Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 19:25:31 -0800
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: James Cohen <jscohen@m2.sprynet.com>
Subject: CB antennas
Just to have a last word on the antennas. The glass mount CB antenna that
Sean intalled will not get out "forward and to the right" as he said.
Location of the antenna is not influenced by the vehicles body unless is
uses the body as a "ground plane". And that means that the antenna must be
attached to the metal of the body.
The glass mount doesn't need a ground plane, so therefore the reception
will be omni directional, and the body of the van will BLOCK the signal
going to the front and left.
CB radios have mediocre transmit-recieve abilities at best, so using less
than the optimum antenna and placement makes everything worse. Using a
properly placed (read: on top of the roof) K40 or Wilson antenna will
probably give TX/RX 100-200% better gain over the glass mount. They
already claim like 100% over standard antennas.
So, if maximum gain is not a concern, then any antenna will do. If the
radio being talked to and from is very close then it will do fine. But if
one wants to be able to talk to someone a little farther away, or needs to
call for help in a desolate location then a better antenna set up is
mandatory.
By the way, I used to be "into" cb's in the late 70s and read books on
antenna theory. And what does this "maven" use? A K40 magnet mount
located through a hole in the luggage rack. Actually a less than optimum
location because it's not far enough back, but oh well.
But I hope all of you go and get CBs, the airways are no longer interesting
to listen to since the CB fad ended.
I hope this all helps somebody.
James
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James Cohen
New York City, and Williamstown Ma,
Aspen, CO (winters)
Alternate address:
stirling@aol.com
Red '93 Corrado VR6 SLC (Highly modified)
Red '87 GTI G60!! <----
and
'67 deluxe split window (9 pass.)
'71 Westy Breadloaf (high performance engine B&B)
'81, '85 Westy Vanagons
'83 9 passanger Vanagon
'66, '74 (9 pass) busses (decomposing)
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