| Author |
Message |
    
Johnbrowning
Junior Member
Username: Johnbrowning
Post Number: 25
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Friday, October 06, 2006 - 8:02 pm: | 
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I am trying to put together a last minute mobile rig. I have not had a radio in my mobile for years. I am going out of state and do not want to be on the road with no radio. I had to buy everything at a truck stop. The selection was very poor or over priced. I had to choose between 9feet or 18 feet of coax so I went with 18 feet. I got a stud mount and a 4 foot Cobra fiberglass antena. I am going to be mounting to the trunk of my car. I am going to run my President Lincoln since it is the smallest chasis I have. I was just woundering if these Cobra antenas are at least as good as a Fire Stick. It claims to be broad band 26-30MHZ. |
Dx431
Senior Member
Username: Dx431
Post Number: 1190
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 12:30 am: |
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What kinda car?
If feasible, I would install the 102" whip
off the bumper. Run enough min 8 (rg8x) to
go from the ant to the radio,check swr, if needed, add some grounding and your off and talking! Oh, don't forget the 6" heavy duty spring.;) |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1877
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 2:56 pm: |
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John, Its not a bad antenna at all and will perform really well for what you want to do with it. Before you tune it be sure that when you mount it to the trunk you get a good ground connection. If using a trunk mount make sure the allen screws dig into the paint or actually scrape off a bit of paint. If your going to atempt a magnet mount make sure its a BIG magnet. Those top loaded jobs will pull a stanard magnet right off on the highway.
I have used many top loaded tunable tip antennas and they are very very efficient. I used a Wilson Silver Load for years with excellent results. |
Johnbrowning
Junior Member
Username: Johnbrowning
Post Number: 26
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 8:27 pm: |
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Well, I made a braket to bolt to the sub-frame on my car so I can mount almost like a bumber mount. It is a 2003 Camry and has a plastic rear fascia/bumber. I welded a metal bar unto one of the tie down anors and bolted it back in place. So now that 4 foot antena is too short. I am going to take it back and get a 7 foot Fire Stick KW. No one in my area caries a 102inch whip. Even radio shack would have to order one! I do not have time for ordering. |
Johnbrowning
Junior Member
Username: Johnbrowning
Post Number: 33
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 4:54 pm: |
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Had no luck with any of the fiberglass antnea's. I simply could not find one physicaly tall enough to function proper. I tried a Francis,Rami,FireStick II and Firestick KW and the longest was 5 feet. The SWR reading would indicate long then as I shortened them they would go from long to short without ever hitting the sweet spot. I simply could not get enough of the antena above the roof line. My SWR's were hoveing in the 2.2-3.2 range. So today I went down to Radio Shack and picked up a 102inch SS whip and all is well now. My SWR is flat as a pancake across the ban 1.1:1-1.25:1 across the CB band. It also was well under on all of my bands onthe Lincoln!!! Now I have to run my coax and find a way to get it into the car. I wired my Lincoln up to a cigerete lighter ada[ter adn it seems to be working fine. |
