Whether you are talking about the most basic kind of radio system or the one jam-packed with the most sophisticated features, there is no change is the maximum output delivered by a CB radio as the FCC itself has determined it, and it is 4 watts for all CB radios. But if you want to work up the power of your transceiver, then a good quality CB antenna is required. The kind of antenna you choose to work with will decide what type of transmission power your system will have.
Mostly the following types of CB antennas are employed:
1. Base Unit Antennas
2. Mobile Unit Antennas
Base CB Antennas
A CB base antenna is made for used in an environment in which the radio is stationery sets; therefore the antenna could be much bigger. Base antennas vary in length from 3 to 18 feet in height. With not much work, you possibly can start a CB base antenna to speak for 25 – 30 miles away. You aren’t going to be in a position to install an 18 feet antenna on the 25 feet apartment or local community having strict HOA rules.
Base Station Antennas don’t require a substantial metallic ground plane similar to mobile antennas; there is a lot more flexibility whenever installing these items. It is essential to keep away from power lines and questionable tree limbs for primary safety reasons! It is important to note that the CB base antenna may be used along with any CB radio. You can include a 12-volt power source to the mobile radio to utilize it as the base.
CB Mobile Antennas
They can be categorized into the following types:
- Hustler twin antennas
- Whip antennas
Hustler twin antennas are based on a center-loaded design with the coil placed in the center. Truckers use these antennas mainly because of their ability to deliver premium signal strength and their enhanced performance of two antennas in one.
Whip antennas are crafted out of fiberglass or stainless steel. They can be used on any kind of normal-sized vehicle.
Factors influencing the purchase of a CB antenna. For buying the best CB antenna from the market, consider the correctness of the following factors:
1. Mounting location
2. Mount size
3. Length
4. Coil Type
1 – Mounting Location
You can consider your vehicle’s roof, bumper, trunk, hood channel, or mirror bars for mounting your CB antenna. There are specific merits and demerits of each of these locations and a choice between them can vary as per the nature of CB radio’s use and type of vehicle where the CB antenna is to be mounted. For optimal performance, the antenna should be mounted on the highest point possible, and the coil should be fixed somewhere above the roofline. Make sure you get your antenna appropriately grounded to the chassis of your vehicle. For special kind of vehicles that offer the least space for grounding, the NGP antennas are suitable.
2 – Mount Size
Mount size is another essential factor to consider. It is what determines how well your CB antenna sticks to your vehicle. If you don’t want to drill a hole or permanently attach an antenna to your vehicle, a magnetic mount is an excellent choice. Large antennas or heavy need another kind of mounts that can offer stronger support to the antenna whip.
3 – CB Antenna Length
It has been proven that the longer antennas typically perform better. So you should go for the longest Antenna that your installation allows for. Look for practicality and convenience in your CB antenna kit. Try to pick the portable options with easy removability.
4 – Coil Types
There are different types of CB antenna based on the load type or the coil placed inside them. Some vehicles require shorter antennas while the others require the longer ones. For catering to the needs of each of these antenna lengths, special coils are placed inside them that make them flexible as well as highly functional.
Benefits of a Good Quality CB Radio Antenna
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A CB radio can operate over a 27 MHz bandwidth and has access to 40 different channels. For making the CB radio work smoothly and effectively over this bandwidth, an efficient CB antenna can work wonders.
- CB antenna is the true determinant of the power and effectiveness of a CB radio. Naturally, all the CB radios are designed to deliver a maximum output of 4 watts only. Here the antenna can help a great deal in increasing the power and the range of the transceiver as a whole and also enhances the transmitting capabilities of the radio.
- Be sure that antenna you bought must have high-quality cable to run to your radio. Pay a bit extra as the excellent quality will help you to enhance the range of CB system.
- With a good quality CB antenna, you can communicate over large distances. CB is naturally a very large band and can help you widen your network rapidly by interacting with more people every day. This feature can be of great use at the time of emergencies, for delivering the latest news about the traffic and weather conditions, for guiding the travelers to their destinations, and all other types of on-road communication. You can get in touch with anyone within your territory any time with impressive sound clarity.
- There is a wide variety of CB antennas in the market nowadays. You can find the best antenna variety from one of the renowned CB brands called Stryker. It features its CB antennas under the categories of SR-A10, SR-5K and SR-2K. Users should always try to invest more into their CB antennas so that they can have the most outstanding communication experience possible.
Time to place the Order!
The importance of a CB antenna for a CB Radio can hardly be overemphasized. You cannot expect your CB radio to give its best shot if your CB antenna is a poor one. Hence the functionality of the CB radio is very much dependent on the power that a CB antenna adds to it. These aspects can be very much enhanced if you buy your CB antenna from a well-known brand and there is no better choice than Stryker in this regard!
Stryker CB antennas are designed to meet the demands of today’s CB radio users while reaching their levels of satisfaction. Stryker is currently performing all these jobs with unmatchable quality and perfection. Its powerful yet handy CB antennas feature all those noble specs and qualities that a CB’er would love to have for enhancing his experience with the CB system. With our CB antennas, you can expect durability and longevity as the antennas are enclosed in thermoplastic of mobay that will keep the assembly safe from any harmful effects of the weather or environment. Moreover, all antennas are warranted for 2 years that serves as a stamp of high quality for the Stryker CB antennas. That is another reason to be confident about all the Stryker offerings that you can avail at competitive rates.