I have a closet where CB antenna's go to die

[niceguy71]

I have several spare antenna's ... nice to let friends try out different antenna's and try my little Radioddity CS-47... so this weekend I played with a couple... I decided to store them and get them out of the way..... I put them in a closet I haven't opened for 30 years..... back in the day I tried EVERY antenna that people said worked good.... nothing ever got me more than a couple miles... if that!
so I pulled out and started counting them.... 26 antenna's from the 80's and 90's...... I was a very young man and started trying to get a good working CB when I was 16 and got my drivers license.... I think I have one of every Radio Shack CB antenna's they ever sold... even a 102 fiberglass whip.
I see a K-40 that I mounted on a Stainless Steel L bracket that I think I mounted to a pick-up truck bed rail or maybe on a light bar I used to have on my 4X4's roof.
I see a 6 foot red one that I don't remember what it is??? I put in a picture of it....
I even put a picture of the only communications system I could get working back then

back in the day all I had was Radio shack to ask what I was doing wrong and they would just sell me another antenna.... Thank Heavens for Radio Reference... I've learned more here in a year, than I did in 43 years of life.

so I have been trying to get a good working CB since I was 16... and now that I'm retired I finally got one!

26 antenna's in the closet???? is that average for everyone?

 

[slowmover]

Having a closet devoted exclusively to CB Radio Antennas means you’re a being beyond the comprehension of we mortals!

I think I counted 17-18 around here at one point. Mainly pairs.

Mics and mobile antennas are cheap enough. Fun to play around with.


If I had to limit myself it’d be:

SS Quarter-wave

(Pickup truck)
Predator 10k-27
Signal Engineering GR45
Texas 1800

(Big truck)
SKIPSHOOTER
in 5, 6, 7’
SIRIO 5000 3/8

If it was one-type-only then a near 7’ mid-coil with a flexible whip (S-5K-3/8). A 6’ Skipshooter backup. That pair for either vehicle.

That’s just under 13’ on pickup, and (when angled for SWR), stays under 14’ on big truck.

It can take awhile to work out what’s best. Dicking around with both mount and mount location is what tends to increase the antenna herd.

NMO30 or 34 + WD640 whip looks like best start and the likely finish on a private vehicle if a NOS CWB-27 can’t be sourced. NRC-radio plus Hi-Fi speaker brings this into its own (as I see it). Installation guidelines plus associated RF Bond winds being king (as is proper).

— Best performance on-road is usually heard when a typical passenger vehicle in commercial service needing both VHF & CB has both systems done by a two-way radio shop.

This also reduces the number of fiddly-bits needing regular attention to almost nil.

It may not quite have the get-up-and-go of a hot rod . . but it makes up for it by the unlikely need for constant system checks.

Where a mobile is also seen as a stationary base in a rural location (multiple antenna options) — or that SSB DX is wanted — is where the hot rod comes fully into its own.

Big Truck as a subset of that: 300-days annually at about 2,000-hours of use where health & wealth are priorities. Ones exchanges with others, some days, may be radio-only. Highest performance thus pays in multiple ways offsetting more attention.

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[robertwbob]

had a 102 whip mounted to frame of first t600 with an anchor so it wouldnt flex about. low vswr and just bit above cab. was fine too

 

[slowmover]

Radio Gear Kit

I’d say the second aspect of too many antennas is that it’s a corollary of too many radios.

And too many mics.

And too many coax jumpers.

And too many extension speakers, not to mention too many spools of 12VDC power wire.

I really don’t have the storage space for what I’ve accumulated. I’ve projects to finish, and a few to plan & execute.

But that won’t include all this stuff.

Advice to Self: I should put this stuff together as kits for whats needed to do a decent install. Give it away, or sell it. Package.

Then I can better condense down what I have in terms of use.

Divide by category to cover what’s wanted:

Base Station (one’s home; and/or an RV).
Family vehicles.
Walkabout (hand-held).
Business vehicle.
Outlying buildings.

Tools & Supply.
Storage & Transport cases.

The rest needs to go.

What value might a Ready Radio Kit have in Western North Carolina this morning after Hurricane Helene? Trade it for?

JBC11012 - ProComm 3" Heavy Duty Magnetic Antenna Mount

JBC11012 - ProComm 3" Heavy Duty Magnetic Antenna Mount

www.wearecb.com

Could add what’s needed to suit antenna length (use).

If I have X radio number, then that’s a kit.
If I have Y antenna number, then that’s a kit by length. (5’ & taller = Base w/kit as shown; 4’ & shorter = mobile + mag mount).

Speakers & aftermarket mics as “options” (Better as gifts in my experience).

I’ve a hunch there are folks meeting new neighbors previously unknown from not many miles away where buy, sell, trade has new depth.

Radio is a little weird. Not plug & play. Even a little experience and some “extra gear” benefits all parties when new owners are accommodated with a radio rig. (How much help for install a barter item itself; otherwise a pre-printed sheet included).

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