Bear with me please, I know I’m beating this to death but I haven’t decided on CB antenna location and would like your-all’s help/input. I did read the posts from 4 years back on locations, but how have they held up and how have they performed? http://www.nexterra.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3801

Local trails here, seem to have a lot of overhanging branches and trees that will clear off any kind of roof or rack mount. So I’m tentatively limiting mounting locations to below the roof line but high enough to have the antenna extend above the roof line. I think this leaves me with three locations; front bumper, the hood seam or the rear hatch frame.

The Front bumper looks to be the simplest – just drill a thru hole in the top of the Shrock bumper and bolt it up. Run the ground to an engine compartment ground and the Coax through the fire wall.

The hood seam mount will require drilling a few hidden holes into the fender sheet metal and in my opinion looks the least attractive but it also has the most freedom to be pushed around on its spring.

The rear hatch looks the neatest but does require drilling holes and installing with sheet metal screws. Nuts and bolts would have been be preferred if possible. It would be mounted on the driver side to not interfere with bringing canoes on and off the passenger side.

My concern is pretty much the same for all three locations: How well will it tune? Will the CB be able to reach out well enough in all directions to communicate with everyone at a wheeling location like GG. How well will it hold up? I believe I’ve seen photos of antennas in all three locations, so I’m hoping to get feedback from you all on what has worked well and what wasn’t satisfactory.

Thanks all,
Scott

Take a look at where mine is mounted: Navigation and Communication. I have a 2' No Ground Plane Firestik. The folder-over adapter has since been remove, and I just have a spring attached to the Fourtreks mount. no drilling required.

Your Shrock is grounded...just sayin


Sent from 718 using Tapatalk...

IIRC, if you use a bumper mount (esepcially in the rear) or a similar location, you will need a "no ground plane" antenna. A standard antenna needs a flat surface (ground plane) to reflect the radio waves. If a standard antenna is not mounted above a flat surface, you may experience problems.

Personally, I use a roof mount with a steel whip antenna somewhere between 3 and 4 feet long. I have an "EZ Over" on the mounting that lets me fold it down when off-road (or in parking garages), and it will still transmit and receive when folded down. I have nothing against other possible locations, but I feel that when on the road you get more distance from a roof-top mount.

k_enn

My understanding is that ground verse no ground is not referring to an electrical ground. (FWIW, the antenna is electrically grounded back to the radio through the co-ax). Rather it is referring to a "ground plane", i.e. a flat horizontal surface to reflect the transmitted signal. For over 10 years, I used an antenna that is not mounted on an electrically grounded surface (mine is mounted to the roof rack, which is not electrically grounded).

I've had a regular 4' ground plane firestick mounted on my front Shrock without a ground wire for 10 years without issue. Tuned just fine, folks hear me and if their junk works I hear them


Sent from 718 using Tapatalk...

Like I said, you don't need an electrical ground wire (other the ground through the co-ax). I don't have a ground wire on mine either, and no problems. (When I once tried a separate ground wire, it threw the SWR way off).

You may be lucky having enough antenna above the hood surface to get away with it. But why take a chance if you don't anything installed yet - be safe an go with a "no ground" if you are going to use that location (or anything similar).

For what's its worth,mine is mounted on my rear tire carrier and was a major pain to tune. I had to run a ground wire directly to the frame an play with it. I can hear everything I need to. I'd assume a rear hatch side mount would be similar. I bought a hatch mount a while back but could never get the mount to fit how I wanted it.

A ground plane antenna needs to be grounded to the vehicle.

http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/GP-or-NGP.htm


Sent from 718 using Tapatalk...

Have a 3' firestik ngp on my Shrockworks tire carrier and it's all good. If I can do it without overthinking it... Anyone can. I tuned it close enough, I'm a mechanical friggin idiot.

I had a magnetic mount up there. What a pita. Little branches wipe it out. I only use it off road and on the way to runs anyway so screw the roof mount.

i have a 3' firestik ngp on my frontier. it was located on the roof rack at first, completely above the roof line. it did hit overhanging branches on runs, but the spring did what it does. wheeling is all low speed anyway(unless you are mayo) so there is no issue with overhead trail branches. it definitely hit stuff, but there was no damage from it. i would be more worried about low bridges at street speed. i was 9'6" when it was up there and i never came across an underpass with less than a 10' height.

now its mounted to my utilitrack rail in the bed. there is roughly 1' sticking above the roof line. there was no noticeable change in performance. it still works great. if i remember right from what i read about a ngp setup it tunes the antenna and cable, since it isn't grounded to the vehicle and relying on the vehicle or its location on the vehicle to work properly there is no need to re-tune when you move its location.(ill pull my meter out when i get a chance and check the tune, now im curious)

jordan(mainerX) has a 2' firestik mounted to his roof rack. im not sure if its gp or ngp. he goes on runs a lot and doesn't seem to have issues with it up there. maybe the roof isn't an option for you, just thought i would mention it.

mixxali4 showed me this little jammy some years ago. Just bought my third one and installed it yesterday. Im running 5' firestik ii w spring. Wiring throughout the interior. 1st time was a tree, and second time was rust due to a poor sealing job by me - in case ya'll was wondering. Live n learn. I have it mounted behind my drivers side rear wheel well.

http://www.firestik.com/Instl-Text/m-2-inst.jpg

http://www.firestik.com/images/m-2.jpg

They have a solid stainless steel one too that I bought but the coax connects to the ant on the exterior making it exposed to the elements.

For $20 cant go wrong. Sealed it up w some HD 3M shite.

the following may be guidance on ground plane, not ground plane, and electrical ground (which is not the same a ground plane):

http://www.wearecb.com/cb-antenna-ground-plane.html

k_enn