Home Based CB - Absolute Newb Beginner

This topic is so deep I'm totally drowning. :-D Wife just bought me a Cobra 29 Classic, and I'm totally gunshy about the setup. My plan is to use it as a home base station, with quick release brackets in the truck so I can do both.

The question: for my first crack at it, it looks like a cheap indoor antenna is the way to go to get started (details below.) Does anyone have any recommendations for a sorta-usable indoor antenna? I'm looking at the Sirio Signal Keeper, cheap, can stand in any room/attic, and if it looks workable I'll look at masts, a good antenna, and drilling holes in my house later.

<TL;DR>

I know no one thinks CB is usable any more but I've always wanted to get into it.

Being the topic is so overwhelming I thought I'd turn the the good folks here for a little guidance. I have been to this thread, multiple articles and forums, and find Right Channel Radios to be a great resource, but have also been to many others.

Vehicle setup is straightforward and there's lots of answers, my first task is to just freaking get started and set up a home base. What I know so far:

- The higher the mast/antenna the better signal I may get.
- General light knowledge on channel usage and etiquette.
- An exterior dipole antenna is basically a stranded 12 ga wire, 102" up, 102" down, with the coax in the middle. I can make one if needed.
- A good off-the-shelf antenna and associated stuff is likely to cost more than the Cobra 29.

I don't want to go out and buy the best of the best to find it doesn't work well, which is why I am dipping a toe in cheap. There are a couple CB stores here, I'm going to stop in and see if they can offer any advice next week (closed for the weekend.)

 

The antenna and ground of a CB station is not too complicated. A dedicated CB store should be able to give you good advice.

 

Yes and thanks, planning to talk with them when they're open this week. I just don't want to throw down buku bucks or drill the house and crawl around in the attic before I know it will be worth the effort. :-D

 

You would think. The one CB Store here doesn't stock anything at all, and had no advice for off-the-shelf stuff. His suggestion was to take a coax cable, remove the insulation, twist the outer shield into a wire and use the inner, stretch them up and down vertically and there's your makeshift home station antenna. Might try it out.

 

So I've jumped for the Firestik IBA-5, an indoor antenna for under $100. It can sit anywhere and does well on a concrete slab for a ground plane. It comes with a 16' coax, is made in America, and their site has a good article how to get the most out of it. If I get any activity I'll get a good outdoor and do the attic-crawl-drill-holes-in-house thing.