Is a 2ft antenna too small even with it mounted on the rear center of a roof rack? Everything I read says the longer is better or higher. So if a 2ft antenna is mounted on the roof rack would you get the same performance?

I only need it for trail use so I assume I am fine I am also always in the woods so height is an issue

Looking to mount a CB to the rear of my gobi using a universal mounT plus I'll only have the antenna install when on the trail

Probably use a two foot fire stick with a spring. Only concern is how rigid the shorter fire sticks are

 

Antennas function as a physical representation of the radio frequency wavelength they're intended to operate on.

So let's do a walk through of how this light look to get an idea on antenna efficiency.

The wavelength of CB frequencies is roughly 11 meter or 36 feet for a full wavelength.

Most vertical antennas are 1/4 or 5/8 wavelength. The most common for noble being 1/4 wavelength.

So 36' / 4 = 9'. So a 9 foot 1/4 wave antenna would be a good efficiency antenna.

A 2' antenna would be about 4.5x smaller than a full size 1/4 wave antenna on the CB frequencies. That would be a very substantial reduction in efficiency.

To make a 2' antenna electrically resonant, the metal part of the antenna must be wound around and around the fiberglass insulator that's common among Firestick style antennas.

The winding of the wire reduces efficiency but allows resonance in a much smaller package.

Does it work? Yes. Will it perform like a full size 1/4 wave antenna? Of course not.

Now the key for you is... Do you need it to? If your use case only involves talking to other vehicles in a couple hundred yards, in all likelihood the 2', low efficiency antenna will be just fine.

If your use case involves much more than that, you'll likely be disappointed.

Nothing wrong with finding the right antenna for the job, even if it's a significant compromise, so long as you understand the compromise being made.

 

Boom. Makes sense. Guess I got into thinking placement is more important then how the antenna is engineered to work.

In the end I can always upgrade the antenna

Has to be better then the two way Motorola radios I'm currently using

 

Placement is second to antenna efficiency in most cases, and that may well be a good location. Of course, terrible placement/bonding to frame can nullify a great antenna.

Something else... These antennas are cheap. Buy a 2' unit for the woods and when you're back to the open road, swap it out for something larger. They just easily screw in/screw out.

They're only $20 a piece or so. Usually cheaper.

Something else to consider... Bonding of the rack to the frame. I don't know how/if the rack is grounded, but bonding the rack to the frame with copper braiding will make it a much more efficient counterpoise.

 

Appreciate the knowledge and help!