Antenna Help Please!
- Thread starter Landon
- Start date
Don-STOC237
STealer
Well, one of them is 13" tall and the other one is 31" tall. That would narrow it down to the shorter one, for me.
Also, the taller one is marked "sold out" on your source link.
Also, the taller one is marked "sold out" on your source link.
OP
OP
How would the height be affected by a passenger? Would a passenger interfer with signal on a short one versus a taller antenna?
I knew it was marked sold out, I sent them an email and asked when they anticipate to get more in.
Sink
TwiSTieholic
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2005
- Messages
- 770
- Location
- Denton, NE... very northern Kansas
- Bike
- ST 1100
- STOC #
- 6377
You usually don't really need much range out of your CB as you use it more when riding with others and you are pretty close together. the shorter one will probably look better. Personally, I would go for the taller one myself.... but then again, opinions are like..... well, nevermind!
OP
OP
Matter of opinion...but I think the taller would look better. I just was curious which one might be the best to use. I don't know much about them but I guess either will do the job.
This is what Firestik sent me last week in regard to the E-30 NGP.
Don't have any ... negotiating with a couple of part suppliers ... all to do with cost. If the kit coast exceeds that which will allow us to stay within a target retail range we may restock and continue ... otherwise it will be dropped permanently from the product line. It is unfortunate as it is a very popular item and we have hundreds of backorders. But ... economic sense is required. It has been a very bad year for anything that involves copper/brass et al. The commodity price went from 70-cents a pound to over $4/lbs and is currently in the $3.50 range. Everybody started speculating ... part inventories were reduced to zero and getting the needed materials became a battle. I suspect that we will know if it will be a restock or dumped item in a week or so. Even if the restock option is acted on ... it could still take some 60 days
OP
OP
I have the longer Firestick that I bought in January. Must have got one of the last ones!
Works well enough, although I don't have a lot to compare it to.
Works well enough, although I don't have a lot to compare it to.
A person sitting next to a short antenna will definitley have a negative effect on the SWR for CB transmission. It may not hurt for transmissions less than 1/4 mile, but it will have an impact at greater distances. Sink pointed out that you might not notice if your using it to riders close by. However I don't use my CB to talk to riders close by. I use it when we get spread out or in situations where our visual distance is reduced, like in a canyon, etc. A short antenna, that winds up degraded by a person sitting next to it, becomes useless when your fellow riders are spread a mile apart or are separated by other vehicles in a canyon.
I have this 3' Firestik NGP antenna mounted on my 1300. http://www.walcottcb.com/firestik-fg-noground-plane-foot-cb-antenna-kit-p-894.html
Yes, it has gotten pricier in the last few years. But I also know I can converse with a fellow rider, equipped with a similar antenna, at distances of two miles (or more if it's line of sight.) It doesn't look too bad on the back of my 1300 but of course that is subjective. A bike with no antenna usually looks visually better than ones that do but the ability to talk to other riders, listen to weather broadcasts, and hear LEO reports outweighs my need to have a visually acceptable antenna.
I have this 3' Firestik NGP antenna mounted on my 1300. http://www.walcottcb.com/firestik-fg-noground-plane-foot-cb-antenna-kit-p-894.html
Yes, it has gotten pricier in the last few years. But I also know I can converse with a fellow rider, equipped with a similar antenna, at distances of two miles (or more if it's line of sight.) It doesn't look too bad on the back of my 1300 but of course that is subjective. A bike with no antenna usually looks visually better than ones that do but the ability to talk to other riders, listen to weather broadcasts, and hear LEO reports outweighs my need to have a visually acceptable antenna.
OP
OP
Paul...you beat me to it! I was just going to post the question if there was another option for the NGP antenna that I was missing. I take it if I get the one you have linked I can throw the mounting bracket away and put the antenna on my bracket from MCL?
OP
OP
Is this antenna a thin whip kind or a more solid antenna? I don't know if it matters or not for function. Just curious.
Yes, you can mount this one to just about any other bracket. You *might* need to slightly drill out the mounting hole to accomodate the nylon inserts that comes with a NGP antenna. This is critical as the inserts are there to prevent any part of the mounting bolt to come into ground contact.
On your other question, it's a solid antenna.
OP
OP
That looks to be the same one that I got from Walcott.
Yes, it is the same one. I have purchased three of these antennas from Walcott and the last one was about $44 last year. So, this leads me to believe they are trying to make more profit, or paying more than West Coast. Or West Coast has not updated their own website to reflect their cost. Better jump on it now to get that price!
OP
OP
Ok...i ordered it from West Cost Mall. $52 after shipping but still cheaper than Walcott. Thanks for your help guys!
What color did you order? You *do* know they have different colors, right? Walcott tried to talk me into a white one once. I explained it was for a motorcycle and they decided to stop pushing the white one.
OP
OP
You had me worried for a minute! Just checked my order and it says Black.:bow1: Must be their standard on the site.
OP
OP
I also went ahead and ordered the J&M 2003 to go with it! Ordered it from Clays Radio Shop.
Landon -
If ya want to make an antenna mount, I'll be around this Sunday afternoon / evening and we could whip one up for you if you'd like. I have plenty of aluminum stock lying around the shop.
Eric
If ya want to make an antenna mount, I'll be around this Sunday afternoon / evening and we could whip one up for you if you'd like. I have plenty of aluminum stock lying around the shop.
Eric