Date:         Sun, 3 Dec 2000 18:07:03 -0800
Reply-To:     Dana Morphew <kadm@PUGETSOUND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dana Morphew <kadm@PUGETSOUND.NET>
Organization: Dana's Mobile Carpet Steam
Subject:      Re: CB/Ham Radio Antenna Mounting [and choice]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The older, (at least 20 years), CBs had 5W of broadcast power.  You
might pick-up one of these older units at a garage sale and have 25%
more power.

-Dana-

> The thing to do is get the antenna with the most gain possible.  For example
> a 1/4 wave length antenna has 0dB gain or when you transmit you are
> transmitting at an effective 4W.  If you were to get a loaded coil for the
> bottom of the antenna it may give you something like a 3dB gain or 8W of
> effective transmitting power.  You will be hard pressed to find anything
> better than 3dB gain mobile antenna at 27MHz.  Now, let say you found that
> mystical 6dB gain antennas - the 4W radio would be transmitting at an
> effective output of 16W!  As you can see the quality of the antenna is the
> important thing.  One more word to the wise.  Get the antenna professionally
> turned with a SWR meter... if it isn't turned correctly you can damage your
> radio and it will not be running a peak efficiency.
>
> David Marshall