GMGolden

So, I've tried searching for this without success. I read the post about cb antenna mounting locations and saw that putting an antenna between the rear glass and spare tire decreases range dramatically. I am planning on mounting my cb antenna to a custom bracket outside of the spare tire. It would be similar, in concept, to the Vector Offroad Exo Rack, linked below. Will this help solve some of the issues of mounting the antenna at the rear of the vehicle? My CB is a midland 75-822 if that matters.

https://vectoroffroad.com/products/exo-rack

akpostal

It needs to be farther forward to get a good ground plane if I remember antenna 101 correctly. That far back is going to limit your broadcast.

Mounted above the front fender closer to the windshield should be the best bet for range and reception.

Mr.T

I'm using is a stainless Quadratec mount attached with the tire carrier bolts. The mounting bolt pads were sanded for a good ground connection, and a separate #10 ground wire is added through the loom (along with the coax) connecting the tailgate to the body. On top of the mount is a quick-dissconnect and a medium spring, the antenna is a 2' firestik. The antenna only sticks up about 2 or 3 inches above the roof line so it's very unlikely to hit anything. It has surprisingly good range, no one has complained about reception either on or off-road.

I've had CB radios for 30+ years, and antennas that catch on stuff are a pain. A lot of people will say tailgate mounts and short antennas are a bad combo, but my experience is that it works pretty well given good grounding, installation, and tuning the SWR with the screw on the antenna tip.


Bad cell phone pic at dusk, but the antenna location relative to the roof line is visible...