CB Antennas

[99 Expy]

I'm looking to get some new antennas soon, but I know nothing about what ones work the best. I found these on ebay, and they are pretty cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Firestik-FL4-B-...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e534cf25#shId

Will this model work, or should I go with something else? I'm open for opinions, but I would like to go with 4 foot Firestiks.

 

[KWT2000]

the firesticks are all i run on my semi... i like how easy they are to adjust...

most people spend big money on the antenna's but forget the coax cable is more inportant...

to answer your question the firestick is as good as it gets IMO for a fiberglass whip antenna...

 

[panda24619]

your going to pay about the same anywhere for ants. i would find a duel set. its about a few bucks less if you buy them together. it might seem cheaper on one post, but shipping is what gets you. so about $25 an ant isnt that bad. and i think its like $40 or 45 for a duel set of ebay.

 

[walnuts4x4]

problem with duals is if you are not far enough apart the signals will cancel each other out and therefore duals would be worse....

but that is the same antenna I have except I went with a 3ft because I didn't want to hit everything I drive under.... with my mount and 3ft stik I have about 10" above the roof of my expy

 

[KWT2000]

if you run duals make sure you get the right coax to go with them...

i belive with duals you want 75 ohm coax and with a single you want 100 ohm

 

[panda24619]

even single you want 75 ohm. the lower the ohms the better. think of it like this. 2 people standing next to eachother. person A has 50 ohm of resistance and person B has 200. which one would get hit most likely if lightning were to strike? person A cause of his smaller resistance number. that goes the same with car audio. 4 ohm vs 1 ohm.

 

[NC-Expy]

That's the same antenna I just got. Once I get it mounted I'll definitely post some pics. I like it, it's pretty sturdy, just get the door mount that me and walnuts have.

 

[mudryder18]

Firestik antennas are the only ones i have used. I currently have a 5ft. ant. I mounted mine on the rear bumper. Here is a pic.

 

[99 Expy]

I already have my antennas mounted, but want longer antennas for better reception. For width, I have one antenna on each side of the rear door. Will this be sufficient distance. I priced it out to buy 2 of those antennas, and with shipping, it would be like $33. I will have to check the current coax I have, but I'm pretty sure its 75 ohm, its all my dad's old set up, and it was pretty nice, except for he got rid of the longer antennas. How flexible are these antennas? There is a chance I will hit them on something, but I don't really want to put springs on them, but can if needed.

 

[panda24619]

they are kind of flexy. my uncles is in front of his spare on his heep, but its still flexy enough to go into the garage and have the tip hit. i would do springs just incase. but im thinking 102" whips now. with tennis balls. haha

 

[99 Expy]

I'm not looking to go huge, so I think 4 footers should work good. I think I'll try to stay away from springs since if anything, I'll probably only ever hit some branches or something, but don't want them to fling back and beat the hell out of my truck. But I guess I can just see how flexible they are whenever I get them and go from there.

 

[98EXPY 5-0]

Here is the only antenna i currently have on my Expedition. It's not hooked to anything, but I believe it's for a high band police radio.

Here is a mount I made for my Dodge. It's made from 16 gauge steel and cost me 79 cents. The antenna is a K40 with the magnetic mount removed.

I saw this Honda at Wal-mart the other day.

 

[panda24619]

now thats funny! i bet hes driving that from his house threw google earth! haha

 

[VTfireftr]

I just ordered a Larson antenna and fender mount (similar to the Dodge) posted here. I will post pictures when I get it mounted next week. The Larson antenna looks more like a 2-way radio antenna than CB antenna.

I will also post some pictures of the LED lights I will be adding that I will be using while responding to fire/ambulance calls.

Marc

 

[panda24619]

o kool. i still need to get my ants. im still debating 102" whips or dual fire stiks. since i cant fit into parking structures no more with my lights. haha

 

[99 Expy]

o kool. i still need to get my ants. im still debating 102" whips or dual fire stiks. since i cant fit into parking structures no more with my lights. haha

Good point lol, the lights will add to the height. I can barely fit through my bank drive through anymore, but I'm not worried. I'll definitely be getting dual 48" firestiks this summer, probably a month or so when I free up some money.

 

[panda24619]

thats what i was thinking. dual 4 fts or dual 102 whips. haha i should go ask orw and see what they recommend.

 

[supermario]

Sorry for asking a dumb questions, but do you HAVE to use those tall antenna's if you want to hook up a cb? Can you just use the basic radio antenna already on the Expy? Reason i ask is becus myself and my bro want to get Cb radio, so when we travel on our camping trips, we can communicate, so range doesnt have to be that far! Also whats a decent basic cb radio that wont break the bank? $200? Thanks and sorry for threadjacking

 

[Racenut]

Sorry for asking a dumb questions, but do you HAVE to use those tall antenna's if you want to hook up a cb? Can you just use the basic radio antenna already on the Expy? Reason i ask is becus myself and my bro want to get Cb radio, so when we travel on our camping trips, we can communicate, so range doesnt have to be that far! Also whats a decent basic cb radio that wont break the bank? $200? Thanks and sorry for threadjacking

The regular radio antenna will not work for a CB. You can get smaller antennas, but they will some times work and sometimes not.

I am currently running a 3' antenna on a Magnet mount with a " Quick Connect " (Push down on the antenna and twist a 1/4 turn and the antenna is off) it works really well but since it is a magnet mount you have to be careful about tree limbs because they will "knock it over".

I am also running a really cheap Cobra 19

https://www.cobra.com/detail/19-dx-iv-compact-cb-radio.cfm

It is a weak radio, but if you take it to a CB shop and have them " Peak & Tune " ( peak and tune costs about $20 - $30 ) it like I did you can get a 5 mile range out of it in clear weather, but if you are having an overcast day or have alot of wind the range goes down to about 2 - 2 1/2 miles.

The nice thing about this radio is that it is compact and does not take up much space at all plus it is only about $70.

You can even step up to a Cobra 29 LTD for about $120 or a Cobra 25 WX NW ( has weather channels and a backlight display) for about $140. Both of these radios are " Full Power " radios, but they do take up a bit more room.

The only time you are going to spend over $200 for a radio alone is if you pic up one of the newer " Bluetooth " radios that will sync with your phone for calls.

If you would like some pics let me know and I will try to get some up for you.

 

[tallsville]

super mario look up handheld units

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/handheld-cb-radio-136/