Where would you mount CB antenna on Class C

[SFVdave]

I want to put my old CB into the cab of my Class C. I have a mag mount, but the hood is fiberglass along with the top. Where on earth would you put it. I see they make hood mounts, but wouldn't the signal to the rear be poor? Plus, I would have to buy an stick antenna.

[SFVdave]

j-d, I ended up stopping at Home Depot and bought a 2x6 joist hanger. I came home and cut and bent it to fit the hood/fender. Then I mounted my "L" shaped bracket that I had. Put on the Firestick antenna and ran some new coax to it. Still getting off the charts SWR reading. I remove the L bracket and the new mount I made and re-bent the new hood bracket. I bent it so it was level and would accept the mag mount. I reinstalled the bent bracket I made on the fender and placed the mag mount on it. WOW!!! the SWR reading was 1.5:1. Maybe the "L" shaped bracket has a problem as when used with the Firestick, it gets very high readings. With mag mount its acceptable.
The mag mount with the new mounting bracket I made is very flimsy and would flop around and the base for the magnet isn't very large.

[Jim_Shoe]

Before you even think about buying one, you have to learn "CB Speak".
Here's the list. There will be a quiz. 🙂

[CA_Traveler]

NGP antennas use the coax for a ground plane and the range is limited perhaps very limited.

Here's something to try as it worked for me. Since I didn't know how the antenna would preform on my last rig I did the following:
1. Pick a reasonable location.
2. Mount the antenna on a board and strap it to the rig at the location - Note I did not drive the vehicle.
3. Connect a large wire from the antenna ground to the nearest frame location which for me was under the rig.
4. Make contacts note the signal level and ask them where they are located.
5. Run the engine and check for any engine electrical interference.
6. Mount the antenna and run a short heavy ground wire to the frame.

This method worked very well to help me determine where to place the antenna and I had close to a 4 mile range. Basically the steel in the MH became the ground plane. The MH house was steel framed and no doubt this helped with the antenna radiation. Aluminum and/or wood framed rigs wouldn't do as well.

Try it and see if it works for you.

[chinrv]

Ford E450. I stopped into a CB shop, picked up an antenna and a kind of Z-shaped bracket, opened the hood , ran the antenna wire from the cab through a hole in the firewall (squeezing through a rubber grommet)into the engine bay. Mounted the bracket on the inside edge of the fender using an already existing bolt hole, making sure it didn't interfere with the clearance when closing the hood, then attached the antenna cable and secured it along the inside of the fender. A very clean and easy installation -no drilling.

[Bumpyroad]

j-d wrote:
Or just get a piece of sheet steel and shape it to fasten to the inner edge of the fender, clearing the body line where the hood closes. Forming a metal shelf for your magnetic. I'm not a radio guru but I've worked with a number of CB installs. My thought is anything we do on a Class C is going to be suboptimal. Just get an antenna out into the air and go with it. You'll be able to communicate with nearby traffic and any convoy you're in.

years back I had a similar setup that mounted on the lip of the trunk, could hinge down into trunk or set upright. that should also work on hood. wasn't magnetic.
bumpy

[DaHose]

PO on mine ran large whips off a bracket connected to the mirror stalks.

Jose

[j-d]

Or just get a piece of sheet steel and shape it to fasten to the inner edge of the fender, clearing the body line where the hood closes. Forming a metal shelf for your magnetic. I'm not a radio guru but I've worked with a number of CB installs. My thought is anything we do on a Class C is going to be suboptimal. Just get an antenna out into the air and go with it. You'll be able to communicate with nearby traffic and any convoy you're in.

[garyhaupt]

Eyegor wrote:
Like Gary, I've got the CB AM/SSB antenna mounted to the left front fender on my C.

That's where are all the cool guys mount their CB antennas.:C


Gary Haupt

[Eyegor]

Like Gary, I've got the CB AM/SSB antenna mounted to the left front fender on my C. Unlike the pros I am lazy and just used my mag mount. On my older Ford, there is enough flat space on top of fender for the magnet to get a good grip. My SWR runs about 2.6 so not great, and I suspect there is a a huge radio shadow to the rear of the rig but I deal with it OK. Most of the time, I'm looking for reports from folks up ahead of me anyway.

[garyhaupt]

Sagecoachdriver wrote:
Garyhaupt- yes the hood is fiberglass not metal. Have you checked the match with an SWR meter?

When the radio was installed, the SWR was used, yes.


Gary Haupt

[pauldub]

I have an antenna on the driver side fender, mirroring the position of the am/fm antenna on the passenger side. It's not an optimum antenna but it works well enough and I had no problem tuning it to get a good SWR. An optimum mobile antenna would be a 102" whip, so don't immediately be put off by a less than optimum antenna. FYI, 102" would be the correct radius for a metal ground plane (a pizza pan isn't close).

[SFVdave]

Garyhaupt- yes the hood is fiberglass not metal. Have you checked the match with an SWR meter?

[DaHose]

You could always put a very small hole through the floor and pass some cable to an antenna attached to your grounded ladder or bumper out back.

Jose

[garyhaupt]

Sagecoachdriver wrote:
GaryHaupt, that's what I was looking at. Thanks,is it a motorhome or just a van? They make a van mount that the bracket is tilted for the slope of the hood. But what kind of T/R would I get with the cabover blocking the rear and so little GP to the front?
IAmichabod, I like your idea too. I actually tried using my mag mount and a pizza pan on the roof and couldn't get a good antenna match. All above 3:1.

It's a C that sits pretty high anyway. It is a lifted 4x4. That's why I am going to go to look at going to a NGP. Too, the hood itself is fiberglass, so the only metal is the fender. You maybe should check to see if yours is 'glass or metal.





Gary Haupt

[SFVdave]

GaryHaupt, that's what I was looking at. Thanks,is it a motorhome or just a van? They make a van mount that the bracket is tilted for the slope of the hood. But what kind of T/R would I get with the cabover blocking the rear and so little GP to the front?
IAmichabod, I like your idea too. I actually tried using my mag mount and a pizza pan on the roof and couldn't get a good antenna match. All above 3:1.