CB antenna: Hard mount vs. magnetic?

[Ldub]

I got a nice chunk of 3/16" steel plate from a scrap dumpster (had already been cut into about a 7" circle), cleaned up the edges with Mr. grinder & gave it a coat of black primer.
Then bolted that to the center rail on my roof rack (aluminium). Lil Wil now has a perch to sit on.

Also, I read somewhere that they don't allow whip antennas at ZuZu events as they are a danger to spotters.

My two cents, Ldub

[WyldWeasel]

Joe, by tag do you mean the license plate? If so are you talking about the front or rear license plate area?

And yes, pix would be very much appreciated.

[erland]

I would suggest going by a cb installation place and having them go over the vx with a swr meter to find the best location for optimal reception.

[Triathlete]

HERE is where I ordered my antenna from (recommended by Todd Adams). They had the best prices I could find. The service was great. They shipped it out 2 hours after I ordered it. I went with a mag mounted antenna (Lil Wilson).

[Joe_Black]

Here's a pic of the Pro.Fit antenna mount plate that sandwiches behind your license plate, either front or back:



http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/New_Products/

Once you look at it for a bit, all you really need is some sheet metal, some snips, a vise and a drill and you're good to go. For the VX rear, I'd cut a piece that would look like a license plate with a triangle on top. You'd bend a 90 where the triangle meets the rectangle and put the antenna toward the point so as give decent clearance. Relieve the edges of the aluminum plate to keep it smooth and you can take it off anytime.

[mbeach]

This is one of my professional areas of expertise, so here goes:

1.) We do not use Wilson products. They have failed under some (very) extreme conditions, and their support was minimal after the failure. We use Maxrad antennas exclusively (VHF, UHF and cellular). Quality and durability are excellent, and if any failures occur, they stand behind their products 100%. They were recently purchased by PCTel, and their service has continued to be excellent. They make a 49" loaded whip (3 dB gain) for the 27-31MHz CB band that is outstanding. I can dig up the model number tomorrow (we order these things by the dozen, for less than $30 a piece).

2.) We use NMO style mounts. These require a 3/4" hole to be drilled in the roof. A clean hole saw, or sharp unibit will handle this. We use Maxrad "Motorola Style" mounts, these are two piece, low profile mounts that use an O-ring seal to keep out moisture. The mounts are purchased with 17' of RG-58 cable attached. They can be preterminated with the connector of your choosing (most CBs take a PL-259).
A metal screw-on cap can be installed over the antenna mount whenever the antenna is removed.

3.) If you choose to mount the antenna anywhere other than the very dead center of the roof, performance will be compromised. The antenna (all antennas, despite manufacturers' claims) require a ground plane. The more metal you have in every direction, the better the wave propogation.

4.) A mag mount antenna, placed in the center of the roof will outperform any permanent mount that is placed poorly. Ensure that you don't kink or crush the coax cable in a door, this will change the impedance of the cable and degrade performance.

I hope that this information helps any decision that you make -quality parts and installation are a lot cheaper than a radio failure or lost comms due to a broken antenna.

I should mention that our installations handle the beating of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline's "haul road" with ease, even at -60*F. No leaks, no loosening, no failures after installation and testing. In rolling terrain, our CBs (Uniden 510 Pro Xls -cheapies) routinely reach out 12 miles or more.

[WyldWeasel]

Thanks to everybody who responded to this post so far. This is all good stuff to know, as not only will I be using my truck out at Moab but I plan on using it regularly at a ranch where cellphone coverage is nonexistant and having a CB for convenience and to communicate in times of emergency would be a great thing. If I do mount the antenna on the roof, then how will the addition of a rack/basket such as the Load Warrior compromise the antenna?

[mbeach]

If the basket is steel, it'll increase the ground plane. This would be good.