Cb Ant mount on XJ

[azshtr]

Where do you XJ owners mount your CB ant for best 1) performance 2) trail protection? I don't understand the idea behind radio waves and other space age electronic quantum issues. I want it for trail communications and general road trip blabber.

I am considering: mounting it to the roof rack in the front middle for what I believe is the ideal place but it would be very exposed. Other option I'm considering is side mount pass rear.

Thanks for the insight

[probable cause]

i know andy from ori has it on the driver side like between the tail light and that last side window.

[Clay]

I have a magnetic mount. Put it on the metal piece behind the rear seats. Seemed to work on the one trail I had it on. It is not like you have to reach very far when you are transmitting.

[Rogue XJ]

it'd be easiest to tell you where it hasn't worked for me... on the roof dead center with a magnetic base. It works fine to transmit and receive, but a dozen times a day it gets knocked over by low-slung tree branches, and I find myself altering my line to try and avoid them. I'll be getting a longer whip and mounting it to my homemade rear bumper with a dedicated bracket in a bit, and that should work fine for trail.

[jporvaz]

Wilson 1000 drilled through the center of the roof. Bangs on tree branches but doesn't fall off.

[rubicontrail]

36" Firestik No Ground Plane Antenna.
Firestik Right Angle Bracket (Mounted In Area Between Top Of Cargo Hatch And Body)

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=34082&stc=1&d=1172857355

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=34083&stc=1&d=1172857426

[vwkaferman]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j141/vwkaferman/fe4a85e4.jpg

Mine has NEVER been knocked off by a branch or anything. I forget which one it is, maybe Wilson? Bought it from the CB Exchange in Mesa (which I think he moved?).

Coverage is awesome, I can reach way further with this setup than my fellow Wrangler buddies, way more ground plane.

James

[Digger]

I have 2 cb antenas on my xj. One is mounted to the swing away spare tire rack on back. The other is a magnetic Wilson on the roof. They both work.
Go with the magnetic on roof, you won't have to get it tuned cause it uses the entire roof to recieve signals. and you won't get it knocked off by tree branches they are very thin and flexible and the magnet is a monster to move.

[rubicontrail]

Go with the magnetic on roof, you won't have to get it tuned cause it uses the entire roof to recieve signals.

EVERY CB antenna has to be tuned, magnetic or not, no ground plane or not. Having to high of an SWR will potentially damage your CB.

Either borrow an SWR meter or buy one from Radio Shack.

[Cave Gimp]

The best place to put it is in the dead center of the roof. It will enable you to use the entire roof as a ground plane. Your signals will be much cleaner. That being said, trees and garages are likely to cause issues with that mount. A flexible antenna, or a spring on the hard mount will help, but still pose an issue. If you mount it on the side or rear, you will want to still have a large portion of the antenna above the highest point of the XJ to get the best use. Again, this causes it to sit very high where trees will try to grab it. I have seen hard-mounts that you can rotate 90 degrees, so when driving to a trail you can have it standing straight up, then if you hit a trail with low clearance, just rotate it down.

It comes down to a trade-off. Do you want to have to adjust your lines sometimes like Rouge XJ does, or maybe not be able to communicate with someone?

[Papa Mo]

Firestick 5' w/noground plane cable (Not shown)
http://virtualjeepclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16466&stc=1&d=1197642252

[ROKBITR]

I had a magnetic type on the top of the roof, but I lost it one too many times. I put my new fire stix on the passenger side rear bumper. I actually get better reception now too!

[Sc00by]

Wilson 5000 mag mount on my roof rack.
Yes it gets knocked off by the low hanging stuff, BUT I have ZERO problem TX/RX :)

[Digger]

Never tuned mine, and it is 15 years old. Then again maybe I just got lucky with my radio shack brand radio. Had it in my Van.
The CB guru out in Mesa is the guy who advised me to get magnetic antena when I installed the radio in my XJ, and he didn't tune it.

[rubicontrail]

It might be pre-tuned and just happen to fall within a decent SWR level on your rig. But magnetic mounts have the same tuning issues as any other CB antenna. The first antenna I tried was a Cobra 19" magnetic... couldn't get the SWR down to save my life. I changed to the Firestik NGP and got really good SWR readings from the start. I tuned it and got even better.

[Digger]

mounts

[azshtr]

Thanks all, I picked up the firestick mount that goes above the tail light and wraps around the side. I favored keeping it safe vs optimum signal as its only for trail communications only.

[HvyHau8272]

Thanks all, I picked up the firestick mount that goes above the tail light and wraps around the side. I favored keeping it safe vs optimum signal as its only for trail communications only.

You wont loose any signal as long as you put a top load ant on with the load above the top of the vehicle. This will also still give you the roof as a ground plane.

I'm no CB internet expert but after driving over the road (Trucking) 22+ years I've been in a few CB shops across the country and this is what they have always told me.