Cb aerials

Morning,
I have just got a complete CB set up from thunderpole and have set it up in the 110. I got the 1.5m orbiter aerial but when I mounted it on the roof gutter it got me thinking that maybe it's a bit big as it takes the overall height up to 3.5m. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with the shorter aerial and if it would be good enough for using whilst greenlaning, or any other mounting suggestions? I saw on one site it suggested putting the gutter mount on to the gutter below the windscreen. Or should I stick with the 1.5m one and just get used to it hitting everything
Cheers
Chezvegas

Most people have 1.5m aerials I have 600mm aerial with midland cb works spot on when I'm laning.

chezvegas said:

Morning,
I have just got a complete CB set up from thunderpole and have set it up in the 110. I got the 1.5m orbiter aerial but when I mounted it on the roof gutter it got me thinking that maybe it's a bit big as it takes the overall height up to 3.5m. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with the shorter aerial and if it would be good enough for using whilst greenlaning, or any other mounting suggestions? I saw on one site it suggested putting the gutter mount on to the gutter below the windscreen. Or should I stick with the 1.5m one and just get used to it hitting everything
Cheers
Chezvegas

Click to expand...

I don't like the springer/orbital arials wacking the roof on my landy so I opted for a short version that I think is called the mini springer (about 75cm). I then decided not to mount it on my gutter due to the number that I had ripped off gutter mounts in my works truck. I bought a mirror mount like this....

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace



and mounted it on the top rung of the ladder on my landy (I see from your avatar you have a ladder on your landy too).

The receiving range isn't fantastic (only around half a mile to a mile tops), The transmitting range isn't effected (most people moan that I blow their eardrums out) and the swr is spot on.

Longer the aerial ( Within Reason ) the greater the distance you will TX/RX.For green laning a shorter one would be OK.Cary 2 a long and a short aerial.I use mag mounts towards the rear of the roof on my disco.I nearly always gets a good swr,Gutter mounts again OK but i sometimes find that the swr can be a little tricky due to the aerial being close to the side of the high roof.

The longer one should be ok, they are very bendy. Just makes more noise down the lanes.

With most of the CB aerials you can unscrew them and swap the antenna part so you could just change them around depending on what you're using them for.

you'll have to re-do your swr everytime you change aerial though!

The mini springer is a pucka piece of kit for laning

Freelaner said:

you'll have to re-do your swr everytime you change aerial though!

Click to expand...

Not necessarily ... as long as you SWR each antennae separately then it will still be "in tune" if you remove it (you can get quick release mounts also.)

I have used the 1.5m springer and have lost/broken two in as many weeks laning down at Salisbury. I had mine mounted to my roof rack, this gave great reception but unfortunately meant it took a fair beating from overhead branches. In future I will be going for a shorter springer and fixing it to a rear body mount like this

http://www.cbradioshop.co.uk/cb-antenna-body-mount-38th-antenna-type-39-p.asp#

The range might not be as good but I'm only looking to chat with other vehicles in our group when laning.

I use the mini springer - good enough for laning. Had the full size previously but made it look like a RC truck. I used to tie the end down to the gutter with a bungee so it was out of the way.

Mud-4-it said:

I have used the 1.5m springer and have lost/broken two in as many weeks laning down at Salisbury. I had mine mounted to my roof rack, this gave great reception but unfortunately meant it took a fair beating from overhead branches. In future I will be going for a shorter springer and fixing it to a rear body mount like this

CB Antenna Body mount 3 8th Antenna type

The range might not be as good but I'm only looking to chat with other vehicles in our group when laning.

Click to expand...

Same mount i have, stuck mine on the rear above the quarter lite window. Gets protection from branches but springs back up aswell.

Works well.

Clanforbes said:

Not necessarily ... as long as you SWR each antennae separately then it will still be "in tune" if you remove it (you can get quick release mounts also.)

Click to expand...

yes, if they have adjustable length.

No if they are fixed length

Freelaner said:

yes, if they have adjustable length.

No if they are fixed length

Click to expand...

If the twigs were of fixed length then they wouldn't be swr'able would they?

Therefore it wouldn't make any difference if you swappeth between twigs, the end result would still be the same

Here's a piccy of my mini springer mount and location

I've ordered a mini springer cos the 1.5 m one looked way to tall on the roof. A good idea for mounting on the ladder but I have taken my roof rack and ladder off at the moment because I have been using the car for work which means multi storey car parks and the ladder attaches on to the roof rack so I can't have it on separately. I am out with northern monkey next weekend so will try it on a gutter mount first and see how I get on with that. Another place I thought of was attaching it to my light guards at the front but not sure if that would bother me seeing it flapping around in front