CB Antenna Recommendations.

[3TV]

I need a CB to use on trail rides with the Red Rock 4-Wheelers. My son bought me a Cobra 29LX CB for my birthday, so I need an antenna and antenna mount to get it all hooked up.

What are some recommendations on CB antennas and antenna mounts?

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[2019JLUS]

my tailgate flag holder has a mounting point for CB antennas or whip flags


I'd pair that with these new aged antennas that are only 24" long that's supposed to be just as good if not better

 

[Pape]

For trail range, anything bigger than 36''.
personally I will go Wilson 1 or 2 K, firestik is also a good choice.
If you want the look maybe the 109'' but this one is harder to place properly.

 

[JEEP4U]

where do you offhighway?
K40 stainless steel whip work great in both wooded and desert.

I broke many Firestiks in wooded areas.

 

[RatZero]

36in Firestik II, Teraflex Hinge mount, 6ft PL259 coax to a Cobra 75 remote box.

 

[grimmjeeper]

36in Firestik II, Teraflex Hinge mount, 6ft PL259 coax to a Cobra 75 remote box.

I have something similar.

I started with a shorter antenna but it wouldn't transmit well at all. I tuned it and got terrible SWR readings (meaning it was feeding back into the radio badly). I went with the 36" like this one and it tuned in a ton better. Getting the top of the antenna above the hard top is important. The metallic tint reflects a lot of the signal. Not sure how well the soft top can handle the shorter antenna.

I also got a Firestick quick disconnect so I can take the antenna off when I'm not using it.


No matter what you do, get the antenna tuned when it's installed. That makes all the difference in performance.

 

[zouch]

sigh,... still waiting for the dinosaurs at RRW that insist on still using CB to die off, are we?

you might want to check, but they probably have a Maximum Length that they'll allow an antenna to be on their trail rides, which may influence your options. otherwise, ideally you're looking for the longest thing you can stand to deal with.
any place other than the center of the roof to mount an antenna on a mobile is a compromise, and since that isn't an option for most J**ps, i like to put them on the back where they're less likely to get ripped off by a wayward branch from a pesky Manzanita (again).

depending on what rear tire carrier you have, you have a bunch of options for mounts. if you have the Mopar tire carrier, you already have a place to mount one right at the top near the hinge.

I need a CB to use on trail rides with the Red Rock 4-Wheelers. My son bought me a Cobra 29LX CB for my birthday, so I need an antenna and antenna mount to get it all hooked up.

What are some recommendations on CB antennas and antenna mounts?

 

[Bobsled]

https://www.cooltechllc.com/2018-je..._black/71-mopar_tailgate_reinforcement_kit-no

 

[grimmjeeper]

sigh,... still waiting for the dinosaurs at RRW that insist on still using CB to die off, are we?

 

[Bobsled]

sigh,... still waiting for the dinosaurs at RRW that insist on still using CB to die off, are we?

GMRS has 22 basic channels , not all of them are usable for group ride communications.

During Easter Jeep Safari they are running more trails then GMRS has channels , I suspect that is why they still require CB radios. Same thing goes with Winter 4x4 Jamboree

 

[grimmjeeper]

sigh,... still waiting for the dinosaurs at RRW that insist on still using CB to die off, are we?

GMRS has 22 basic channels , not all of them are usable for group ride communications.

During Easter Jeep Safari they are running more trails then GMRS has channels , I suspect that is why they still require CB radios. Same thing goes with Winter 4x4 Jamboree

Just about every trail group picks a GMRS channel at EJS. It's just not official.

And given the separation between many of the trails, overlapping use of GMRS frequencies is fine.

 

[zouch]

considering the miles of separation between trails and the range of GMRS, it’s unlikely there would be interference between groups on different trails on the same channel.
(especially considering most users are on Handheld transceivers.)

sigh,... still waiting for the dinosaurs at RRW that insist on still using CB to die off, are we?

GMRS has 22 basic channels , not all of them are usable for group ride communications.

During Easter Jeep Safari they are running more trails then GMRS has channels , I suspect that is why they still require CB radios. Same thing goes with Winter 4x4 Jamboree

 

[3TV]

I plan on having both radios in my Jeep. While we're on the subject. What is a good hard mount GMRS radio? And a good antenna for it as well? Thanks.

 

[3TV]

For you people that say to be sure and have the antenna tuned when it is installed. I will be installing it myself. How do you "tune" a CB antenna? My CB says it has a "SWR antenna calibration" feature on it, and there is an SWR meter.

 

[grimmjeeper]

For you people that say to be sure and have the antenna tuned when it is installed. I will be installing it myself. How do you "tune" a CB antenna? My CB says it has a "SWR antenna calibration" feature on it, and there is an SWR meter.

Basically you're tweaking the length of the antenna so it matches the radio. More specifically, the wavelength of the signal coming out of the radio. There are tons of videos online that show you how to do it.

If the antenna isn't close to the right length, much of the energy gets reflected back into the radio. That means you don't get much for signal coming out (people can't hear you) and you can burn out the transmitter. The better the tune the better you sound to everyone else.

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