How are people mounting a CB antenna like this picture?

 

With a bracket like in THIS write-up.

Another one

 

I have the bracket if your interested. .. somewhere .. just gotta find it

 

a bit offtopic, but that is one old picture ahh.the good ol days

 

I am...

 

My question is for that type of mount...(18' is the optimum amount of cable that I have read about)

What do you do with that extra 15' or so of cable you have left since you don't want to cut it off?

Or with any mount for that matter, unless you are running your antenna to the rear...

 

why wouldnt you want to cut off that much excess? your antenna is adjustable isnt it? tip wise?

I don't have that much excess the little bit I have is tucked behind where my CB is mounted...

Anyone else? mebbie its just me... but we just bought what length we needed...

 

You don't want to cut the cable becasue of the wavelength that CB's work with; 18' is 1/4 or 1/2 ( I can't remember) the total wavelength of the 27.xxx MHz band that CB's work in. Cutting it will dramatically effect the reception/transmission of the unit. As for tuning, what it does is lower the power feedback into the unit so you don't fry your radio; cutting the cable will make it virtually impossible to get below 3.0 SWR, which will fry the radio when transmitting for extened periods.

Go to http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs.htm for all the info you'll need for your CB setup.

 

Ah yes.
Vince took that pic on a scouting run him, Ken, and I were on.

Yes, never cut your cable.
The Firestik link rw supplied is the CB'ers bible.
Take your excess cable and wrap it like a yarn skein loosely, and not tightly round in a circle.
My excess is simply loosely fit under the front passenger mat.
I run an 18' cable.

 

Not exactly accurate, rwmorris. This link shows proper length. Must take into account propagational velocity of the cable.

If the antenna is tuned/grounded properly, then ANY length of coax will work just fine for single antenna installations.

 

See the link I supplied in the other CB post.
Coax length is very important in the CB range.
Most pro shops will tell you the same thing too.

PS, I quoted in the other CB post from Firestik's FAQ file, and here is another quote from the doc page rw supplied.

 

Most CB pro shops are not communications engineers.

Yes, 18ft is 1/2 wavelength of 27.2Mhz (center of CB band), but this only holds true for travel through free space. Speed through a cable is described as propagational velocity or velocity factor. Travelling through RG58 with PE insulation and 0.66 velocity, 11.9 feet is the 1/2 wavelength.

 

It's definitely easier to leave it as is than to break out the physics book...

If you want to move it for a change of pace or better reception, you'll run the risk of having too short of a cable if you alter the length. 18 ft will reach anywhere on the vehicle.

 

Sweet...i didn't understand any of that! Remind me never to get into a debate about physics with you.

I just went w/ what the Firestik folks said like Corey. However the above statement sounds credible enough.

Bob

 

All I ever got out of my college physics classes was a constant limb numbing headache I think I'll just stick with 18' when I get my CB and mount it on the passenger's side front wheel center cap...