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What CB base antennas are good for a first time setup?

DVINTHEHOUSEMAN

Up North
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
195
Location
North of Hwy 8
I'm relatively new to trying to set up a CB radio rig, I found an old Robyn T-123B out in my garage a while ago but didn't find any sort of antenna, just a piece of coax with a standard PL-259/SO-239 connector on one end and bare wire on the other. It's been sitting inside my house for the better part of 10 years now and I haven't really used it all that much besides turning on to see if it would spring to life. All I heard was static because well, no antenna.

I bought a Radio shack handheld CB a little while ago and I put the piece of coax onto the Robyn and it seems like it functions correctly, I got receive on my Robyn from my Radio shack and vice versa. Sounded ok so I assume everything's working inside, it's still on frequency, and whatnot, and that got me thinking about using it instead of looking pretty in my closet. I have a TV antenna outside my house that's probably 15 feet off the ground and I rarely use it, so I was thinking about taking that antenna down and putting up a CB antenna. I know you need to adjust the antenna somewhat to get a low SWR but other than that it should be plug and play, provided everything fits right. I don't know if a mobile antenna like a Skip shooter would work very well as a base station antenna.

What are some good antennas for a base station? Would a mobile antenna be adequate if it's mounted up high like that? What kind of sacrifice is my wallet looking at for a decent range antenna?

KGS-1483 wavin'
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,228
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Not sure if you can qualify an antenna for first time use. Antennas are either great, good, mediocre or crap, choose what you can afford and what your willing to live with for awhile. Some good antennas for under $100 might be the Antron 99 or its current version, Sirio M400 Starduster, Sirio GPS 27 half wave, Sirio GPE 27 5/8 wave and otehrs. You can go cheaper and suffer not talking to anyone or spend more and talk further.

A mobile antenna for base use is a recipe for frustration and poor performance. If you could get a good ground plane on your roof like a huge area covered with ground radials or chicken wire then plant a 9ft whip in the middle you might be ok. Anything less, especially with little or no ground plane and I would suggest another hobby.
 

p1879

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
362
I had a A99 tied to a small tree once, on maybe a 10" mast. It was just a field expedient setup over behind a Gf's house--would drive my pickup up and hook up the Antron to a Uniden 2510. Worked pretty well, it was 1989 or so and worked some skip. Later, up high on a pole at home, I saw the Antron and later Imax have intercontinental reach. I have a new Sirio vertical to put up now.

The advice given here is good! An Antron, or Imax are good starting points, but for less than another $100 more you can give a radio a real life. We are entering a multi year phase where you have an excellent chance to have some real ionospheric excitement.
 

KMG54

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 24, 2011
Messages
1,255
Not sure if you can qualify an antenna for first time use. Antennas are either great, good, mediocre or crap, choose what you can afford and what your willing to live with for awhile. Some good antennas for under $100 might be the Antron 99 or its current version, Sirio M400 Starduster, Sirio GPS 27 half wave, Sirio GPE 27 5/8 wave and otehrs. You can go cheaper and suffer not talking to anyone or spend more and talk further.

A mobile antenna for base use is a recipe for frustration and poor performance. If you could get a good ground plane on your roof like a huge area covered with ground radials or chicken wire then plant a 9ft whip in the middle you might be ok. Anything less, especially with little or no ground plane and I would suggest another hobby.
I have the sirio GPE27 5/8's mounted to my second story deck on a 20 foot mast. Great flat SWR and it really reaches out. 100 bucks on Amazon.
 

p1879

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
362
Nick, I am sure that Sirio will give you many dx contacts and much enjoyment. Being a quality Sirio product, and being all metal is quite a big step up from those Antron and Imax antennas-which can do a pretty good job themselves sometimes.
 

jaspence

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
3,042
Location
Michigan
When putting up any antenna for two way radio, the work is not worth a trial antenna and then trying to make it right, especially on a two story house, tower, or other high structure. Do everything the best possible the first time (cable, grounding, lighting arrester, bracing, guy wires etc.) and save lots of frustration in the long run.
 

KMG54

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 24, 2011
Messages
1,255
When putting up any antenna for two way radio, the work is not worth a trial antenna and then trying to make it right, especially on a two story house, tower, or other high structure. Do everything the best possible the first time (cable, grounding, lighting arrester, bracing, guy wires etc.) and save lots of frustration in the long run.
Yes Sir, my house ground is directly below the deck, so bonded to that with #6 copper and a 40 foot run of real Times Microwave LMR400 to the radio. My ground radials are about even with the peak of the roof, but the antenna is way above it.
 

p1879

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
362
I might add I had a couple of Antron 99's and they did well. They were able to work worldwide skip when the cycle is right. They are excellent for low-band vhf monitoring, as well, at least at my location. Then I moved on to a Imax, with Belden 9913 cabling. It was a very good antenna but can't claim it was so much better than the Antron, but I noticed it performed very well as a swl receive antenna- had a lot less gain than my Parr SWL antenna but was very quiet.

If I spoke dismissively about the Antron and Imax it was pure rude pride in that I am excited I now have a Sirio aluminum antenna, awaiting erection, that gives me a little attitude. No way do I know anything about how it is going to work, but the belief alone is comforting, like religion. All my DXing with the Antron 99 was done with under 30 watts.

One of my Antrons I bought used for 25$. Really got some mileage out of that-like Australia!
In one conversation, an Aussie thanked me for what the USA did for his country in WWII.
 

west-pac

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2004
Messages
1,564
I would hate for you to put $200+ into an antenna system, only to find out there is nobody around you to talk to. Everybody has answered your specific question, but realistically, after spending your time and money on procuring and installing your antenna system, you'll likely be disappointed that there isn't anyone to talk to locally; and the CB that you currently have isn't a contender for export or out-of-band DX.
 

K6GBW

Member
Joined
May 29, 2016
Messages
412
Location
Montebello, CA
I live in Los Angeles with major freeways everywhere. Except for cursing in Spanish on Channel 23, cursing in English on Channel 19 and the usual echo blather on Channel 6 (AKA the Superbowl) there just isn't much on CB anymore. If you are interesting in a radio for local stuff you might want to investigate GMRS. On the other hand, if you have the radio already and you just want to hook it up for giggles you might try just making a dipole. You can make one yourself for practically nothing and string it up either horizontally, vertically or as an inverted V. If there is activity around you it will work well enough to tell.
 

west-pac

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2004
Messages
1,564
On the other hand, if you have the radio already and you just want to hook it up for giggles you might try just making a dipole. You can make one yourself for practically nothing and string it up either horizontally, vertically or as an inverted V. If there is activity around you it will work well enough to tell.
My first "CB" antenna was my dad's 10-meter homemade horizontal dipole. It worked well enough to talk around town, and meet another CB'er that lived a block down the street. This happened 25 years ago; well after the CB craze died off, but still had enough local people to BS with on a daily basis.
 
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