Personally, I'd spend the $70, and buy a Wilson 1000 magmount, put it
right in the middle of the hood, tune it up, and be happy with it.

-SSB

Noltz wrote:

I'd like to first say I did browse through the 646 messages my server
currently has stored, and didn't find an answer to my question before I
decided to post this. I hope I'm not repeating a question that was just
answered. There are no 4x4 clubs around to ask, and members from the ones I
managed to contact via email were very unhelpful, with the common response
being "just plug it in man".

I'd like to mount a CB radio into my Dakota for off-road use, to talk with
a few co-workers who are also doing the same. I figured it'd be easy, just
buy a radio & antenna, wire it up and we're off. I've already decided on a
small Cobra unit rated at 4 watts, but the antenna is what worries me. One
of my co-workers bought a magnetic stick on, about 26" long, and it
performed very poorly. Less than ½ mile range with my Radio Shack hand
held. That's when I started researching antennas and found out about ground
plane vs. NGP, wavelengths and the like. Like bellybuttons, everyone has an
opinion on the best setup.

My question is this; I'd LIKE to use a thru-the-glass antenna for
simplicity & cost. I'd be WILLING to use a 3 or 4 foot fiberglass, but I'd
want to mount it to the edge of the bedside, so there's no (or insufficient)
ground plane there. A 102" whip is out of the question, my neighbors would
have a field day. Are thru-glass types REALLY bad? Theoretically speaking,
in the real world environment of buildings and buses, what kind of range
loss would I experience? At twice the cost ($50 vs. $120), a fiberglass
isn't out of the question, but what range increase could I expect with a NGP
4' fiberglass whip mounted at the rear of the bed near the tailgate? And
finally, should I run separate power and ground lines direct to the battery,
or can I use the ignition switched cigar lighter power for supply? Again,
it's a stock Cobra 4 watt transceiver.

Thanks in advance,
-Noltez
(Searching for answers)