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Old 02-07-2010, 12:29 PM   #1
Beerman621
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CB Antenna
I have a old but good CB, but my antenna isnt letting me get a very good signal or range. its a 3 foot antenna. what should i do? get a longer one?

all rec's welcome.
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Old 02-07-2010, 12:37 PM   #2
CJ7-Tim
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Make sure your antenna system is properly mounted, in an acceptable location, that the coax cable and connectors are in good condition, and that the antenna has been tuned for proper SWR.

Firestik Antenna Company has a very good TECH and FAQ section that explain all you need to know about CB antennas, coax cable, and mounting brackets and problem solving. The info applies to all brands of CB antennas.
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Old 02-07-2010, 07:39 PM   #3
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There's NOTHING wrong with a 3'. But check everything.
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Old 02-07-2010, 07:42 PM   #4
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i just mean normally you can expect to get roughly 5 miles coverage from a antenna, i think i may be getting 1 if im lucky.
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Old 02-08-2010, 03:49 AM   #5
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Your question is kind of vague. Not all antennas of equal length are equal in function. Where and how the antenna is mounted has significant effect. Tuning the antenna is necessary in order to get it to function properly. And how the antenna is wired to your radio makes a difference, too.
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Old 02-08-2010, 06:24 AM   #6
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I like my 4 foot Firestik. It was easy to tune and gets pretty good range.
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Old 02-08-2010, 07:37 AM   #7
Beerman621
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its a 3 foot above the driver side tail light.

thats the things, its not wired to the radio, like i said its a very old CB. where the new ones come out your radio speakers, this one comes back out of the mic.

its like a ancient cobra. guess my problem may be i just need a new one huh
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Old 02-08-2010, 08:53 AM   #8
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???????????????? Got Picture? does it look like a phone hand set?
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Old 02-08-2010, 09:25 PM   #9
Beerman621
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???????????????? Got Picture? does it look like a phone hand set?
no picture of it, the box is just the box, there are no controls on it itself. the handheld has the screen for the channels, volume, a scroll to take the static away, the toggle for the channels is on the right, with the talk button below it. under the screen is one big speaker/mic.
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Old 02-08-2010, 11:40 PM   #10
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I have a 2' Vanco International antenna that gets great reception and equally transmits well. It's all about proper grounding and tuning . When I first started to tune the antenna, I even had to physically shorten it after taking initial SWR readings, despite it being a short 2'. Weather band also comes in clear .
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Old 02-09-2010, 05:50 AM   #11
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kinda like this??

Land Rover Discover Complete CB System - Electronics Superstore www.WalcottCB.com
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Old 02-09-2010, 09:24 AM   #12
Beerman621
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No, lol that one is like new.

mine is a Cobra 67LTD.

http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/cobra/67ltd/graphics/cobra_67ltd_sm_pg01_15.pdf
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Old 02-09-2010, 02:19 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IslandTJ View Post
I have a 2' Vanco International antenna that gets great reception and equally transmits well. It's all about proper grounding and tuning . When I first started to tune the antenna, I even had to physically shorten it after taking initial SWR readings, despite it being a short 2'. Weather band also comes in clear .
X2, my 2' Firestik works fine so your 3' is more than long enough. Insuring its mount was put together & mounted properly and that the antenna is tuned is key to getting your 3' antenna working up to its potential. It might be easier if you drove your Jeep over to a local CB shop & had them verify the mount is ok and assembled properly, & tune the antenna.

If you want to get it working yourself, you'll need an SWR (standing wave ratio) meter that is needed to tune the antenna. Doing so is not technically difficult and SWR meters can be found for under $20 at Fry's, eBay, Amazon.com, etc.

There's additional help we can provide on the mount & seeing if it's ok if you want to dive into this yourself.
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