Will a Firestick II antenna work?

[HeavyMetalFox]

I purchased second hand a BearCat CB radio and Firestick II antenna from a Tacoma driver and having them installed today, but both the shop and the local radio dealer are telling me it’s the wrong antenna. That the Firestick is meant for big trucks like semis or dulies. Are they wrong? If you’ve mounted this on your Jeep how did you do it? And did it work well? Seems like if it works on a Tacoma it should work on a wrangler.

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[Geronimo]

Been using that very antenna on a 2013 wrangler for ten years. It works just fine. Using a mount that I bought in a package deal from ( rightchannelradios.com ) They have radios, mounts, kits, and a slew of videos to educate the new folks.
Check them out

 

[KevinC11]

The Firestick II is a great CB antenna, it will work on your Jeep.

KevinC

 

[azwjowner]

I had that antenna for 7 years without problems. They might be referring to its rigidity. I kept mine 2' so it was low and switched to a flexible 4' whip when I thought it'd be hitting branches, etc.

 

[Geronimo]

I had that antenna for 7 years without problems. They might be referring to its rigidity. I kept mine 2' so it was low and switched to a flexible 4' whip when I thought it'd be hitting branches, etc.

This spring mount has taken all the sting out of low hanging mesquite and oak limbs for me since I installed this antenna in 2014.

 

[azwjowner]

This spring mount has taken all the sting out of low hanging mesquite and oak limbs for me since I installed this antenna in 2014.

I had one of those springs too but with my previous Jeep I used to really crash through overgrown mining roads sometimes.

 

[Geronimo]

I had one of those springs too but with my previous Jeep I used to really crash through overgrown mining roads sometimes.

If your hitting low limbs at higher speed perhaps a whip would be a better choice. I use mine for hunting in Texas hill country where my hunting buddy and I have sketchy cell service and a few Jeep Jamborees. Lots of low hanging mesquite and live oak limbs that scrape my soft top and doors. However I am moving slow and cautious. Its a great antenna for what I've used it for. It's good to keep it tuned for best performance regardless.

 

[JJ_WA]

Firestick has made a great antenna for a long time. If they mean that particular antenna you have is part of a paired set, then yes, it's made for bigger trucks and is normally mounted on the mirrors of the tractor. The single antenna, as long as the SWR is tuned properly, will work fine. IIRC, it's a 1/4 wave antenna. Installation location will determine the wave plane and reach.

 

[Geronimo]

This one has been through the ringer many times and I usually check SWR at least annually because it gets beat on pretty hard at times. You are quite correct.

Lol plus I have found my Jeep in a parking lot several times by seeing the red rubber hat.....

 

[HeavyMetalFox]

Ok so I just got the Jeep back from the shop and he says there’s no positive and negative grounding wire so it can’t be grounded when wired in. I told him that I thought as long as it was mounted to a metal surface it was grounded (I.e my upgraded tire carrier) and he said it needs to be wired grounded. I’m so confused. All I have is the whip, the extended wire to run through the Jeep from the cb and I was going to have him place it on the mounting hole that already exists for antennas in the upgraded mopar tire carrier. Is there anything else I need?

 

[Halibut]

https://www.rightchannelradios.com/products/cb-antenna-stud-mount-pl-259

 

[Halibut]

if you have a metal mount going to the body, you should be grounded. The stud mount i attached above has a plastic bushing. it separates your ground plane from the radio transmission coming through the coax. If you don't separate the two. You wont transmit. Also the positive signal runs through the coax itself.

If you have the cb, coax, mount grounded to body and the stud mount you are good to go. If you look at geronimos second photo you can see the stud mount with the plastic bushing. I'm no radio expert. I Drive big trucks for a living and have hooked up countless cb's.

 

[JLRyder]

Correct, if the mount bracket bolts to a grounded part of the chassis you are golden. I used the 18’ fire ring kit from Firestick and confirmed ground existed and the antenna was isolated from that ground before I transmitted. I used an old off brand 4’ fiberglass antenna and it works fine, SWR 1.2 on Chan 20.

 

[Left Field]

Ok so I just got the Jeep back from the shop and he says there’s no positive and negative grounding wire so it can’t be grounded when wired in. I told him that I thought as long as it was mounted to a metal surface it was grounded (I.e my upgraded tire carrier) and he said it needs to be wired grounded. I’m so confused. All I have is the whip, the extended wire to run through the Jeep from the cb and I was going to have him place it on the mounting hole that already exists for antennas in the upgraded mopar tire carrier. Is there anything else I need?

Someone else who might have used the Mopar tire carrier antenna hole might pipe in, or you could post a picture, but I think its likely that you need an antenna mounting bracket that mounts to your tire carrier. See the last picture, below.

Not sure what you have, but below are two common types of CB antenna cables. Either way, a stud mount linked by @Halibut is needed.

This is a "Fire Ring" antenna cable.

This is a basic antenna cable:

A Fire Ring cable installation looks like this:

The 'mounting surface' (shown above) would be an antenna bracket on your vehicle, something like this:

The above bracket could be used with a Fire Ring cable, or a basic cable. For a basic cable, the antenna ring terminal would go just above the lock washer on the bolt holding the stud mount. For a Fire Ring cable, the ground is built in to the ring so no separate wire needed.

The 'ground' antenna wire would go under the little screw off to the left.

If you have an antenna with a coax connector on each end, like this:

Then you'd use a stud mount like this:

Either way, a antenna bracket is required.




LF

 

[HeavyMetalFox]

Someone else who might have used the Mopar tire carrier antenna hole might pipe in, or you could post a picture, but I think its likely that you need an antenna mounting bracket that mounts to your tire carrier. See the last picture, below.

Not sure what you have, but below are two common types of CB antenna cables. Either way, a stud mount linked by @Halibut is needed.

This is a "Fire Ring" antenna cable.

This is a basic antenna cable:

A Fire Ring cable installation looks like this:

The 'mounting surface' (shown above) would be an antenna bracket on your vehicle, something like this:

The above bracket could be used with a Fire Ring cable, or a basic cable. For a basic cable, the antenna ring terminal would go just above the lock washer on the bolt holding the stud mount. For a Fire Ring cable, the ground is built in to the ring so no separate wire needed.

The 'ground' antenna wire would go under the little screw off to the left.

If you have an antenna with a coax connector on each end, like this:

Then you'd use a stud mount like this:

Either way, a antenna bracket is required.




LF

Thank you! I have the last two things AND a mount ting bracket. I brought it all to him today and he’s still saying I’m missing something to ground it ?‍. Sooo, maybe take it to a different shop then?

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