trying to get a good CB ground plane

me and my buddy have ours magnet mounted to the top of our cabs and we can get about 1/2 a mile

 

I use the BAMF mount at my tailgate/ bed rail meeting point. Mine is for the passenger side, but he makes them for either side. I get low SWR and very little interference. I'm running the Firestik 2 with tuneable tip and 18ft cable.

 

Put a wilson 1000 mag mount on the roof and be done with it. Dont recommend the wilson little willie ant. I never had good luck with that one . Also if you go the mag mount route , i would recommend putting something like 3 M shield between the roof and magnet to protect the paint. Have had mine on since 2011 and no problems yet.

 

Great to hear....anyone else having success or actual first hand account info with this type up setup....? While I apprectiate everyone's input....I want to make sure that the people claiming this won't work or that I'll get poor performance and or SWR readings....are basing their info on first hand accounts...not that they read somewhere that this mounting spot is no good....etc etc...

 

I'm new to the CB world but that sounds like horrible range!

 

Such good performance and so easy to set up and tune. I have had good luck with the Little Wil's also. I have two as spares OP if you want one.

 

I have about 35 years of experience with RF and mounting radios and antennas. I can tell you that a center mount roof antenna will always work best. Every time you double your height, you gain 3db of signal. So, moving from the bed rail to the roof and getting a good ground plane from the roof is the way to go on two points (height, ground plane). I usually run 1/4 wave on the roof due to overhead obstructions. Also, a 1/4 wave is not practical for 11 meters (CB ) since that would require a 108" stainless steel whip. A base loaded 5/8 wave will serve you well. If you really interested in getting better communication, get away from AM, and away from 11 meters. If you can tell me your primary objective, I might be better able to steer you in the right direction.

 

I want o be able to talk to my family members who have set ups in their vehicles around town.....or listen to truckers on the highway......I'm new to CBs so im not really sure what I want to do.....I'd like to get 10miles in radius? Is this possible?

 

Not with a Firestik mounted in the bed.

 

Ok...for shits and giggles what is the best range incould get out of a firestick mounted in an optimal spot on a taco?

 

They do make a tripod magnet mount for whips but they are hideous. Next best would be a hood mount.

 

So how likely is it that I can get the SWR under 1.5 where I have it currently mounted? Also what type of range can I expect from how it's set up now?

 

I get an SWR of 1.2 using a firestik body side mount, mounted on the vertical metal just inside the tailgate on the left. 36" firestik antenna.

 

Hard to say, every set up is different. I personally could never get any Firestik to work in the bed, others have. Without a meter you won't really know. I moved mine around in a few spots and the best was at the rear corner of the bed. Worst was near the cab. A four foot fiberglass whip is only going to get a few miles at best depending on terrain and conditions.

 

No, here is why. The antenna is short, a quarter wave antenna on 11 meters is around 108" and as you can see your antenna is a good bit shorter than that. The length has to be there in order to work so what they do is wind wire around the full length of a short shaft this means that the whole antenna would have to be clear of the body work to achieve a good match or to work properly. The body will reflect power back to the antenna reflected power and power out is what comprises SWR it is the relation between the two. A perfect match (1:1) really does not exist it would mean every bit of power is leaving the antenna no matter how well built the antenna is there is some loss if you can get a 2:1 it will work the difference between 2:1 and 1.5:1 in regards to power really is very slight. Radios are designed to fold back power when the SWR exceeds 2:1 because the load is resistive so it protects the PA from overheating. CB radios are pretty cheap and I would not be too surprised if they don’t have any fold back circuitry and in that case excessive SWR will cook them.

 

11 meters is an interesting band and is effected by sun spots etc. on a normal day 11 meters is basically a sh$%^ band so maybe 2-5 miles but when conditions are right a few hundred or even more that's fun but don't expect to talk to your buddy 25 miles away that is not how it works.

 

Ok...so bottom line is I have to hook it up and just test the SWR where it is....so last question....will the antena mount touching the metal bed rail be enough ground or should I wore a 10 gauge wire to the farm or some other metal?

 

Read this. And, yes, ground the mount to the frame. While I don't know exactly how well the bed is grounded to the frame...it cannot hurt to ground it. If you want best performance, look at a 108" whip for 11 meters. They make trailer hitch mounts, but you'll get the best results mounting it to the bed. A center loaded antenna will work a little better on 11 meters since it raises the radiation point. Also, if you are set on 11 meters...buy a SSB radio. Use AM to talk to the truckers and SSB to talk to your friends and family. Where you have the antenna now the SWR will never be great, and it is going to be somewhat directional, bouncing off the cab and away in that direction. Range to the front will be limited. Read this.

http://www.olypen.com/craigh/antennab.htm

 

Okay...sounds like I sound ground it...and if I'm not looking to talk 1/2 around the world I should be ok for just convy chatter.

 

Just be sure to check your SWR before you do anything.