CB Antenna mounts

[Flyfisher]

My CB antenna is mounted on left-front fender...SWR isn't great. Would love a roof rack mount, but would need to lower it to get it into the garage. Does anyone make a roof rack mount that "hinges" easily for when I need to garage the XJ?

 

[Peregrine]

Does anyone make a roof rack mount that "hinges" easily for when I need to garage the XJ?

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/cb-springs-studs-84/antenna-fold-over-adapter-509.html

 

[BarFlyFisherman]

My CB antenna is mounted on left-front fender...SWR isn't great. Would love a roof rack mount, but would need to lower it to get it into the garage. Does anyone make a roof rack mount that "hinges" easily for when I need to garage the XJ?

I've been browsing the all of the posts on where guys are mounting their CB antennas. I've come to realize that most XJ aficionados no nothing about radios. I keep seeing them mounted in the worst possible locations. (yes, I know that using a "no-grounding plane antenna" will help obtain an improved signal - but few ever mention that)

The best location for signal strength (because it offers the largest grounding plane) is the roof. I think that this is the type of mount that you might be looking for - "cellular look" antenna for mounting on the roof (drilling is required):http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/NGP_DS.htm

If you have a safari type rack (or if you attach a round bar to your OEM roof rack) you can use a truckers mirror antenna mount. Firestik makes a great one with a large wing nut.

When you need to go into a garage or under a low overhang, you can loosen the wingnut & fold the antenna down. It's a good idea inside a parking garage , etc., so that the tip of the antenna doesn't get trashed (especially if you have a Firestik with the tuneable tip).

For off-roading though, combine the wingnut mounting base with a SS spring between the mounting bracket & the antenna. Low hanging branches pass by without snapping off the antenna & you don't have to get out all of the time & fold it over.

Be sure to read the article about mounting on roof racks (link below).

For some candid discussions about antennas, placement, coax, etc. go to:
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs.htm

These are the MUST reads:

Things every CBr should know":
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/63Things.htm

Bumper Mounting CB Antennas:
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Bumper-mnts.htm

Roof Rack mounting CB Antennas:
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/roofrack.htm

CB Antenna's REQUIRE TUNING!:
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/TUNABLE.htm

 

[casm]

(yes, I know that using a "no-grounding plane antenna" will help obtain an improved signal - but few ever mention that)

Where did you read that?

No Ground Plane (NGP) antennas are essentially designed for use on surfaces with poor RF reflectivity - plastic or fibreglass, for example. On a '96-down XJ it could make sense to use one if you're bolting it to the rear hatch, but anywhere else on the body it simply doesn't.

If we're going to be using Firestik's technical library as a reference, I would recommend looking here for more information on the subject.

I think that this is the type of mount that you might be looking for - "cellular look" antenna for mounting on the roof (drilling is required):http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/NGP_DS.htm

Avoid the cellular look-alike antennas if at all possible; their performance is typically inferior to even the standard steel whip Radio Shack carries for around $20.

Foldover options:

http://www.wearecb.com/store/accessories-unlimited-aufo-antenna-fold-over-lift-lay-p-3142.html

http://www.wearecb.com/store/hustler-mo-2-54-inch-center-break-fold-over-mast-p-546.html

http://www.wearecb.com/store/hustler-mo-1-54-inch-low-break-fold-over-mast-p-545.html

If you want to put something specific together, look for folding PL-259 mounts - that's the designation for the common CB and ham radio connector.

 

[kastein]

Rather than a "no ground plane" antenna, the best would actually be a dipole, which by definition does not need a ground plane.

Frankly, my completely untuned CB I paid 30 dollars for has done everything I needed it to for trail communications. I don't use it for emergency or long distance comms though, that's what my 2 meter ham transceiver is for, the antenna for that one is cut to resonant length for middle of the 2 meter band and mounted in the location of the stock radio antenna.

 

[gorilla_skater]

I had a tab welded on to my rear tire carrier to mount my CB antenna. There is a really good CB place near me and if you buy the antenna from them, they will tune it for you. They saw where I was mounting it and they said it would NEVER work there. I said BS, there are hundreds of Jeep guys that mount them there and say they work fine. They said try it, but it won't work.

Anyway, they tried to get good SWR when on the tire carrier and they couldn't. I borrowed a SWR meter and got the same thing. I asked on various forums and I went round and round with recommendations from Jeep guys to replace the antenna, cable, the mount, the plastic insulator, even adding a huge ground strap and still no good.

I moved it to my roof rack and it works perfect.

As far as mounting, I use a Cobra 75wxst with a remote speaker and I love it.

 

[bert01xj]

how exactly do you go about grounding the antenna?

i have a magnet mount, that i have on top of my roof but its on the passenger side just a 1/2 foot from the windshield and about the same from the edge of the roof

the whip is real short though, but looks replaceable.

i have never used a CB before, and don't have any one specific to talk to...so i'm not sure if this is true but i can't raise any one on any channel. all i hear is silence on every channel haha, but the weather forcast works on it.

If ur on the highway and don't hear anyone on 19 then something is wrong that is the channel us truckers sit on. It gets quite around nine or so. You can always say( breaker 1 9 for a radio check ) someone should come back to you on that

The stick antenna is going out the window I still have on but want the ones with the coil at the bottom I hear good thing about them.

 

[daveshan]

I did this

2' Firestik on a mount designed for a truck mirror, with a ground wire added going back to a screw that holds the taillight so it has a good ground (very important) Tuned in at 1.1-1.3 on all channels. Has a medium duty spring at the bottom so it won't get torn off by branches etc. I ran the ground wire and coax under the seal for the tailgate, coax continues on behind the panels on the side then under the carpet to the CB mounted on the console.

Mounting the antenna over the flat roof gives a good ground plane for reflecting the signal. It transmits VERY well in all directions. If it's mounted on the side/back it reflects the signal off of the body back to the antenna and creates a distorted signal.

Unit is mounted in a pretty standard place on the console. Uniden 520 Pro, cheap, puts out well, fairly loud speaker, have one in the TJ, Tow rig and the XJ, best I've found especially for the price.

 

[XgarrettJ]

this is how mine is set up.

not a very good pick of the antenna though

 

[1armyguy]

I did this

2' Firestik on a mount designed for a truck mirror, with a ground wire added going back to a screw that holds the taillight so it has a good ground (very important) Tuned in at 1.1-1.3 on all channels. Has a medium duty spring at the bottom so it won't get torn off by branches etc. I ran the ground wire and coax under the seal for the tailgate, coax continues on behind the panels on the side then under the carpet to the CB mounted on the console.

Mounting the antenna over the flat roof gives a good ground plane for reflecting the signal. It transmits VERY well in all directions. If it's mounted on the side/back it reflects the signal off of the body back to the antenna and creates a distorted signal.

Unit is mounted in a pretty standard place on the console. Uniden 520 Pro, cheap, puts out well, fairly loud speaker, have one in the TJ, Tow rig and the XJ, best I've found especially for the price.

Do you have a close up of your attenna mount?

Thanks

 

[daveshan]

If you need a closer pic I can get it tomorrow. It's just a standard mount designed to clamp onto a truck mirror, use the same one on my F-250. I had to get longer 1/4-20 screws and I added nyloc nuts so nothing would vibrate loose.

 

[1armyguy]

If you need a closer pic I can get it tomorrow. It's just a standard mount designed to clamp onto a truck mirror, use the same one on my F-250. I had to get longer 1/4-20 screws and I added nyloc nuts so nothing would vibrate loose.

Thank you, that looks like a nice set up. I will have to look into that one.

 

[daveshan]

Got that one at the local Radio Shack. IMO stay away from the ones that have one side threaded, on the old one off the truck the aluminum corroded and the screws wouldn't come out. They snapped off and ruined the mount.

 

[BarFlyFisherman]

Where did you read that?

No Ground Plane (NGP) antennas are essentially designed for use on surfaces with poor RF reflectivity - plastic or fibreglass, for example. On a '96-down XJ it could make sense to use one if you're bolting it to the rear hatch, but anywhere else on the body it simply doesn't.

If we're going to be using Firestik's technical library as a reference, I would recommend looking here for more information on the subject.



Avoid the cellular look-alike antennas if at all possible; their performance is typically inferior to even the standard steel whip Radio Shack carries for around $20.

Foldover options:

http://www.wearecb.com/store/accessories-unlimited-aufo-antenna-fold-over-lift-lay-p-3142.html

http://www.wearecb.com/store/hustler-mo-2-54-inch-center-break-fold-over-mast-p-546.html

http://www.wearecb.com/store/hustler-mo-1-54-inch-low-break-fold-over-mast-p-545.html

If you want to put something specific together, look for folding PL-259 mounts - that's the designation for the common CB and ham radio connector.

I READ IT HERE (http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/roofrack.htm)):

"...Most, but not necessarily all roof racks are mounted to the vehicle roof with expanding rubber inserts. This prevents the roof rack itself from being chassis grounded. While that doesn't affect its purpose as a roof rack, it can affect your antenna installation. It would be best to check the roof rack grounding before you make the antenna system purchase. If the rack is not grounded then you will need to ground it in order to use a standard ground plane (GP) dependent antenna system. If you do not want to ground it then you will need to use a no-ground-plane (NGP) antenna system.
All standard ground plane (GP) dependent antennas require a chassis grounded antenna mount. If you clamp or bolt a bracket to an ungrounded rack you will have trouble tuning the antenna and performance will suffer. Test the ground. If the antenna, the mount and the coax has already been installed, disconnect the coax from the radio before you check for continuity between the mount and the vehicle body. Otherwise, you will get a false reading back through the coax cable via the radios ground connection. If you decide to run a ground wire to the rack, use either a grounding braid or a wire that is 12ga or heavier and try to keep it as short as possible (Chassis grounding does not mean that the ground wire has to be affixed to the vehicles frame. Any common ground location is a part of the vehicles chassis ground).
Other things to keep in mind if using a GP antenna system … anodizing (on aluminum), powder coating and paint are all insulators. If your rack has an insulating finish (even if it is chassis grounded) you will still need to check that the antenna mount has contact with the grounded rack. Relying on a ground through the coax, as previously mentioned, is an SWR problem waiting to happen."


Did I misunderstand or misinterpret something??

 

[clean4drxj]

I had a tab welded on to my rear tire carrier to mount my CB antenna. There is a really good CB place near me and if you buy the antenna from them, they will tune it for you. They saw where I was mounting it and they said it would NEVER work there. I said BS, there are hundreds of Jeep guys that mount them there and say they work fine. They said try it, but it won't work.

Anyway, they tried to get good SWR when on the tire carrier and they couldn't. I borrowed a SWR meter and got the same thing. I asked on various forums and I went round and round with recommendations from Jeep guys to replace the antenna, cable, the mount, the plastic insulator, even adding a huge ground strap and still no good.

I moved it to my roof rack and it works perfect.

As far as mounting, I use a Cobra 75wxst with a remote speaker and I love it.

This will be helpful when I go to mount mine, thanks Rey!

 

[sunburned]

I had one of those little doorjamb mounts coming out from between the body and hatch that stuck out on the side. After almost ripping it off a few times on trees, plus denting the hatch when it back backwards, I removed it. When I put on my rear quarter guards, I figured out a way to use the angle part of the bracket and just drill it right into the back of the guard. Since the hatch was already dented in that spot, I just bent it back some more so it would just clear the antenna. Now it sticks out on the back side so a tree or rock can't scrape it off.

Mounting before (bent)

Mounting after

CB location. It's out of the way for a DD, but people do hit their heads when jumping in haha. Probably going to move it to above the rear view mirror eventually.