Cb Radio Antenna Size

[SaiyanPatrick]

Hey guys! I have a 2 door jk and have a roof top tent and roof rack installed, do I need my cb antenna to extend past my roof top tent or will extending past roof rack be sufficient? I think it looks silly with my current size and also definitely regret the red haha. Thanks in advance.

 

[M Rose]

Where are you mounting your antenna? What antenna are you using? A CB 1/4 Wave antenna is 102” long... and if mounted to the tail light assembly would be more than adequate to get you able the RTT and RR... if your are trying to use a 48” or shorter antenna, you will need to get most of it above the RTT... your best bet is a 102” Stainless Whip off the back corner. If you mount to the tailgate, make sure to bond the tailgate to the body with braided ground strap.

 

[Prerunner1982]

It's all about compromise. As mentioned the 102"CB whip is optimal but many people can't/ won't run an antenna that long.
Running a short antenna...compromise.
Antenna not mounted in the middle of the vehicle...compromise.
I have no problem running long antennas so I would go with a 102" whip, because the more antenna you can get above the vehicle the better it will be.
With a short antenna on the back your signal will be mostly blocked in the forward direction and due to the large mass of the vehicle being forward of the antenna the signal will want to go that way more. The tent will block it, the roll bar may bounce the signal around, gear in the back will block it, your cranium and associated soft tissue mounted below it will absorb the signal...

This is part of the reason we encourage the use of GMRS and ham as the antennas are shorter and can be mounted higher and in places a CB antenna can't. They also don't require tuning, have better audio, and aren't as susceptible to RFI.

 

[AA1PR]

This is part of the reason we encourage the use of GMRS and ham as the antennas are shorter and can be mounted higher and in places a CB antenna can't. They also don't require tuning, have better audio, and aren't as susceptible to RFI.

that is not entirely true , sorry
if he has an rtt he will have most likely interference issues with the mount and antenna itself no matter what
Ive never had an amateur antenna I didnt have to tune ever so slightly to be honest

run the longest antenna you can, keep it high & in the clear, it needs to be properly grounded as well
not much metal on jeeps for an image plane

yes ham vhf, uhf , gmrs are far shorter antennas but also need the same attention

Ive had really good luck lately with a hood (lip) mounted NMO antenna, but jeep hoods might not work as well unless youre not afraid to drill a hole
keep it as far forward and in the clear

73

 

[madcratebuilder]

So you guys with these 102" whips, do you ever go off road? How do you keep the antenna from being ripped off? I use GMRS most of the time but when with a group that have CB I have a 30" center load, mag mount for the roof, good enough for vehicles close by. Even with the short antenna I have to take it off on tight trails.

 

[M Rose]

So you guys with these 102" whips, do you ever go off road? How do you keep the antenna from being ripped off? I use GMRS most of the time but when with a group that have CB I have a 30" center load, mag mount for the roof, good enough for vehicles close by. Even with the short antenna I have to take it off on tight trails.

The 102” whip is springy by itself and will almost double without breaking, then add a base spring to the mount and it’s a non issue... secondly. They make clips to tie the antenna down if you need to.

 

[Oklamopar]

So you guys with these 102" whips, do you ever go off road? How do you keep the antenna from being ripped off? I use GMRS most of the time but when with a group that have CB I have a 30" center load, mag mount for the roof, good enough for vehicles close by. Even with the short antenna I have to take it off on tight trails.

I go as much as I can. It beats on limbs. With a good spring i have had no issues. I have been running 102" steel whip for over 3 decades