Looking for info on an indoor antenna for a CB base station

[Mobilman44]

Hi,
While I regularly use my Uniden sds200, I've recently got the bug to hook up my Cobra CB and make it into a base station.

So I set it up with a Radio Shack power supply and hooked up a standard magnetic base car antenna to it. Well, the results were dismal.

The unit is in my hobby room on the second floor of a two story here on the outskirts of Houston. The majority of any CB traffic would be on I-45, which is 2 miles east of me. Obviously the antenna has its work cut out for it.

Anyway, I then strung up the antenna on an attic rafter, and of course the reception was better, but not good at all.

I did some rookie research and found a Firestick IBA5, which may do a much better job. But they run about $120 and I hate to spend that money if there is only minimal improvement.

So obviously, I'm looking for advice/comments from you all, and I thank you in advance!

 

[mmckenna]

What sort of ground plane do you have under the antenna?

 

[Mobilman44]

Right now, I have none - just the magnetic based antenna that normally would sit on the roof of a vehicle.

As I understand (???), the firestick does have 4 horizontal extensions that may act as a ground plane.

 

[mmckenna]

A ground plane would help.
You can use any conductive material to make one. Just make an X pattern under the antenna base. Each side needs to be 108 inches long. You can use wire, aluminum foil, sheet metal, etc.

Indoor use it going to be hampered, however. Getting the antenna up high and out of the house will help quite a bit.

 

[Dog]

I have one of these on the ground outside my window. It was supposed to be temporary but it has worked "well enough" for my needs so far. Should work ok indoors if that is your only option.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X3D6TG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Mobilman44]

Thank you for the replies!

An outside antenna is just not an option, leaving me with the attic of this 2 story house.

The Firestik IBA5 appears to be my best attic antenna option.

To "mount" it, my thought is to hang it (thin cord) from a point on a peak rafter. This would leave it suspended in thin air, similar to what I did with the Omnix scanner antenna.

This begs the question: Will it be a significant improvement - or am I wasting time and money?

Obviously I'm a newbie when it comes to this stationary antenna stuff, although at one time (like 40 years ago), I was a bit of a CB "guru" when it came to vehicles.

Thanks again!

 

[doctordialtone]

This begs the question: Will it be a significant improvement - or am I wasting time and money?

Just an opinion based upon experience, but I estimate that you'll be able to transmit / receive at a range of about 10 to 15 miles.

If the people you communicate with are in your neighborhood - go for it!

 

[dave3825]

The Firestik IBA5 appears to be my best attic antenna option.

This begs the question: Will it be a significant improvement - or am I wasting time and money?

Only one who can make that call is you as everyone's environment and variable's are different. Looks like the one on Amazon offers returns if the return policy works for you.

 

[mmckenna]

The Firestik IBA5 appears to be my best attic antenna option.

Sounds like it is.

Really easy to make that yourself and save a lot of money. 3-4 pieces of wire, 108" long connected to the antenna base and stretched out across the attic. Use the antenna you already have.
In fact, with full 108" long radials, it'll probably work better than what ever loaded radials they are using on that antenna.

 

[Radio-Man]

Indoor antennas are a tough situation but an attic mount would do wonders for you. Just be aware of metals in or around the roof area and be sure to provide a good ground plane. 108" would be best but do what you can and it should improve your output.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Not ideal but for my father I installed the TRAM 1499 base station antenna in his attic. Its about 4' tall and cost $40.00. He uses it to listen to the loggers in the area.

 

[Mobilman44]

Thank you all for your advice and comments. I have to say I'm questioning myself as to whether I want to continue with an unguaranteed install or just put the CB back in the closet for another day. Frankly, considering my distance from the highway (2 miles) and the many houses in between, I'm thinking it just won't work - or work anywhere near how I would like.

Thanks again!

 

[2IR473]

All my antennas are in my attic. The peak of the attic roof is over 9’, so I currently run a 1/4 wave ground plane CB antenna.
You can make a 1/4 wave ground plane out of wire and an SO-239 female chassis mount connector, if you have that type of height in your attic. The radials will have to be more like 90° than 45°, but that is part of the compromise of an attic antenna. I still have a nearly flat SWR across the 40 channel band.

In decades past, I had used the Firestik IBA-5, but it was not satisfactory for my needs (and now, the price is too much money for the “performance”). The radials are too short for 27 mHz. It’s been so many years now, I can’t give an honest appraisal of it, but since I didn’t keep it, it means I didn’t like it.

I tried a Tram 1499 3’ CB antenna. I think it is sold under some other names as well. It worked out to a couple of miles. I live in rolling terrain, so it performed ok for it’s size. If you want to transmit on this antenna, you have to use approx. 50’ of coax, as the coax is the other half of the antenna, otherwise your SWR will be poor, and will negatively impact your transmissions.

I also have a 102” whip in the attic, but I use that for the HF amateur bands, since it is threaded into 5:1 balun at the base, with some radial wires running out from there. But if you can fit that in your attic, it could be ok as well. The ground plane does better however, in my case. It all depends on how much height you have available in your attic, so I offer a few choices.

To address your question of “will it work”, a lot of compromise antennas will “work”, but they will be less effective than a real installation. I have worked e-skip on 10m and 11m with my attic ground plane antenna. There is even a K8MRD livestream youtube video in which I worked him on 10m from my attic antenna on my 20 watt Xiegu G-90, and he is in TX and I am in PA. Band conditions are your friend.

 

[slowmover]

CB antenna in attic