CB Antenna Mounts for Vehicles

All mobile CB antenna mounts - with the exception of No Ground systems - require a counterpoise, or reflective ground plane. Most of the time, this is the metal frame and/or body of the vehicle the antenna mount is located. Since the metal in your vehicle is half of a functioning antenna system, you NEED to make sure your antenna mount is grounded. In situations where a ground strap is needed, make sure to connect to the antenna mount - not the antenna stud or the antenna. Also keep ground straps as short as possible to be effective. Base station antennas and no ground antennas do not need to be grounded.

The best location for any CB antenna is the tallest point on a vehicle that's made of metal. In the case of cars, pickups, and vans, the center of the roof will provide the most evenly distributed RF signal. In pickup trucks, it's not uncommon to mount an antenna on the fender or bed rail. While not in the center of the roof, these locations are also valid. In semis / big trucks the most reliable location for an antenna is almost always the main driver's side mirror. Behind the cab installations, and on the side of the body of big trucks will usually result in significantly reduced performance.

A perfect quarter-wave CB antenna is around 9 feet long. The closer you get to that height, the better your performance will be. However, 9 feet is usually impractical for most installations. The average height of a great performing antenna is between 4-6 feet. You will notice a noticeable reduction in performance with antennas shorter than 4 feet.

Springs are always an optional attachment for any installation. However, it's very common in off-road vehicles, Jeeps, and pickups to use a spring under your antenna as you're more likely to hit things like tree limbs.