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Need help badly on cb antenna

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jazzenut

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Mar 8, 2011
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I just got my Cobra 148 GTL CB, had it installed in my pickup, just temporary I am using a inadequate antenna,,I live in the Joliet, Illinois area,,,WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THE BEST ANTENNA FOR MY UNIT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WHARE CAN I HAVE MY UNIT TUNED UP TO THE ANTENNA????? I am new to this and REALLY NEED HELP, PLEASE, Thanks to all for the help,,,,,I cannot find any business in or near Joliet, Ill that can do this, unless I'm looking the wrong way-----PLEASE, I REALLY NEED THE HELP HERE, I'M NEW TO THIS.------looking for that place that can tune my CB-----------also I was told that the Wilson 5000 magnet mount antenna would be good for my unit--or will it be????????????????---frustrated
 

mpddigital

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Messages
103
Location
SW GA - 30 years South of Atlanta
OK, I'm going to give you the number one absolutely correct answer to all your radio, antenna and coax questions.

IT DEPENDS.

Best antenna for CB, it depends, mobile or base, how much do you want to spend, skip or just down the road, directional or Omni?

By an antenna that fits what you want to use your radio for. Use the shortest length of good 50 ohm coax you can and use an antenna designed for CB use. Do this and tuning will not be required to get it to work fine.
 

gewecke

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
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I just got my Cobra 148 GTL CB, had it installed in my pickup, just temporary I am using a inadequate antenna,,I live in the Joliet, Illinois area,,,WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THE BEST ANTENNA FOR MY UNIT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WHARE CAN I HAVE MY UNIT TUNED UP TO THE ANTENNA????? I am new to this and REALLY NEED HELP, PLEASE, Thanks to all for the help,,,,,I cannot find any business in or near Joliet, Ill that can do this, unless I'm looking the wrong way-----PLEASE, I REALLY NEED THE HELP HERE, I'M NEW TO THIS.------looking for that place that can tune my CB-----------also I was told that the Wilson 5000 magnet mount antenna would be good for my unit--or will it be????????????????---frustrated


Just connect the antenna and be happy! :) Cb is not rocket science.


n9zas
 

mass-man

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Sorry you are frustrated. Couple of things. You do NOT tune the radio to the antenna...the antenna is tuned to work with your radio. That said, almost ALL CB antennas come tuned and ready to use. Mag mounts are OK if you want a temporary setup. They can blow off if you drive fast into a hard wind...if you hit a low hanging branch or garage top, etc. The best is an antenna permanently mounted to your vehicle, in the center of the roof. Front of the trunk is next if you can't do the roof. But you will not get the best results behind you as you travel. I would go to a large truckstop there in the Joliet, IL area and ask a trucker about a local CB shop. The truckers are the last mainstay of the CB business. Do not get frustated, stop, read some previous posts here and go find a truckstop. None of us knew much about CB, or scanners when we started...
 

acepilot340

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Joliet, Illinois
A Wilson 1000 mag mount is the best option for beginners like yourself. They can be picked up at any Pilot/ Flying J for like $25. Then to tune the antenna you will need a SWR meter which measures the efficiency of your antenna. They can be picked up on Ebay for about $20 + shipping.
 

mass-man

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Tech-Nine Technologies
15948 S Vine Ave, Harvey, IL 60426
(708) 331-2722 ‎

Found this fellow via the internet...one good review of his work with CB radios...
 
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Here ya go

I just got my Cobra 148 GTL CB, had it installed in my pickup, just temporary I am using a inadequate antenna,,I live in the Joliet, Illinois area,,,WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THE BEST ANTENNA FOR MY UNIT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WHARE CAN I HAVE MY UNIT TUNED UP TO THE ANTENNA????? I am new to this and REALLY NEED HELP, PLEASE, Thanks to all for the help,,,,,I cannot find any business in or near Joliet, Ill that can do this, unless I'm looking the wrong way-----PLEASE, I REALLY NEED THE HELP HERE, I'M NEW TO THIS.------looking for that place that can tune my CB-----------also I was told that the Wilson 5000 magnet mount antenna would be good for my unit--or will it be????????????????---frustrated

Get a Wilson! Done.One of the best antennas I ever used,k40 is also good.
The antenna works fine from the factory ,i wouldnt waste money on a meter ,just keep antenna away from metal,
 
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SCPD

QRT
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Feb 24, 2001
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0
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Virginia
your 148 has a built in swr meter, read the owner's manual, my personal favorite is my 102" steel whip
 

freqs

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warren michigan
I have a Cobra 148 and a Wilson 1000 Mag Mount .
Now for me the only way to go is mag mount I have more than 1 car so I switch from car to car with my set up and dont want to mount it in the roof .The 148 has the built in SWR meter .even a Wilson 500 or the lil Wilson for around 25 - would be good for you they are alot cheaper in price than the 1000 or 5000 are $70 - $90 .as far as a place that works on them some Truck Stops have Radio Tecs at or near them but most of the guy's that work on mine are word of mouth and have a shop in thier Garage or home .
 

Daniel_Boone

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The metal under the magnet is the ground plane.
The ground plane then becomes the entire vehicle.
That is the reason for mounting it in the middle of the vehicle - not the middle of the roof.
When you move the antenna from the center of the vehicle to the edges - you create nulls and voids which cannot be filled and hence you loose reception and transmit capabilities.
 

Ensnared

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A Wilson 1000 mag mount is the best option for beginners like yourself. They can be picked up at any Pilot/ Flying J for like $25. Then to tune the antenna you will need a SWR meter which measures the efficiency of your antenna. They can be picked up on Ebay for about $20 + shipping.

$25 for a Wilson 1000? I've never encountered such luck. I owned one and it cost much more than this.
 

Ensnared

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I have owned a Wilson 1000 & K40. The K40 is still working. I threw the Wilson in the trash. Based on my personal preference, I prefer having a stinger that does not easily bend. I prefer the K40 stinger.
 

Ensnared

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You know, I bought one of these at a Pilot. When I attempted to tune it, it would not comply. I never want an antenna that needs trimming. Other people have had better luck. My preference remains with K40. I heard that there is a K30 similar to the Lil' Wilson.

Don't get me wrong, the 1000 was a well-made antenna; however, the bent stinger drove me nuts.
 

acepilot340

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Messages
210
Location
Joliet, Illinois
You know, I bought one of these at a Pilot. When I attempted to tune it, it would not comply. I never want an antenna that needs trimming. Other people have had better luck. My preference remains with K40. I heard that there is a K30 similar to the Lil' Wilson.

Don't get me wrong, the 1000 was a well-made antenna; however, the bent stinger drove me nuts.

Oh, I'm not saying the Wilson's are awesome, I just think for a beginner that you don't want to spend a lot of money on a rig. If you get into it and like it, go buy a nice K40 or my personal favorite, Larsen 27 NMO.
 

vdubb16

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Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Messages
124
Location
Havelock, NC
IF YOUR NOT BUYING EVERYTHING NEW, USE A METER!!!. Even then there are defects and accidents, better safe then sorry. especially if your new to this. Do it right, if you want to throw money away, ill pm you my address ill take cash and or money orders. I dont know what you mean by "inadequent antenna" but you could be treading on thin ice. Ive had success with the wilson lil wil and wilson 1000, the 1000 magnet holds at 85mph interstate speeds. 5000 is of no gain on a barefoot radio.

My suggestion:
Run the power straight from the battery. "Fused"
Wilson 1000 or K40
SWR meter, even if its a cheapo radio shack, buy a new one, youtube for a demonstration on how to use it if you dont know how. They arent the best most accurate meters, but its close enough to know whether antenna/groundplane is sufficient. and if there is any feedline issue.

you'll need a jumper "short piece of coax" to go from radio to the meter.
DONT BUY THE RADIO SHACK COAX
Site Disclaimer - Custom CB radios
Ive bought some from here, or find some of the same elsewhere.

Thats the start. it'll get you talking. alot of people get turned away from the hobby by making mistakes off the bat. costing them money. Some of us that have been into it for alil while sometimes tend to forget when we first started. and back then, you just didnt know, until you learned the hard way. or you were forwarned.
 

ZigZag747

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Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
65
Location
Georgia
Look on the web for sparkys cb..he is close by, have dealt with him for years..top notch


Sparkys CB Shack is the Nation's Choice for CB Radio
DOCTOR

Agree, Al is great! I get most of my stuff from him...Highly recommended. As for your questions about the antenna...I have found that Wilson antenna's (1k and 5k's) work best on most vehicles, close to flat SWR readings on all channels...pretty much "plug n play"...recommend centering the antenna on your roof for best results...RadioShack as a 100w/SWR meter that works decent, not the best but will work for most CB'ers that are only running stock radio's and antenna's.
 

Ensnared

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$25 for mount?

A Wilson 1000 mag mount is the best option for beginners like yourself. They can be picked up at any Pilot/ Flying J for like $25. Then to tune the antenna you will need a SWR meter which measures the efficiency of your antenna. They can be picked up on Ebay for about $20 + shipping.

I am confused as to the price of the Wilson 1000. When I bought the package, it included the base with coax and stinger; however, I paid around $70 or more. This did not include the magnetic mount I bought.

I know people swear by the Wilson 1000, but I did not like mine and ended up throwing in the trash. Why? That is the flimsiest stinger I've ever encountered. If you are prone to go under awnings, parking garages, etc. it bends quite easily. If cosmetics don't bother you like myself, get one.

I have been running the same K40 for over 15 years now. I used to have problems with the plastic base breaking when I would hit the aforementioned obstacles, but I have learned to go slower. On the other hand, my driving slow still bent the 1000.

Both of these antennas are pricey, but worth the money. The Wilson 1000 performed beautifully as does the K40.

That is my opinion.

DWW
 
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