cb raidio antennas

[runaway parents]

So I replaced my mismatched antennas that came with the truck and put some I guess what they call ugly sticks on not realizing that these things are thicker and create more wind drag and noise . Is there a product that cuts threw the air better with out making as much noise?

[RandyA]

CB is not much of a game for me, but consider any radio antenna like this: CB is 27 MHZ. We want a 1/4 wave length antenna for best performance - also a good ground plane. So, take 468/27 = 17.33 feet, or 208". That is 1/2 wave for 27MHZ. Divide it by 2 to get 1/4 wave. Now we have a length of wire or an antenna 102-104 inches long. That is too long for a HDT unless you want the fishin' pole like antenna swinging in the breeze. Looks like we gotta shorten it, but still keep it resonant and a match for 50 ohm coax. This is accomplished in one of four ways by using a helical coil to electrically extend the antenna - coil is base mount, center mount or top mount. Or, as in the case of your Ugly Stick, a continuous but variable pitch winding over a fiberglass rod which will make the radiator thick and heavy. Personally, I like the base coil type of antenna since it puts all the weight at the bottom and a relatively thin stainless steel whip on top to cut through the wind. Add in a spring at the base so tree limbs won't tear it off. Again be sure to have a good metal ground plane that is in the 102 to 104 inch range. This can be the metal of the vehicle body or a hidden wire running along or through the truck cab. Dual or "co-phased" CB antennas are a gimmick on a HDT. To work properly they need to be precisely spaced from each other, which ain't gonna happen. A single element antenna will give the best overall performance. Go for a base load with a stainless whip - also easier to tune for lowest SWR. The longer the radiator, the better the antenna will perform.

[txdslshop]

I am running a single Hustler antenna for my CB on the drivers side mount using the Hustler mount and a good ground. It is a center load antenna and it has good range. On my 06 Volvo, I was told that the passenger antenna was for am/fm radio and the driver side was for the CB. So, I just ran my own mount. The factory antennas were long gone when I bought this truck. I intend to install a FM antenna in the passenger factory mount to see if I get a little better radio reception. We shall see. Jeremy

[Dennis M]

After breaking a numb er of those fiberglass ugly sticks I put on a pair of wire whips. Don't look quite so cool, but they don't break on every tree branch along residential streets.