"Noltz" wrote in message
...
-=-=- SNIP -=-=-

Don't confuse "ground plane" with "RF ground". The antenna mount needs
a good RF ground to work well. Just about any part of the body of the
truck will work as an RF ground for an antenna (that's assuming the
body isn't fiberglass).

Yes, I realize the difference between them, and the truck has a metal
body
& bedsides. I did make that mistake with my first CB when I was 10, and
smoked the transmitter.

...
Too bad. A 102" whip would give you the best performance of any mobile
antenna, and is usually the cheapest, too. It will hit a few trees,
but you can tie it down with a lanyard while driving around town.

The problem with that is it'll be tied down 99½% of its life. And my
truck is a midsize riding at stock height. I don't want to subject my
neighbours to a 'red-neck' looking truck until it comes home lifted with
33"
tires.

Are thru-glass types REALLY bad?

Yes. -=REALLY=- bad.

That's exactly what I didn't want to hear, but suspected.
....

$120 for a fiberglass whip? Judas H. Priest, is the thing gold-plated?
snip
Through-glass antennas are the worst. Coming in a close second (for
different reasons) are NGP (No-Ground-Plane) antennas. And despite
what faith-based rationale others may offer, mag-mounts are included
in the list of NGP antennas.

No, but it might perform better if it was gold :-) I need EVERYTHING,
from the radio, coax, the mount, the stud, antenna, and SWR meter. My
hangup is the only place to mount a GP style antenna on my vehicle is on
the
front fender or roof. I really wanted to keep the height on this thing
down
while retaining decent transmit range, but that seems to be a
contradiction.

Use a standard 3/8-24 stud-type mount and you can use a wide variety
of antennas both cheap and expensive. You can mount the antenna just
about anywhere, but make sure that the mount has a good connection to
the body/chassis of the truck. Generally, higher is better. The rear
of the bed would be better than mounting it just behind the cab
because you won't have as much reflection/absorbtion from the roof.


I'm definately using a standard mount, and it'd be bolted down near the
tailgate, away from the cab.

So I guess my only question left is tuning. Can I tune a ground-plane
type antenna if there is no ground plane at the back of the truck? If
it's
mounted to the edge of the bed, the ground plane would be a 4" by 6 foot
strip of metal, not counting the floor of the box, of course. I've seen
antenna's mounted there before, but I have no idea if they work. Here's
my
options;
1) a 2' or 3' whip mounted to the left front fender, using the hood as a
ground plane.
2) a 2' whip mounted to the center of the roof, using that as a ground
plane
3) a 4' whip mounted to the edge of the bed at the rear of the truck, with
no effective "ground plane" available.

Which of these will give me the best performance for my money? I will
be
buying a SWR meter since 2 or 3 others at the shop will also be installing
radios. I'm looking at FireStik brand kits, as they've been recommended
everywhere and have an easy-to-adjust tip.

Thanks again, Frank.
-Noltez


Do you have a cap (shell) or a tool box that
goes from bed rail to bed rail?

Landshark


--
Treat people as if they were what
they ought to be and you will help
them become what they are capable
of becoming.