on my rear bumper / tire carrier on the lower bumper part. It was grounded well but my SWR was crazy high. I finally gave up trying to tune it and took it to a local shop that I bought the stuff from. He told me I had too much reflective interference coming off of the body and that I couldn't mount the antenna on the back of the cruiser unless I moved it away from the body by 10" or more. I ended up having to move it to the inside of my front bumper. The only time I plan on using my CB is trail runs. I don't really like where it is mounted and I have a quick detach on it so I will just run my antenna when I'm trail running and take it off the rest of the time. I wanted to see where you guys mounted your CB antennas?

Nick
 
On my Man-A-Free swing-out jerry can basket. The reason it's difficult to get good SWR on the back of a 40 (in my experience) is the lack of ground plane, not "reflective interference". Some antennas are more forgiving of poor ground plane than others. So far, I have been able to get a Wilson Flex and a Firestik Firefly to tune-up satisfactorily back there, right next to the tub/hard top. You do need to get some of the antenna protruding above the top of the hard top to get any range though.

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I took my cruiser yesterday to Clays Radio shop in your neck of the woods, Weatherford. I had about 10" above my roofline but he was saying that due to how close it was to the side of the hardtop (about 3"). I asked him if I could mount it on my jerry can carrier like you did and he said no, because it wouldn't ground properly. He swapped out my 4' firestick for a different model 4' firestik and was able to get the SWR to around 1.3 with it mounted on the front bumper. I just wish it was on the back.

nick
 
nicholastheczar said:
He swapped out my 4' firestick for a different model 4' firestik and was able to get the SWR to around 1.3 with it mounted on the front bumper. I just wish it was on the back.
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I bet it was a Firestik Firefly. I bought mine from Clays.
 
nicholastheczar said:
It is a Firestik II
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OK, I'm surprised Nick. The Firefly is what he sold me for my rear basket mount and it tuned up decently if a bit fussy on the exact millimeter of length.
Nothing else except a Wilson Flex would tune up back there, and it broke after a couple of wheeling trips.
 
1911 said:
OK, I'm surprised Nick. The Firefly is what he sold me for my rear basket mount and it tuned up decently if a bit fussy on the exact millimeter of length.
Nothing else except a Wilson Flex would tune up back there, and it broke after a couple of wheeling trips.
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What length of antenna are you running now? I may try and move it to my basket like you have yours. Mine is 4'. He said I wouldn't be able to get it to ground because of the swing out arms and the spindle / bearing not allowing a good ground. I'm sure th 4+ rear bumper / carrier that you have utilizes the same design?

Nick
 
nicholastheczar said:
What length of antenna are you running now? I may try and move it to my basket like you have yours. Mine is 4'. He said I wouldn't be able to get it to ground because of the swing out arms and the spindle / bearing not allowing a good ground. I'm sure th 4+ rear bumper / carrier that you have utilizes the same design?

Nick
Click to expand...

4', I get about a foot of it (with most of the wire windings) above the hard top roof line. I ran a braided ground strap from the aluminum mount straight to one of the door hinge mounts, with enough slack to be able to swing out the basket.
 
1911 said:
4', I get about a foot of it (with most of the wire windings) above the hard top roof line. I ran a braided ground strap from the aluminum mount straight to one of the door hinge mounts, with enough slack to be able to swing out the basket.
Click to expand...

I may try moving it and see what I get as far as SWR. I'd much prefer having it mounted on the back of the rig.

nick
 
My old ARB bull bar provide a plate for CB antenna-pass side and i add another plate for my dual band antenna:banana:
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