Looking into a CB setup

[N P]

What's up guys.

I make a 115 mile road trip almost every weekend through rural Texas highways. I see a decent amount of trucker traffic all with big antennas and want to get in on some of the action.

The set-up I'm looking at is a Uniden PRO510XL and a Wilson trunk lip mount antenna. I plan on leaving the mount on till I sell the car in a couple years since the trunk lip mounts I've seen look pretty clean, and I'm quite lazy.

My question is, do you have to re-tune your antenna or reset your SWR everytime you remove and reinstall the whip? I've never had a CB so I don't know anything about this.

If you do have to reset or tune your SWR everytime then I will probably go with either the Lilttle Wil or the 1000 w/ a Short Load Adapter. This away I can park in and out of my garage with no problems, and I will just leave it on most of the time. If you don't have to reset your SWR everytime and can remove and reinstall the antenna quickly then I will probably go with the 1000 or 5000 with the 62" whip and only install the whip when I'm making roadtrips.

The clearance from my trunk lip to the ceiling of my garage entry is exactly 38".

Any advice?

Thanks,
N P

[chriskohtc]

If you remove the whip, you would probably have to re-tune it everytime..

UNLESS, you can get it to specifically the right length again. You COULD mark the position of the whip before taking it off, and simply putting it back together again, but I've never done that before, nor know how accurate that would be with regards to SWRs...

[fire65]

Sounds like a good setup. I like the 520 instead of the 510 just for the backlit display. With any antenna that you remove from the base, yes you will have to reset the SWR. You could probably just mark the antenna with a marker or file a reference line on it and get the SWR close enough to setting to do when reinstalling it. Just make sure it is set to specs before doing this. As far as length, CB=longer is better. Whips are 102 inches if that tells you anything. I think you will love it. SW Okla here and they are the best countermeasure for the money you can get.

[Freebird]

If you remove the whip, you would probably have to re-tune it everytime..

UNLESS, you can get it to specifically the right length again. You COULD mark the position of the whip before taking it off, and simply putting it back together again, but I've never done that before, nor know how accurate that would be with regards to SWRs...

Mark the whip before removing it and you will be at the same swr when you reinstall.

[Freebird]

Sounds like a good setup. I like the 520 instead of the 510 just for the backlit display. With any antenna that you remove from the base, yes you will have to reset the SWR. You could probably just mark the antenna with a marker or file a reference line on it and get the SWR close enough to setting to do when reinstalling it. Just make sure it is set to specs before doing this. As far as length, CB=longer is better. Whips are 102 inches if that tells you anything. I think you will love it. SW Okla here and they are the best countermeasure for the money you can get.

The best defense against instant on ambush on the open road money can buy.

[chriskohtc]

The best defense against instant on ambush on the open road money can buy.

Agreed! Assuming high trucker traffic though.

[N P]

Thanks for the replies guys..

How long does it take to reset SWRs? What is involved?
&
How flexible/durable are the steel whips? For instance would it be ok to pull under something like my garage door at low speed if the whip is around 15" too tall? Just letting it flex at the upper part. Would that put a permenent bend in the whip or damage it at all?

N P

ETA: Also, how effective would a Wilson 1000 w/ a 36" Short Load Adapter be compared to the Little Wil, 500, & 1000?

[Stealth Stalker]

Pulling into a garage generally isn't a problem. The whole whip just flexes in the middle and then bounces back without damage, unless you hit something really hard. What does happen though is people pull into their garage and don't notice that the tip of the whip gets hung up in the garage door opener or something, then when they try to pull out, it damages the whip, if not pulling the whole antenna off your car. Sometimes the garage door mechanism catches on the whip while it is opening or closing too, so be very aware of that.

[chriskohtc]

How long does it take to reset SWRs? What is involved?

Search online (or this forum). It usually involves a SWR Meter (about $12 from Fry's), calibrating your radio (ie: changing your antenna length, looking at SWR Meter, changing antenna length, looking at SWR Meter, repeat, repeat)

So, find your SWR once and get done with it!

[fire65]

Antenna Tuning