Mounting on bumper.

dauphija#99 · Jun 7, 2010

I am looking to get a new cb antenna. Instead of mounting it on my roof like last time i am thinking of mounting it on my rear bumper on the left closest to the edge as possible. Have any of you guys done this? and have you had any troubles with it(cops) and any problems with it being on your bumper?

strvger · Jun 7, 2010

used to be a popular place to mount them. there were clips that mounted to the window gutter so you could pull the 102" whips down and hook them there for parking garages, etc. never heard of any conflicts with the law no matter where you mount it. and as long as the mounting is solid, can't imagine any other problems with it there. just remember your greatest gain (range) will be to the front, right of your truck, just opposite of where your antenna is mounted.

02RangerXLT · Jun 7, 2010

FWIW, I have mine mounted on my fender, on the drivers side, with a 4ft firestik, and I get about 8 miles range... if you check out my profile, theres a photo album on there for it... there was a gentlemen on the forum who mounted his on his pickup bed, and used an existing bolt for the tailgate to hold it on, I can't seem to find the thread, but its a teal lifted pickup, around a 94 or something I think.

Good luck!

dauphija#99 · Jun 7, 2010

strvger said:
used to be a popular place to mount them. there were clips that mounted to the window gutter so you could pull the 102" whips down and hook them there for parking garages, etc. never heard of any conflicts with the law no matter where you mount it. and as long as the mounting is solid, can't imagine any other problems with it there. just remember your greatest gain (range) will be to the front, right of your truck, just opposite of where your antenna is mounted.

Do you mean i wont get the distance I could be getting by mounting it there.

-Nathan- · Jun 8, 2010

heres how I mounted mine, just above my tail light

and the build thread:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80054&page=2

-Nathan- · Jun 8, 2010

02RangerXLT said:
FWIW, I have mine mounted on my fender, on the drivers side, with a 4ft firestik, and I get about 8 miles range... if you check out my profile, theres a photo album on there for it... there was a gentlemen on the forum who mounted his on his pickup bed, and used an existing bolt for the tailgate to hold it on, I can't seem to find the thread, but its a teal lifted pickup, around a 94 or something I think.

Good luck!

haha, just realized that you were talking about me

dauphija#99 · Jun 8, 2010

Nathan I am going to steal your idea I love it.

02RangerXLT · Jun 8, 2010

-Nathan- said:
haha, just realized that you were talking about me

Yep, good thing you chimed in too, cause I wasn't sure what your thread was called... :icon_twisted:

Edit: Hell yeah! I thought your truck was a 94, that was a good guess...

strvger · Jun 8, 2010

the most gain (range) follows where the most metal is on your truck. mount it in any corner and the most range will be toward the opposite corner. the metal on your truck becomes a ground plane and the gain will follow where there is the most metal serving as your ground.

chazzone · Jun 8, 2010

James.Dauphinee#99 said:
Do you mean i wont get the distance I could be getting by mounting it there.

You'll get the best transmission area by putting the antenna in the center of the largest/tallest flat surface. This is because the antenna uses that surface as a plane to transmit.

If you mount the antenna on the right rear bumper, it will significantly affect the transmission (think very little to the rear and right), and if it doesn't exceed the height of the cab, it'll choke the transmission forward, too.

Unless you plan on using a 102" whip, this is a bad place for antenna placement.

dauphija#99 · Jun 8, 2010

chazzone said:
You'll get the best transmission area by putting the antenna in the center of the largest/tallest flat surface. This is because the antenna uses that surface as a plane to transmit.

If you mount the antenna on the right rear bumper, it will significantly affect the transmission (think very little to the rear and right), and if it doesn't exceed the height of the cab, it'll choke the transmission forward, too.

Unless you plan on using a 102" whip, this is a bad place for antenna placement.

what about where nathan has his antenna with the bracket above the tail light? is that a bad spot?
you guys are helping alot I would be lost, hence why Iasked on here first.

-Nathan- · Jun 8, 2010

I am by no means an expert, but all I use my CB for is trail riding, and close proximity use with buddies, Im not looking to get mileS out of my unit. For what I want it works. Im sure there is a better spot, but this worked for me, and I like it.

strvger · Jun 8, 2010

x2 what Nathan said, you build out your communications like you build your truck... you build it to your needs. if it's only short range talking you need, then it doesn't matter much where the antenna goes. if you spend a lot of time on the freeway, then longer range will take priority. so, figure out what you really want it to do for you and go from there. seems like most of the information you need is already posted here for you to get the most out of it no matter what your using it for. so, just go for it and have fun!

4x4junkie · Jun 8, 2010

The biggest thing is to make sure the antenna is tuned for a good SWR (standing wave ratio) wherever you do mount it. Otherwise it could potentially damage your radio.
SWR meters can be had for around $20 last time I checked.

dauphija#99 · Jun 8, 2010

Thanks guys, big help. I am going to mount it where nathan has his. Its mostly for close or pretty close chats. thanks guys again big help.

Mounting on bumper.

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