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Antenna recommendation based on location of antenna

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tip

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Will be installing CB Radio/Antenna in/on my pickup truck. Antenna mount is located at the left rear of the pickup (at tailgate). Looking for recommendation of an antenna that will perform well in that position. Here is a pic of the mount I will be using... thanks.

89388
 

mmckenna

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What is your tolerance for large antennas?

What will work best is a 102" 1/4 wave whip. But on a truck like that, it looks pretty odd. An 8 1/2 foot long whip antenna banging around gets old after a while. In the old days, people use to tie them down, but that will impact performance.

You can use shorter/loaded antennas. Trouble with mounting it there is you have a lopsided ground plane. Ideal location is center of the roof, but looks like that's not what you want.

Personally, after 30 years of messing around with this sort of stuff, I gave up on consumer grade antennas. When I use a CB (rarely), I use a Larsen NMO-27. It's a base loaded whip. The one I use is nearing 30 years old and still works like new. It's a base coil about 3" tall and a 47" or so long thin whip antenna. Won't stand out much. The whip is very flexible, so it'll take off road type abuse well.

Firestick seems to be popular amongst some CB'ers, but I never liked the thick fiberglass antennas. Those that have them seem to like them.
 

slowmover

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There are guys using 102” whips tied down and getting out hundreds of miles on skip. But not the same mount or location.

Rear quarter on pickup needs a BREEDLOVE mount that’ll handle a tall and high wind-load antenna (whatever you use).

Same supplier NMO mount at roof center with a Larsen or Laird 27Mhz is a better GP setup.

Antenna needs to be above the greatest amount of metal. No band aid can correct this.

There are big trucks with guys running 500W who can’t get out as well as a retired granny in a minivan with a permanent roof mount rig.

The mount location is first. Nothing else comes close in importance.

Your current choice is near bottom of the list.

The Install Bible is:

www.K0BG.com

For CB it’s a whopper. Just pull on the waders and read ANTENNA MOUNTS as your start.
 
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