i bought a cb today, i have a couple question for you guys though

[Mr.Fister]

so i got a really good deal on a cb setup today, i got a cobra 75 wx st with all the wiring, and a midland speaker.... which im not really sure what the speaker is for, and a k-40 roof top mount antenna that is about 12" long. my questions are , is the antenna worth keeping? does it have the range the long ones have? cause everyone i saw at noobfest had like a 6' or 7' antenna. or should i just bag the k40 and just buy a long one like most you guys have? are there any pros or cons of the 2 antennas? also what is the speaker for? some of these questions might be dumb but bare with me guys im new to wheeling thanks for the help heres a pic of the antenna i got

 

[Bronzewyrm]

the speeker is mostlikly a PA speeker. for underhod. you could yell at peep like the cops do.lol

some cb's dont have an internal speeker. so w/o an external you wont hear anything.

 

[bloodtype_jeep]

On the small box where your antenna plugs into there should be an outlet to plug your external speaker into. Not sure about your speaker in regards to whether it's PA or not. I located my external speaker inside the console above the e-brake handle, completely out of sight.
I highly reccomend using an external speaker with this setup due to the tiny speakers that are used in the handset. They will blow out quickly when the volume is set too high. I've had to replace mine once all ready, at a cost of $30.
As for the antenna, I'd give it a try before shelling out cash for a replacement.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Its probably an external speaker. the internal speaker on the CB is not very loud if mounted in a low spot. so adding a speaker will really help.

or it could be a PA. dont be too excited. the PA's i have found are not loud enough to really "yell" at people while driving.. at idle someone can hear you at most 100ft away.

 

[vortex]

The K40 mini whip sucks. the only one worth having is the longer of the two. And depending on the way you mount it on your roof expect to be getting out and setting it back up(assuming it is a magnetic mount) or expect to buy a new mount every couple months as it will be hit by every branch on every trail.

just my .02.

-PJ-

 

[Mr.Fister]

Its probably an external speaker. the internal speaker on the CB is not very loud if mounted in a low spot. so adding a speaker will really help.

or it could be a PA. dont be too excited. the PA's i have found are not loud enough to really "yell" at people while driving.. at idle someone can hear you at most 100ft away.

haha thanks, the speaker is a midland and it looks to be for interior, so i dont think its a pa

 

[Mr.Fister]

The K40 mini whip sucks. the only one worth having is the longer of the two. And depending on the way you mount it on your roof expect to be getting out and setting it back up(assuming it is a magnetic mount) or expect to buy a new mount every couple months as it will be hit by every branch on every trail.

just my .02.

-PJ-

good to know, so ill probably bag the k40 then and go buy a fiberglass one, any suggestions? brand and length would be appreciated. also, is there any where local i can pick one up at? i tried radio shack but they dont have any cb stuff anymore

 

[mojojojo]

ive always had good luck with the "firestick" brand antennas. Ive always looked for thinner shorter ones. If i cant bend it in a circle i wont buy it, cause i know it wont take the abuse on the trail. And i highly recommend getting one of the spring mounts for it.

It really depends on what your usage will be ? if its for a true wheelin rig and yur just looking to communicate with other rigs in a group or near by, then what i said above should work out well for you. if yur looking to communicate across the other side of the mountain or more than a half mile away, then i would do ALOT more research and deffinately look into getting whatever antenna you purchase tuned by a pro !

 

[bloodtype_jeep]

good to know, so ill probably bag the k40 then and go buy a fiberglass one, any suggestions? brand and length would be appreciated. also, is there any where local i can pick one up at? i tried radio shack but they dont have any cb stuff anymore

Try D&R Communications on Hwy 212 near the Witchita Pub

 

[2xtreme]

Don't scrap the K40 short whip!!

It may not be the greatest antenna but it is PLENTY good for what we do. And should work better than most people who end up on the trail with me.

Once you have everything installed, tuned and are not happy with it, then go ahead a buy another style or brand (Personally I like Wilson). But there is nothing wrong with what you have, particularly for short range and on a small SUV like a XJ.

Michael

 

[n1ywb]

CB sucks for range, period. 5 watts on AM won't get you out of your own back yard.

That said the full size 8 foot whips are the best by far for range. Anything else will cause a substantial signal loss. Don't argue with me on this, I have an extra class ham radio license. If you DO go with a shorty antenna, base loading is the worst. Mid loading, linear loading, or top loading will all be better. But none will even come close to an 8 foot whip. And probably none will actually work well unless you tune it up with an SWR meter or an antenna analyzer, you might need a matching network to achieve a 1:1 impedance. Most people just plop a mag mount on their roof and assume it's working. It probably will work just fine for short range, but it's not working efficiently.

Of course 8 foot whips are annoyingly big and you'll probably end up tying it down most of the time anyway.

And how much range do you need? If you just need to keep in touch on the trail, a wet piece of string is probably fine. If you need more range than that, maybe it's time to get off the Chicken Band and onto the Ham Band: http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

 

[Sideshow]

so i got a really good deal on a cb setup today, i got a cobra 75 wx st with all the wiring, and a midland speaker.... which im not really sure what the speaker is for, and a k-40 roof top mount antenna that is about 12" long. my questions are , is the antenna worth keeping? does it have the range the long ones have? cause everyone i saw at noobfest had like a 6' or 7' antenna. or should i just bag the k40 and just buy a long one like most you guys have? are there any pros or cons of the 2 antennas? also what is the speaker for? some of these questions might be dumb but bare with me guys im new to wheeling thanks for the help heres a pic of the antenna i got

Is that a magnetic mount? It sounds like Vortex may have personal experience with this antennae. If the mount sucks then there's really no point to running it on an offroad rig.

Since you already have a complete setup I would be inclined to install it and spend $20 on an SWR meter to tune it. Personally I could not justify purchasing a new antannae without at least trying to tune the first one. The only way to maximize it's performance is to tune it. The absolute best location for antennae performance is on the roof, the K40 you have will mount there without hassle, unless the mount sucks. Obviously a physically longer antennae is better but it's all objective. Most antenna manufacturers say you want at least 2/3rds of a top loaded antenna above the roof line to get away from any metal that might be parallel to the antennae (like your A pillar), this why a 6-7'ft antenna is a good idea if its fender mounted.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

ive always had good luck with the "firestick" brand antennas. Ive always looked for thinner shorter ones. If i cant bend it in a circle i wont buy it, cause i know it wont take the abuse on the trail. And i highly recommend getting one of the spring mounts for it.

Heres the antennae i am using. since its original owner dont need it now.. firestick 5'

I have quite a few to choose from tho, 3' firestik, 4' Parts store brand, 8' whip (thanks nick) and a 5.5' wilson flex, but most used is my firestik 5'

 

[Mr.Fister]

thanks for the input guys i ended up going to d and r communications since it was like a 5 blocks from my work. the guys there were super informative and really know their ish. i bought a 4' wilson antenna, its super flexible, so no need for a spring. and i also bought a fender mount. he told me to come back when i get everything installed and he will tune it for me. that place is great, thanks for the suggestion to go there

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

thanks for the input guys i ended up going to d and r communications since it was like a 5 blocks from my work. the guys there were super informative and really know their ish. i bought a 4' wilson antenna, its super flexible, so no need for a spring. and i also bought a fender mount. he told me to come back when i get everything installed and he will tune it for me. that place is great, thanks for the suggestion to go there

Thats where i have gotten everything CB related minus my 8' whip :guitar:

 

[FiveNdime]

I was going to tell you only a couple things....ONE I would have got a K40 fiberglass whip for one reason....lifetime warranty free replacement no questions asked. TWO whatever antenna you do get or in this case have make sure its mounted around 2/3 above your ground plane which means the roof line of the jeep. Its cool that there tuning it for you otherwise I have a tuner. Most people that complain about there CB or components dont have them tuned right so thus they say it sucks having no knowledge to say so. I have mine tuned to almost perfect SWR's. I have it at 1.0 at channel 20 and 1.2 at either end. 1.0 swr's or (standing wave ratio) means your CB is operation at 100% of its power. Also all CB's purchased from your local store all have the same power as regulated by the FCC. You can however tweak them to make more power....not legal....but they will make more power Sometimes they have a tendency to "overpower" un-tweaked CB's tough. OK...my rant of info is over, hope this was at least helpful :viking:

 

[JeeperMatt]

... i bought a 4' wilson antenna, its super flexible, so no need for a spring. and i also bought a fender mount...

Was going to recommend that exact antenna, lol. I mounted mine to the passenger rear quarter with about about 24" sticking over the roof.

 

[Mr.Fister]

that k40 is up for grabs if anyone wants it, make me an offer, lowballers welcome haha , otherwise its just going to sit in my garage, ill bring it to nw fest