Hey I'm looking for a CB antenna that is under 2ft without a mag mount preferably in NMO. I looked at firesticks but I cant add the extra height to my truck. I found a small 8 in one at a local electronics shop. I think it would be useful for the type of communications I want (simple cross town sub 2 miles). its being mounted in the steakholes of my truck.
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Short CB antenna
- Thread starter jr3792
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BrettL
Member
Ever consider a piece of wire and run it contour to the back windshield. Poke it in between the glass and weather stripping. It will be hidden. It may be a headache to tune.
Harley Davidson uses 13'' antennas on their bikes. There is also a 24'' version. When it comes to CB the bigger the antenna the better.
2 EuroStyle (13-inch) ANTENNA Masts - Harley Davidson
OR: http://www.amazon.com/TruckSpec-Solarcon-Tunable-Antenna-Magnet/dp/B0009Y88EW
With a stock CB radio and factory set modulation 2 miles you should be ok until the "skip" starts coming in and taking over.
Harley Davidson uses 13'' antennas on their bikes. There is also a 24'' version. When it comes to CB the bigger the antenna the better.
2 EuroStyle (13-inch) ANTENNA Masts - Harley Davidson
OR: http://www.amazon.com/TruckSpec-Solarcon-Tunable-Antenna-Magnet/dp/B0009Y88EW
With a stock CB radio and factory set modulation 2 miles you should be ok until the "skip" starts coming in and taking over.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Antennas need to be "resonate" to work properly. Making an antenna resonate at a given frequency is a very specific thing. On the CB radio band, 1/4 wavelength, or about 108 inches, is an ideal length. It will radiate RF energy efficiently.
Of course 108 inches is just too long for most mobile installs. To trick the antenna into being physically shorter and still being resonate, the manufacturer will install loading coils somewhere on the antenna, usually at the base, but sometimes near the middle. These loading coils make the antenna look shorter physically, but also make them long enough electrically to provide a proper match.
Anything under a 1/4 wavelength long is going to be a compromise. Finding 3 - 4 foot long antennas is pretty easy. An 8 inch tall antenna is going to be way to short to work, even over 2 miles. On top of that, mounting it low behind a truck cab is going to hamper performance even more. Not only will the cab block the signal, the lack of a proper ground plane is going to severely reduce performance.
Probably the easiest way to do this is to use a magnetic mount antenna and just remove it when you need to. Expecting an 8 inch tall antenna to work effectively on CB is going to be verging on the totally impossible.
As for an NMO mount, good choice, can't get more standardized than that. You can get a Larsen NMO-27 antenna. It'll have an NMO mount, but will be close to 4 feet long. They work pretty well given a proper ground plane. I've used those on top of pickups before.
I guess another option would be to mount the full 108 inch whip on the rear bumper and bend it over and hook it to the cab. Used to be a pretty popular method back in the 1970's.
Of course 108 inches is just too long for most mobile installs. To trick the antenna into being physically shorter and still being resonate, the manufacturer will install loading coils somewhere on the antenna, usually at the base, but sometimes near the middle. These loading coils make the antenna look shorter physically, but also make them long enough electrically to provide a proper match.
Anything under a 1/4 wavelength long is going to be a compromise. Finding 3 - 4 foot long antennas is pretty easy. An 8 inch tall antenna is going to be way to short to work, even over 2 miles. On top of that, mounting it low behind a truck cab is going to hamper performance even more. Not only will the cab block the signal, the lack of a proper ground plane is going to severely reduce performance.
Probably the easiest way to do this is to use a magnetic mount antenna and just remove it when you need to. Expecting an 8 inch tall antenna to work effectively on CB is going to be verging on the totally impossible.
As for an NMO mount, good choice, can't get more standardized than that. You can get a Larsen NMO-27 antenna. It'll have an NMO mount, but will be close to 4 feet long. They work pretty well given a proper ground plane. I've used those on top of pickups before.
I guess another option would be to mount the full 108 inch whip on the rear bumper and bend it over and hook it to the cab. Used to be a pretty popular method back in the 1970's.
Thanks for the information. I am always surprised how helpful people can be on this site. I like the short because its already close fitting my truck in a parking garage so anything longer really isn't an option. does anyone have any experience with this one (DAS SF200K | K40 2' Superflex Tunable Fiberglass CB Whip Antenna, Black) I need to do my own research but you have pointed me in the right direction thank you.
BrettL
Member
Yes that K40 is a decent antenna. It should have the nail at the top you can move up or down to tune the swr to the lowest point. Some versions come with a threaded piece at the top which is much easier. Just give it a twist. It will perform your 2 mile as you want. If you can put it ontop of your cab in the center it will perform it's best in that location.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Flexible steel/stainless steel whips will bend. Fiberglass rods don't.
I used to use those fiberglass antennas until I started realizing how easily the thin wires wound around them would fracture. They work fine for awhile, then you realize that they aren't performing very well. A check with the SWR meter will show them suddenly way off.
They're fine if they never strike anything. You can add a spring, but they'll only do so much.
After realizing that, I switched to the whips and never had another issue. I don't run CB anymore, haven't in a long time, so maybe things have changed. That's just what I learned back in the 80's/90's. The last CB antennas I ever ran were all Larsen NMO-27's mounted right in the middle of the truck cab roof. They'd occasionally strike tree branches or the occasion parking garage (if I forgot to remove them), but I never had a failure once I switched.
You can only shrink antennas so far. The laws of physics cannot be cheated, and there is no magic pixy dust that will fix it. The short stubby antenna might work just fine for short range, but I suspect you'll be disappointed. Using an antenna that is physically too short and mounting it in a less than ideal location is just stacking the deck against yourself.
If you give it a try and it works, that would be great, let us know...
I used to use those fiberglass antennas until I started realizing how easily the thin wires wound around them would fracture. They work fine for awhile, then you realize that they aren't performing very well. A check with the SWR meter will show them suddenly way off.
They're fine if they never strike anything. You can add a spring, but they'll only do so much.
After realizing that, I switched to the whips and never had another issue. I don't run CB anymore, haven't in a long time, so maybe things have changed. That's just what I learned back in the 80's/90's. The last CB antennas I ever ran were all Larsen NMO-27's mounted right in the middle of the truck cab roof. They'd occasionally strike tree branches or the occasion parking garage (if I forgot to remove them), but I never had a failure once I switched.
You can only shrink antennas so far. The laws of physics cannot be cheated, and there is no magic pixy dust that will fix it. The short stubby antenna might work just fine for short range, but I suspect you'll be disappointed. Using an antenna that is physically too short and mounting it in a less than ideal location is just stacking the deck against yourself.
If you give it a try and it works, that would be great, let us know...
Hey jr3792
I'm going to tell you right now that a mini antenna behind the cab is going to work like crap. You may be able to talk a very short distance if the conditions are right and it will not be loud and clear like you probably expect. The general rule of thumb if not mounting the antenna to the roof is to have 2/3 of of the length extend above the cab.
I would get a proper antenna like a Wilson 1000 and have the cb shop tune it. The difference between this and a 2' stick behind the cab will be staggering.
I'm going to tell you right now that a mini antenna behind the cab is going to work like crap. You may be able to talk a very short distance if the conditions are right and it will not be loud and clear like you probably expect. The general rule of thumb if not mounting the antenna to the roof is to have 2/3 of of the length extend above the cab.
I would get a proper antenna like a Wilson 1000 and have the cb shop tune it. The difference between this and a 2' stick behind the cab will be staggering.
Little Willie is best
Little Willie is a good starter antenna. Spend the extra money and get something beefier though.
I had read a perfect review before buying the product. Check here for Best CB Radio Antenna
Little Willie is a good starter antenna. Spend the extra money and get something beefier though.
I had read a perfect review before buying the product. Check here for Best CB Radio Antenna
prcguy
Member
In the late 1970s and early 80s there were two antennas on the market that turned the vehicle body into a CB antenna and specifically into a "slot antenna". There was a little box with two tuning capacitors and a wire you would stretch across a window like the rear window in a car or truck and a large side window in a motor home. The tuning box would ground to metal on one side of the window and the wire would ground to the other side.
These antennas did not work as well as a good roof mounted one but did work better than most short antennas mounted in compromised locations like being discussed. I've seen these antennas show up on Ebay cheap under the name brand "InTenna" and another name I forget. I have one example of each brand left over from installs in the 1970s.
These antennas did not work as well as a good roof mounted one but did work better than most short antennas mounted in compromised locations like being discussed. I've seen these antennas show up on Ebay cheap under the name brand "InTenna" and another name I forget. I have one example of each brand left over from installs in the 1970s.
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