Mobil CB Radio Antenna.

[Allan_Love_Jr]

Hi everyone.
I'm looking for some ideas to mount a CB Antenna for my pickup. I want to install a system on my tool box in the center of it. Any ideas? I would love to see your CB Antenna set up on your truck just to give me some ideas. I am getting away from magnets. Thanks,Allan.

 

[Quarks]

Hi everyone.
I'm looking for some ideas to mount a CB Antenna for my pickup. I want to install a system on my tool box in the center of it. Any ideas? I would love to see your CB Antenna set up on your truck just to give me some ideas. I am getting away from magnets. Thanks,Allan.

The very best performing antenna for you is 102" steel whip mounted in the center the roof.
Or you can make a plate and mount it above the back window. The plate can be attached with pop rivets.
If the length bothers you then use a 4 foot fiberglass whip, it wont get out as good and the bandwidth will be narrower compared to the steel whip. You can unscrew the fiberglass whip and use the steel whip whenever you want to.
If you like camping by the lake, and want to DX while you are the there, use the steel whip and park close to the edge of the water, take a piece of tin flashing 1' by 4' or larger put the +&- of one end of your booster cables on it, put +&- of the other end of your booster cables on the negative post of your truck's battery, and and submerge the piece of tin in the lake. You will get allot of gain in the direction of out across the lake, so for example, if you are parked an the north end of the lake you will have gain to the south. Then announce to your contacts that you have just put your thing in the water.

 

[jonny290]

The very best performing antenna for you is 102" steel whip mounted in the center the roof.
Or you can make a plate and mount it above the back window. The plate can be attached with pop rivets.
If the length bothers you then use a 4 foot fiberglass whip, it wont get out as good and the bandwidth will be narrower compared to the steel whip. You can unscrew the fiberglass whip and use the steel whip whenever you want to.
If you like camping by the lake, and want to DX while you are the there, use the steel whip and park close to the edge of the water, take a piece of tin flashing 1' by 4' or larger put the +&- of one end of your booster cables on it, put +&- of the other end of your booster cables on the negative post of your truck's battery, and and submerge the piece of tin in the lake. You will get allot of gain in the direction of out across the lake, so for example, if you are parked an the north end of the lake you will have gain to the south. Then announce to your contacts that you have just put your thing in the water.

An old (all-metal) radiator with most of the paint gone works for this, too. Lots and lots of surface area, which is what gives you the good RF ground.

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

Thanks guys.
I am gonna get the 102" whip Antenna. I am gonna install it on my Tool box.

 

[N1508J]

Just make sure!

Thanks guys.
I am gonna get the 102" whip Antenna. I am gonna install it on my Tool box.

Make sure that tool box has a good RF ground!!!!! In other words, how is it mounted? Is it mounted with bolts and washers to the body and no paint scraped off the body where the hardware fits? Or did you run a short piece of 1 or 2" inch braid from the tool box lid to the body of the truck scraping off paint and using starwashers with the attaching hardware? Notice I said the lid since its attachment points are horrible electrical/RF grounds. Otherwise, you MAY find screwy RF & SWR readings initially or over time as hardware attachment points rust! Also, find a rubber ball or tennis ball to slip over the whip so it doesn't beat to death the cab as it swings back and forth!

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

Make sure that tool box has a good RF ground!!!!! In other words, how is it mounted? Is it mounted with bolts and washers to the body and no paint scraped off the body where the hardware fits? Or did you run a short piece of 1 or 2" inch braid from the tool box lid to the body of the truck scraping off paint and using starwashers with the attaching hardware? Notice I said the lid since its attachment points are horrible electrical/RF grounds. Otherwise, you MAY find screwy RF & SWR readings initially or over time as hardware attachment points rust! Also, find a rubber ball or tennis ball to slip over the whip so it doesn't beat to death the cab as it swings back and forth!

Got it all planned. Thanks.

 

[hoser147]

If your going to go that long it had better have a spring on it. I got a Wilson 5000 ontop of my truck. Went thru the drive thru and cleaned the florescent lights off the ceiling,:lol: Glass everywhere. The owner a freind just laughed about it and B@tched as we swept it up. The next day he had wire mesh covering all of them...................Hoser

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

If your going to go that long it had better have a spring on it. I got a Wilson 5000 ontop of my truck. Went thru the drive thru and cleaned the florescent lights off the ceiling,:lol: Glass everywhere. The owner a freind just laughed about it and B@tched as we swept it up. The next day he had wire mesh covering all of them...................Hoser

LMAO. LOL That is the funnest this I have ever heard. I know the feeling. Every time I go through the bank drive through my K40 bangs on the ceiling.
Or should I say.....crapes.

 

[hoser147]

Speaking of drive thru Banks If someone behind you is being a dic, keyup as your leaving he will be waiting longer. You tend to notice those scrape marks after ya been thru there a few times.................H:wink:ser

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

Speaking of drive thru Banks If someone behind you is being a dic, keyup as your leaving he will be waiting longer. You tend to notice those scrape marks after ya been thru there a few times.................H:wink:ser

LMFAO.

 

[OpSec]

Use a base-loaded 1/4w NMO mount antenna, like the Larsen NMO27....works great with a good ground plane, and is only ~51 inches

 

[jonny290]

The spring comment is a good one. 102's are actually meant to be used with a spring - they resonate too high otherwise. I normally skip a spring and just keep a 6" tail clipped to the top.

 

[key2_altfire]

If you mount the whip on your tool box, you might consider getting a short mast so the base of the antenna is at the cab's roofline or higher.

1. Better radiation pattern
2. Easier on VSWR
3. Whip won't bang against the cab (forget tennis balls)

 

[jonny290]

If you mount the whip on your tool box, you might consider getting a short mast so the base of the antenna is at the cab's roofline or higher.

1. Better radiation pattern
2. Easier on VSWR
3. Whip won't bang against the cab (forget tennis balls)

That'd be an improvement, but at that point you'd have a better RF ground plane by just going ahead and drilling for a mount right in the center of your roof.

I probably wouldn't put a 102 at roof level on a full size truck, though - that's just way too high and I don't trust old, sagging power lines with cracked insulation. Something like a K40 whip would be good on top of a roof.

 

[rescuecomm]

On a full sized pickup, a 48 inch antenna is about it. As others have stated, you will be slamming the 102 inch antenna on a lot of things. Parking garages are real bad on long antennas. You might need a tie down to keep from ripping it loose when you back up. If the top of your truck is above 6 feet tall, a 102 inch antenna tip will be right at 14 feet. Too high for residential areas in most areas because the city's don't trim branches up that high.

Bob

 

[LEH]

One thing with mounting the antenna on your tool box. Do you open it up? Make sure you have clearance to do so.

 

[Raven95150]

I used to have the exact setup you are talking about. Unfortunately, I dont have any pics of it. I had the 102" whip mounted in the center of my tool box, I mounted it with a gumdrop type mount and put an old circular saw blade on the bottom side to reduce the sheet metal flexing. This was the type of tool box with 2 lids that open independently with a section in the center that doesnt move. If you have a tool box with a single lid, this wont work so well because the antenna will hit the cab when the lid is opened.

 

[Raven95150]

Too high for residential areas in most areas because the city's don't trim branches up that high.

I have trimmed plenty of trees with my 102" whip. Hasn't hurt it yet.