frogslinger
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- Mar 23, 2010
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I see your cbradioschannel and raise you wearecb.com 
"The ground plane is the flat, metal surface needed to reflect your antenna's signal out. Essentially, the antenna transmits the signal downward, it strikes the ground plane, and is reflected out. The bigger your ground plane is, the better. Consequentially, the best place for your antenna is the center of the roof of your vehicle, IF it is metal and there is no sun roof. Some newer vehicles have fiberglass bodies that will not reflect the signal as metal would. The front or back fenders will give you good results as well. You must remember, though, that the signal will be weaker in the direction with no ground plane. For instance, if you mount your antenna on the front drivers side fender, you will have a weaker signal to the front-left of the vehicle."
The article you cited does not differentiate between transmission and reception... it is right if you are trying to be able to hear someone further off who is traveling in the opposite direction on the highway to you (the most common usage of a CB). In fact, ironically, you should hear everyone really well in the three quadrants you will transmit to worst. My suggestion would maximise your ability to transmit, whilst retaining the same level of reception (assuming the longer antenna). Under ideal conditions two way traffic should be possible in the 8-10 mile range straight forward using legal power levels. you would get close to the same performance to the rear, about half that to the left and probably 1/4 to 1 mile to the right.
For what you are describing your selection should be more than adequate though. Fiberglass antennae are almost all top loaded, so the length in that position is less of an issue. And in seriousness if you are only trying to reach out up to a mile you can pretty much go with any antenna mounted anywhere. Just make sure you get your SWR down in the 1s and you will be fine.
On my first trip to Iraq we used FRS radios because we were getting more range out of them than the multiple thousand dollar SINCGARS we had been issued. Mostly operator error of course and I have learned a lot since then.
"The ground plane is the flat, metal surface needed to reflect your antenna's signal out. Essentially, the antenna transmits the signal downward, it strikes the ground plane, and is reflected out. The bigger your ground plane is, the better. Consequentially, the best place for your antenna is the center of the roof of your vehicle, IF it is metal and there is no sun roof. Some newer vehicles have fiberglass bodies that will not reflect the signal as metal would. The front or back fenders will give you good results as well. You must remember, though, that the signal will be weaker in the direction with no ground plane. For instance, if you mount your antenna on the front drivers side fender, you will have a weaker signal to the front-left of the vehicle."
The article you cited does not differentiate between transmission and reception... it is right if you are trying to be able to hear someone further off who is traveling in the opposite direction on the highway to you (the most common usage of a CB). In fact, ironically, you should hear everyone really well in the three quadrants you will transmit to worst. My suggestion would maximise your ability to transmit, whilst retaining the same level of reception (assuming the longer antenna). Under ideal conditions two way traffic should be possible in the 8-10 mile range straight forward using legal power levels. you would get close to the same performance to the rear, about half that to the left and probably 1/4 to 1 mile to the right.
For what you are describing your selection should be more than adequate though. Fiberglass antennae are almost all top loaded, so the length in that position is less of an issue. And in seriousness if you are only trying to reach out up to a mile you can pretty much go with any antenna mounted anywhere. Just make sure you get your SWR down in the 1s and you will be fine.
On my first trip to Iraq we used FRS radios because we were getting more range out of them than the multiple thousand dollar SINCGARS we had been issued. Mostly operator error of course and I have learned a lot since then.
