Compact CB antenna?

[slowmover]

Don’t know why it might be difficult to convince an Okie on the road-traveling virtues of CB with tallest antenna given the adrenaline excitement one can hit west of Oklahoma City.

When he can see the distant tower red clearance lamps lit during daytime — and streetlights coming on — that man wants every mile, hell, every yard, of TX/RX distance he can get.



Been “selling” this outstanding tool linked next to my neighbors as we’re on the edge of Plains weather.

MyRadar | Keeping you ahead of the storm

Mobile Weather and Radar App for iOS, Android and Windows

myradar.com

And this highway atlas as the level of detail is greater. Know the main roads.

2025 Motor Carriers' Road Atlas

Our newest and most updated edition of the popular road atlas for truckers is here! The 2025 Motor Carriers' Road Atlas features fully updated road maps.

randpublishing.com

My 102” pair hasn’t ever been stored flat, they’ve always been bent into a partial curve. (5-6/years?).

The W640 whip + NMO34 can be removed from the car when not traveling. I don’t leave my road-trip 10K insidethe truck. I use the Texas 1800 around town.



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[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

I have a couple of weather apps and I'm linked into the National Weather Service via some of the amateur radio repeaters in the area. I have a pretty good heads-up when foul weather is brewing. But you're not wrong -- with tornadoes, knowing sooner is better.

 

[slowmover]

Took this just now.

“Normal” day for this time of year.

The quality of the moving map is the thing.
My professional pilot son already said he used it as it’s obviously better than others (a consensus among peers).

Zero in or out. I use it to trip plan 5-600/mile days.



I’ve used it to come to a stop south of Lubbock, TX, at the only possible windbreak. 50-yards accurate.

Had confirmed running towards storm line with regional/local drivers as that was the ONLY possible stopping point.

They were NOT 1-2/miles away.

Many examples exist of hazard avoidance. Drunk drivers running wrong way at 75-MPH, a flatbed just lost a load of 36” diameter steel pipe, . . . WAZE, etc., aint there till it’s too late.

I’ve used those dumb-guy apps to know what they’ll soon be doing. How re-routed. And then I find the re-route avoids that second cluster-f.

One needs his unmet brothers and cousins to advise likelihoods.

RadiOddity QT80 should be at the other end of the coax (equivalent performance example).

HF is its own world. Nothing else like it.
Get the rig that makes all aspects enjoyable, too.

The Basement Barney’s never go anywhere and never see anything. Mobile ain’t their thing. But SSB and talking Skip on empty channels; what base station antenna choice, etc, are where they’ve their dominoes lined up.

HF is two worlds on Citizen Band.

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[EAFrizzle]

And if the weather REALLY gets bad, and covers a large enough area, your apps won't help you. You may not even get alerts from your provider. Ask just about anyone on the Gulf coast.

Phones and apps are fantastic resources  before the weather throws a fan onto your compost pile. Once it hits, you'll likely need other resources. A CB with weather channels is a good one to have. Something like the quad5/6||QT60/80 can be even better if your local Public Safety agencies are on VHF analog.

When you come from an area that you can expect a steel-toed boot to the teeth every five years or so from the weather, you get kinda gun-shy and fanatical about storm prep. Radio becomes a big deal after the first few days without power in a two-week outage.

Use whatever antenna you're happy with for every day use. If you can talk to who you want to, then it's a good antenna for you.

Even though it might not fit inside your car, or look silly on top, and couple of steel whips stashed in the garage or a closet is a fairly inexpensive upgrade in an emergency.

 

[EAFrizzle]

And I have to give two thumbs up to the MyRadar app. It's easy to use and has tons of usable features.

 

[slowmover]

And if the weather REALLY gets bad, and covers a large enough area, your apps won't help you. You may not even get alerts from your provider. Ask just about anyone on the Gulf coast.

Phones and apps are fantastic resources  before the weather throws a fan onto your compost pile. Once it hits, you'll likely need other resources. A CB with weather channels is a good one to have. Something like the quad5/6||QT60/80 can be even better if your local Public Safety agencies are on VHF analog.

When you come from an area that you can expect a steel-toed boot to the teeth every five years or so from the weather, you get kinda gun-shy and fanatical about storm prep. Radio becomes a big deal after the first few days without power in a two-week outage.

Use whatever antenna you're happy with for every day use. If you can talk to who you want to, then it's a good antenna for you.

Even though it might not fit inside your car, or look silly on top, and couple of steel whips stashed in the garage or a closet is a fairly inexpensive upgrade in an emergency.

I may have a dipole style of antenna in a tree just outside at some point. But it’s not available to me during bad weather as my home is also a mobile installation. (Lightning risk).

Conversely, the 102” whip atop the pickup roof ain’t ideal, but it’s now tuned & available to use radio from my pickup. 16’, not my usual 13’.

The pleasure of using CB comes from being able to have a conversation at high speed that goes thru 2-6/exchanges (desired norm).

About the most one can hope for beyond traveling together is a twenty-mile stretch of road where different direction of travel allows a 10-15/minute open window on the Interstate.

Sideband then becomes viable as “coincidence” has it that one of you just departed an area to which the other is traveling and he needs to know what’s been learned to successfully make his way.

Universe learns you can be a useful SOB, things’ll come your way.

HP Big Truck CB is a visibly invisible world about which the 99% know nothing.

A few years back during BLM city riots I was in one conversation discussing alternative East-to-West routes with others more than 100-miles out from the next major metro.

How many E-W Interstates will we have to stairstep? From here, what’s the diagonal going NW that’s also a good road (not slow) to reach far enough north to proceed on another Interstate without likely incident?

Tactics are fun. Logistics of such is to each driver to figure. Luck favors the prepared. (Enough fuel, food & drink to make the long diversion is always aboard. No need for a restroom, etc).

For some men, where to stop to spend the night on those US or State Highways. For others, any old fashioned diners? Etc.

Nothing beats local knowledge.

5’ is the minimum to get into the game. An NRC radio with some watts is the other. The pair makes one worthy of splitting attention from road to be of help. I can’t pull over without difficulty & risk. What sign have you given its worth those?

This CB equivalent below I can easily ignore.

9’ is the thing. 7’ stays upright at speed, not corkscrewing around (on roof it’s better than a 9’ anywhere else). 5’ is pushing performance luck to lowest denominator, IMO.



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[slowmover]

Edited last.

Linked thread covers this idea: Minimum Investment High Performance.

Best Mobile 2025

A general: what should I recommend to friends who want high performance in Citizen Band? Let’s ballpark it at $500 entry. Will last longer than the time they own the automobile. Seatbelts, Concealed Carry, and CITIZEN BAND. This thread aimed at YOU, not the guy who knows even less. However...

forums.radioreference.com

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[slowmover]

Key post from that thread (man who started from Bat Radio and shirt hanger antenna):

Post in thread 'Best Mobile 2025'
Best Mobile 2025

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