CB Antenna Advice

[Lead K9]

Hello,

My current FireStick CB antenna is destroyed on the tip. The tuning piece is gone and the wiring is exposed. I assume this is from driving the Jeep into the parking garage near work with the antenna in place.

First, is it fixable by simply applying duct or electrical tape to the tip?

If not, any suggestions on what to get as a replacement? If I use the same type, I will have to go back to taking it on and off. I'm not really happy with the FireStick. Not only do I have to worry about the low garage roofs that seem to plague the Chicagoland area, but it does not seem to do well in the woods. It is hard to get a reception unless the other vehicle is practically next to mine. Could be the tuning though. What else should I consider?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[tacoclifford]

If the tunable tip is missing. Your basically out of luck. As far as I know, that brass tip is the only way to tune the antenna. As for a different antenna option, it all depends on where that antenna is mounted. You could always get a shorter fire stick. If the majority of the antenna is above the roofline you can try a center loaded “trucker antenna” Which is basically a short steel rod with a coil on top of that. Then a long whip on top of that. They gives the best reception but, that coil needs to be above the roof line to get the most out of it. You could also get a whip type of antenna. Usually those are magnet mounted. And have to usually be thrown on the roof

 

[Lead K9]

I have a Wrangler and like having the antenna mounted to the tailgate so I can use the CB with the top off. So the magnetic ones are out for me.

Wouldn't a shorter FireStick reduce the range of the radio? The one I have now is four feet. I saw some online that are two feet. That might work for daily driving, but how would that perform off-road when I need it? Again, my setup hasn't worked the greatest in the woods.

I might skip the online purchase and take it to a local shop in case I am not tuning it properly.

 

[tacoclifford]

Well most if not all have 102” of wire wound under the black jacket of the antenna. So if you look at that antenna, you will see where the wire is wound tighter. That is the section that you want above the roof line. I’m no expert but to my knowledge, a taller antenna just gets your signal higher off the ground which generally does mean that you will get better range but that’s mostly just because of the curvature is the earth. The taller the antenna, the further out on the horizon it will reach. I would think for your purpose, a 3 foot or even a 2 foot antenna should suit your needs. If you wanted to keep your taller antenna, you might want to try putting a spring under it. That might help with breaking tips and things like that.

 

[sabjku]

I use a 2ft Firestick almost 100% of the time and it works fine, even in the woods. That’s of course when it’s not a huge group spread out over an extended range.

It sounds like your issue is with tuning, or not a great ground. With a new Firestick, and timed properly, even at only 2ft, you should absolutely be able to communicate clearly with those near you.

Here’s a pic to show where mine sits.

 

[Prerunner1982]

http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FST-TIPS.htm

 

[Lead K9]

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice!

http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FST-TIPS.htm

Replacing the tip is a great idea, but the wiring just below there is expired too. It isn't too expensive to replace the antenna. Maybe I should consider the two-footer and learn how to properly tune it. Is it as simple as just turning the tip until I get reception?

 

[tacoclifford]

It’s fairly easy. You will need an swr meter. They’re cheap And there’s tons of videos online to guid you through the process

 

[Winterpeg]

1 thing I also did is shrink-wrap the end with some heavy duty shrink wrap for heavy cables like welding cables.... I used red to blend in with the red tip.

Previously I lost the rubber protective end a few times due to trees, etc. and this has remedied this issue for me.