Small CB NMO Mount Antenna

[Renegade16]

Hey guys,

Just recently purchased a Cobra CB Radio for my Jeep. I have an NMO mount antenna for the roof that is already drilled and I was using it for another radio. However, I have decided to pitch the old radio because of my new CB, and would like another NMO antenna to just replace the old one so I can use it for my CB. But, because the antenna is on my roof, I would like a somewhat small antenna.. Maybe 13-15''. That way, I can still enter parking garages and stuff. Does anyone know where I may be able to find an antenna that is that height, but that can broadcast CB frequencies? Thank you!

Renegade

 

[n5ims]

Hey guys,

Just recently purchased a Cobra CB Radio for my Jeep. I have an NMO mount antenna for the roof that is already drilled and I was using it for another radio. However, I have decided to pitch the old radio because of my new CB, and would like another NMO antenna to just replace the old one so I can use it for my CB. But, because the antenna is on my roof, I would like a somewhat small antenna.. Maybe 13-15''. That way, I can still enter parking garages and stuff. Does anyone know where I may be able to find an antenna that is that height, but that can broadcast CB frequencies? Thank you!

Renegade

None that small, CB frequencies require longer antennas, especially if you want them to work for more than a block or two. That's kinda like asking for an 18 wheeler that will fit into your family garage, you may find one, but it'll probably just be a toy.

There are NMO mount CB antennas out there (https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmo27c-699.html is one).

You may want to check out this thread (http://forums.radioreference.com/cb-radio-forum/235186-nmo-mount-cb-antenna-roof-mount.html) where a member was looking for a CB antenna of the 2" low profile style. That thread covers many of the same issues you'll have finding one and may save us from rehashing the same topic over again.

 

[mrweather]

Several years ago I too was looking for a small NMO CB antenna and ended up building my own. I took the coil/whip from an old Radio Shack cell "lookalike" CB antenna (21-993), cannibalized the base from an old NMO antenna and put the two together using a brass machine screw. It stands about 19" tall and while no where near as efficient as my Larsen 49" NMO27 whip it works fine for my needs.

 

[Dawn]

I did something similar to the above many years ago when I had to take a trip and needed to use a cb to communicate with the rest of the group.

I already had an NMO mount 800 meg antenna mounted from our company's trunked system. I took a junker NMO mount base from one of the installers and straightened out a back-of-the-set "L" style center loaded antenna that was very low profile in a vice and finished with a hammer the best I could. That antenna wasn't meant for outside use, so I slipped a piece of heat shrink tubing over the coil and did the best I could with shrinking and filled the rest of the shrink tubing openings with a little RTV compound. That little "trick stick" as they used to be called worked rather well during the trip. You might have to turn down the shaft or drill out the mount a little for the shaft to fit. Also take into account some size added by the spring, but that should be elementary. This little antenna worked far better then I expected it to.

I'm sort of going to be doing the same thing soon but in a different way for a quick swap 10M antenna. I bought a used antenna from an old lunchbox style Motorola lowband packset that's base loaded with a PL-259 on it. I'm sure you can find these on E-bay like I did for about $10. The base coil can be resonated through a little hole in the side with a tuning cap inside. I also bought a so-239 to NMO mount off e-bay for about $10 that makes a small, low profile antenna fit for a SUV that I can interchange our GMRS antenna with. Several companies made a long rubber duck type helical wound antenna for portable low band units as well that would work. I'm sure companies like Centurian still do. Workman I think sells a 40" antenna with a PL-259 on the end IIRC that might work in this arrangement too.