Why do I need this?

[GoNavy]

I keep seeing CB antennas touting they can handle 2000 watts or 3500 watts...5000 watts etc...why do I need this if the legal limit of a CB is 4 watts, what advantage do I gain for running a 5000 watt verses a 2000 watt capable CB antenna.

 

[gewecke]

I keep seeing CB antennas touting they can handle 2000 watts or 3500 watts...5000 watts etc...why do I need this if the legal limit of a CB is 4 watts, what advantage do I gain for running a 5000 watt verses a 2000 watt capable CB antenna.

There is no advantage for having those overgrown fishing poles on your car,unless you like hitting overhangs and lights! A simple wilson 500 mag mount or a larsen nmo 27s will work just fine!
n9zas

 

[wyomingmedic]

It's all about making money. If I can sell some basic CB antenna for $20, then I can plaster a huge logo all over it saying "5 bajillion watts" and sell it for $40. And folks will buy them up.

There is a huge misconception (even on here) that antennas are "powerful" and have some magic ability to create power. So folks buy a cheaply made but overproced antenna with huge chrome parts (read up on the effect of chrome and "the skin effect") that could BARELY handle 500 watts in real life. NOT TO MENTION they all have either cheap RG-58 or 8X which would disintegrate almost instantly at the power these antennas claim to be rated for.

Plug in a CB and a junk 200 watt amp and then they brag about talking 3 or 4 miles.

The truth of the matter is that ALL mobile CB antennas (with the exception of full 1/4 wave whips) are loaded, physically shortened models that are a compromise. A delicate balancing act is played by antenna designers as they try to battle the forces of resistance and come up with an antenna that actually works.

So unless you are having problems melting the tips off your 50KW transmitting antennas high in the Andes (which would evaporate even the most robust CB antenna), it is all marketing hype.

WM

 

[GoNavy]

There is no advantage for having those overgrown fishing poles on your car,unless you like hitting overhangs and lights! A simple wilson 500 mag mount or a larsen nmo 27s will work just fine!
n9zas

Well actually I have it on a big truck, two of them, one on each mirror, I am hitting tree limbs anyway no matter what I put up there. I was just curious and thought some one might know why these antennas keep coming out with more and more wattage. Even the one you just mention has 500 watt capable, still CB's are just 4 watts, seems like over kill.

Even IF I decide to run an illegal setup and put in a connex board or what ever, probably only going to add another 20 watts or so. I know of no one running a CB with a 5000 watt power board...lol...jeez I was in the Navy and our radios hardly put out more then 100 watts and I could talk to people a 1000 miles away. I don't need to know about bears that far away..lmao

 

[n5ims]

Lots of this is simply because they are sold to folks that don't know better and will buy the stuff. To them, it's obvious that an antenna that will handle 1000 watts must be way better than one that will only handle 50 watts and since it'll handle 200 times the power it must be worth only 10 times the price! The fact that the 50 watt one is actually twice as good as the 1000 watt one doesn't matter, since they don't understand those numbers.

 

[CherokeeSlim]

The basic CB antenna can also be matched to a 10 meter Ham rig. Linear amplifiers can be used to boost the power as high as you can get it. Not legal in the really high powers but they used to be common. A 500 watt CB amplifier was used buy many truckers back in the day. You cou;d even buy them at some truck stops.
Cherokee Slim
KC4IHO
HK3IHO (but expired years ago)

 

[N8GXZ]

Yea same here, I've talked the world on 50-100 watts , I've been on the CB bands during skip and wonder how anybody hears anybody !! One big pile up ..get a ham ticket and enjoy the world , and please dont bring CB to ham .

 

[TheJerk]

As previously noted, its primarily marketing...bigger is better, the reason I use a 102-inch whip!

Sometimes, like in the case of the Wilson 1000 and Wilson 5000, they have slightly better components...I know that there is a real world difference on the radio end between a 1000 and 5000 having owned many of both.

But I've also seen Wilson 5000s (and all the attached equipment) fried with a lot less then their advertised ratings. I almost want to remember the Wilsons are rated for those power levels on SSB, where there is no carrier to generate heat?

 

[kb2vxa]

"...bigger is better, the reason I use a 102-inch whip!"
Seems to me that's not the real reason since it is a false assumption, read on.
"But I've also seen Wilson 5000s (and all the attached equipment) fried with a lot less then their advertised ratings."
Hmmm, sounds to me you blew one with an amplifier which of course is a splatter box, an alligator, illegal and could get you in trouble, the FCC being the least of your worries.
"I almost want to remember the Wilsons are rated for those power levels on SSB, where there is no carrier to generate heat?"
You almost want? You need to learn about carrier power and duty cycle. Since there is no carrier with SSB the rule is 20% duty cycle which is 80% less than full carrier power; 100% duty cycle. Bottom line is SSB DOES generate heat, only 80% less of it than full carrier and AM generates 4 times more than carrier at 100% modulation. What you really want to forget is advertising hyperbole.

 

[TheJerk]

"...bigger is better, the reason I use a 102-inch whip!"
Seems to me that's not the real reason since it is a false assumption, read on.
"But I've also seen Wilson 5000s (and all the attached equipment) fried with a lot less then their advertised ratings."
Hmmm, sounds to me you blew one with an amplifier which of course is a splatter box, an alligator, illegal and could get you in trouble, the FCC being the least of your worries.
"I almost want to remember the Wilsons are rated for those power levels on SSB, where there is no carrier to generate heat?"
You almost want? You need to learn about carrier power and duty cycle. Since there is no carrier with SSB the rule is 20% duty cycle which is 80% less than full carrier power; 100% duty cycle. Bottom line is SSB DOES generate heat, only 80% less of it than full carrier and AM generates 4 times more than carrier at 100% modulation. What you really want to forget is advertising hyperbole.

I was simply stating observations...which you turned into an attack of character. What I stated wasn't wrong, period. And you wonder why you can't get more people into the Ham radio scene Mr. wc954kdfl5rt45674. If you would apply half of your egotistical chest thumping into a more discussion oriented post, then I might think of giving you some respect.

And no, I really don't care if they ban me from this forum...they can get someone else to support it next year.

Have a nice day.

 

[Ensnared]

But, Wilson makes a cheap & flimsy stinger. You can fart crooked and bend it.

 

[RadioDaze]

But, Wilson makes a cheap & flimsy stinger. You can fart crooked and bend it.

As a "semi-retired psychotherapist", you must certainly realize what a loaded statement that was!

 

[Ensnared]

Well, to quote Freud, "sometimes, a cigar is only a cigar." Good one. LMAO.

 

[RadioDaze]

Well, to quote Freud, "sometimes, a cigar is only a cigar." Good one. LMAO.

And to quote Bill Clinton, "Are you gonna smoke that?"

 

[reedeb]

I've used K40's, Wilson 1000, AND 5000's. I still prefer the good ole 102"steel whip. Recieved and transmitted better and farther then anything else.

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

K40 Antenna.

I've used K40's, Wilson 1000, AND 5000's. I still prefer the good ole 102"steel whip. Recieved and transmitted better and farther then anything else.

I have use my K40 Antenna for well over 15 years now and have not one problem. Sure those 108 inch whips are the top of the line. But there also the most popular of being stolen too. My Dad had his stolen off his truck. For reasons I have no idea.

 

[canav844]

Same CB math as making the 4W PA output drive 2 100w capable radio shack PA speakers and actually thinking you're using 200w worth of power to make sound.

 

[kb2vxa]

"I was simply stating observations...which you turned into an attack of character. What I stated wasn't wrong, period. And you wonder why you can't get more people into the Ham radio scene Mr. wc954kdfl5rt45674. If you would apply half of your egotistical chest thumping into a more discussion oriented post, then I might think of giving you some respect."

You make it so obvious why people call you The Jerk and CB Child's Band when you think I made a personal attack and you counter attacked my character. BTW, who the heck is "Mr. wc954kdfl5rt45674"? FYI cursing in print goes something like this... &$^*%#@@(&.

"And no, I really don't care if they ban me from this forum...they can get someone else to support it next year."
You surely need a "time out" and with any luck we'll both get one, only I freely admit I need one as you may rightly assume this to be a personal attack and well deserved IMO. Why? Methinks you need a good slap upside the head after your remarks, especially considering that going "up top" gives you a distinct advantage no matter what antenna you use. You live in Reading so don't tell me you don't know where up top is.

"Have a nice day."
I always have a nice day after giving some child a good smack he well deserves. Don't bother carrying on, after saying what needed saying I say no more.

 

[DX949]

"I was simply stating observations...which you turned into an attack of character. What I stated wasn't wrong, period. And you wonder why you can't get more people into the Ham radio scene Mr. wc954kdfl5rt45674. If you would apply half of your egotistical chest thumping into a more discussion oriented post, then I might think of giving you some respect."

You make it so obvious why people call you The Jerk and CB Child's Band when you think I made a personal attack and you counter attacked my character. BTW, who the heck is "Mr. wc954kdfl5rt45674"? FYI cursing in print goes something like this... &$^*%#@@(&.

"And no, I really don't care if they ban me from this forum...they can get someone else to support it next year."
You surely need a "time out" and with any luck we'll both get one, only I freely admit I need one as you may rightly assume this to be a personal attack and well deserved IMO. Why? Methinks you need a good slap upside the head after your remarks, especially considering that going "up top" gives you a distinct advantage no matter what antenna you use. You live in Reading so don't tell me you don't know where up top is.

"Have a nice day."
I always have a nice day after giving some child a good smack he well deserves. Don't bother carrying on, after saying what needed saying I say no more.

Your just a long winded bitter old man Warren.

 

[Coffeemug]

More or Less Watts right to use ?

I keep seeing CB antennas touting they can handle 2000 watts or 3500 watts...5000 watts etc...why do I need this if the legal limit of a CB is 4 watts, what advantage do I gain for running a 5000 watt verses a 2000 watt capable CB antenna.

Well You don't more 4 watt if you're out in great out door and you a good groundplane. It is true that the legal limit is 4 watts, but you maybe able to get away with 10 watts no more, if you don't tkey up and start use fowl langue or sing. That's what gets some folks in deep with the FCC. Back in the late 40's and early 50's the Amateur's lost the 11 meter band to truck drivers and other who want be able get out with out taken a exam. However. by the early 1980's the FCC should have kept the licensing requirement, this way they could track who's doing what and where. No one needs more then 10 watts on a 40 channel SSB mobile CB radio.

Catcha on Flip side

Adam
KB3JCP HA / WQAI363 ZA
P.S. Go with either Wilson 1000 or K-40