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Best antenna

deadgoon42 said:
What about the "tune SWR" part. That's the part I didn't get.

They are referring to tuning the antenna for best performance. If you do not have that done, best case scenario is that you won't get top performance. Worst case is you will blow up your radio (the final, that is, meaning the last (final) stage of amplification before the signal goes to the antenna).
 
They are referring to tuning the antenna for best performance.

Funny, I saw an SWR meter at Fry's today that I had never noticed. Is amplification legal or is this a violation of FCC rules? I'm not sure if I completely understand that part. If I don't plan to amplify my radio, I shouldn't have to worry about it blowing up, correct?
 
settlep said:
What is the best CB antenna that wont break if you need to park in a garage often? I think the wilson whips will bend and break so dont really want to go that route.

I just can't imagine the Wilson whips breaking, that stainless steel is pretty tough.
 
I don't know about cracking and bending.
I have a 1000 on top of a work van, and a 5000 on the roof of an F350 (ie: tall). Both hit every bank drive through I go to, have been for years.

Neither are bent of cracked at all.
 
The original question was "What is the best CB antenna that wont break if you need to park in a garage often?"
The 102" whip is out of the question, so a magmount (Wilson 1000) is the way to go. If you are planning to upgrade with more power in the real near future, spend the extra money on a Wilson 5000 Magmount. The stainless steel whip is not going to break, but you might knock it off. If you need to get in the garage, you can take it off.
There are better antennas out there, but for a low power beginner, that needs the "headroom" you wont beat the Wilson Mags.
 
settlep said:
What is the best CB antenna that wont break if you need to park in a garage often? I think the wilson whips will bend and break so dont really want to go that route. Any ideas? Radio is a small inexpensive cobra or big uniden which ever I decide to use.

Either the Wilson 1000 or (if you can find one) Valor's "Big Bubba" (terrible name/great antenna) which allows you to fold it parallel to your roof.
 
deadgoon42 wrote:
Quote:
They are referring to tuning the antenna for best performance.


Funny, I saw an SWR meter at Fry's today that I had never noticed. Is amplification legal or is this a violation of FCC rules? I'm not sure if I completely understand that part. If I don't plan to amplify my radio, I shouldn't have to worry about it blowing up, correct?


amplification is a violation concerning cb radios but has been done since the beginning of time .

Blowing your radio up would have to do with bad SWR , which would start after about 2.5 and higher , 3.0 and higher would more then likely get the job done a little quicker and usually anything higher then that would be a short somewhere in the line and or connectors being used. Blowing the radio up is a bit harsh , but the final will go bye bye , but not to fear , even those can be changed out for repair. A better way to blow the radio up ,so to speak where smoke is involved , would be to hook it up backwards without a fuse in line , chances are you would blow the pertect diode in the radio , they sometimes can smoke very nicely , but even then they can be changed out for repair , but even then, I've seen power over ride those and just continue on a path of distruction through out the radios :( burning up everything in it's path , it's times like those I would like to refer to the radios as being fried and or blown up. Damn !! I hate that when that happens. ;)
 
a wilson 1k is pretty tall. in a normal garage it will be bending down pretty low on a truck, so low i wonder if it wont come off.


now this may not be the best performance but it works pretty good and allows plenty of clearence would be to use a single or duel tunable firesticks on the mirrors.

the reason i say is i have a wilson 1000 on the suburban and the whip stick up pretty far. the whip is 5 feet tall and the mount is 8" so its almost 6 feet off the roof. my burb is got a small 4" lift and 33"s but that damn whip hits everything.
 
" Wilson Mag Mount .. CMon now. %&* "

So whats your point? I have run a Wilson 5000 Mag mount on my company car for 6 years now with exellent results. And it looks a heck of alot better then a 102 or some giant space invader looking open coil thing. Best 83 bucks I ever spent.
 

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