Wilson Antenna Reviews

NYRHKY94 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 12:09 PM

Hi Guys:

I picked up a nice condition Uniden PC68XL at a local flea market for a whopping $5 :-) Now, I'd like to pair that with one of the Wilson antennas for when we take family trips etc. I would be interested in hearing from the folks on this forum about their experienece with the Wilson line and which model you would recommend, i.e. Lil Wilson, 500, 1000, 5000.

I'm not sure whether I want a mag mount or a trunk lip mount at this point.

Thanks in advance!

majsingh · #2 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 05:30 PM

My advice is to go with the 1000. The Lil Will is a nice antenna but because of it's size you will not receive as much nor get out as far as a 1000 or 5000. The 5000 would be a waste of money unless you plan to push a big amp with the rig. The 1000 will still work well with many amps (check total watt output against Wilson 1000's power handling specs...) and will get out and receive better than the Lil Will.

To maximize your results, have your rig peak and tuned and check SWR when installing

CommJunkie · #3 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 07:56 PM

If you're only going to use it when you're on a road trip, great receive isn't nessecarily a priority. A Lil' Wil will get you decent reception while you're on the highway. And it's easier to store, without having that huge whip in the trunk when you're not using it.

Highlander_821 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 08:37 AM

Another vote for the Wilson 1000. A proven, durable, good performing antenna. Magmount is OK, but fixed mount is better.

hoser147 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 11:07 AM

For on a car I prefer the Lil will, on a truck its the 1000. Just one word of advise the 500s on up are prone to theft.......

2beers4me · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 01:13 PM

I have a 1000, and a Lil' Wil. The Lil Wil is not even close to the 1000 performance wise. If you don't mind the length, and size the 1000 is for you. The Lil' Wil is more low profile, and would be fine if your just looking to talk, or listen on 19 for local info. Basically I can talk about twice the distance on the 1000. It's my understanding that the 5000 is the same antenna as the 1000 with a bigger base, and will handle more power.

n9emz · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 01:48 PM

If you're unable/unwilling to run a 102" steel or 5/8 wave fiberglass whip, I've found the Wilson 1000 magmount to be the best alternative. Note that body mounting the W-1000 offers no significant advantage unless the vehicle is RF bonded, which should be done in any case for optimum performance.

After trying every "miracle" antenna that's come down the pike over the last 40 years, I've kept 6 in my arsenal; 3 of them are for HAM Band/HAM-CB operation. For HAM-CB they are:

Little Tarheel II (80-6 Meters)
102" Steel Whip w/Vertex FC-40 Auto-Tuner (80-6 Meters)
Set of Shark Tunable Whips (80-10M)

For CB and or 10M operation in order of preference:

102" Steel Whip
106" Francis Amazer 5/8 wave Fiberglass Whip
Wilson 1000 MagMount
Hustler HQ-27 (hood gap mounted)

Note that I run 200 watts maximum output.

73.

lieut25 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-10-2009, 08:51 PM

I have owned two wilson 1000 mag mounts for the past 15 years. They have never failed me yet.

NYRHKY94 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-12-2009, 01:14 PM

Guys:

Thanks to everyone for their replies & great feedback. It's appreciated! I ended up going with the Lil Will magnet mount, due to my personal circumstances. I will only be using the CB on intermittent family trips and just want to have a 1-2 mile receive & transmit "if needed". I also wanted a low profile solution that could easily be removed.

In addition, given that I scored a nice condition Uniden CB for only $5, I wanted to keep the total cots of ownership to a minimum. While the Wilson 1000 definitely looks like the best choice for regular CB use, my limited use situation didn't justify the extra expense & whip length.

P.S. I got a new Lil Wil from Thomas Distributing for $22. It was the best price I found.

Thanks again!

n6tgk · #10 (**permalink**) 05-15-2009, 12:42 PM

Be careful with the Wilson antennas. Apparently, they recently went the way of other businesses here in the U.S. and started having China make the antennas for them. From what I'm hearing, the quality went down the crapper.

n9emz · #11 (**permalink**) 05-15-2009, 03:05 PM

Thanks for the tip. If that's the case it doesn't present a problem because the market's flooded with the originals. In that I've had mine for 9 or 10 years and it still works fine, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a used one if another was needed.