CB Radio antenna replacement

[wkboard]

Have any of you replaced your antenna with a 2' antenna?

I have studied the Marshal Mod and don't know why a 2' top loaded antenna would not work.

I have an 89' VR with a single antenna. I will be interested to hear your experiences. Even 2nd gens, because the cb part works the same, just no splitter.

Thanks, Alan..

[BOO]

Think we just went through this recently although I didn't keep up with the thread.

If you are asking if you can use a 2' CB antenna for CB and am/fm, the answer is yes. But you need a duplexer (not a splitter) If you want to use two different antennas you can do that also and in both cases you need the duplexer.

Without the duplexer when you transmit on the CB you will over load the front end of the am/fm radio and maybe case damage.

Also the smaller CB antenna is not as efficient as a taller antenna.

Jerry

[stardbog]

Hi Allan Check out this one sounds resonable:

http://www.ysppart.com/pages/parts/home.aspx

 

It's $90 and made for 89VR. Antena is listed under #26:080402gudl_prv:

 

PS . Sorry Web site is returning to home page, but you can find under audio listing

[wkboard]

Thanks guys,

Everything works fine, the splitter/matcher/duplexer thingy is good, but the antenna is intermittent. the base is also very loose. (the plastic part of antenna)

Any way I think all is well except I can't decide if I want the 3' or 2' antenna. I actally want the 2' but I'm not sure if it will work. I think it will look good. The marshall mod writeup on Delphi Forums talks only about the 3'.

I like the fiberglass look better than the oem, and the new ones are only about 20 bucks! It will require a new base and connector and foldover fitting so I don't know what the total will be, but it should'nt be to bad.

[BOO]

I on the other hand don't care for the fiberglass look, guess that's why they make so many different ones.

I actually wish the CB antenna on the second gens was base loaded so that I only had two wires sticking up.

Evidently there are some base loaded CB antenna for bikes around because I notice the Harley bikes have some antenna that are just wires sticking up and painted black.

Jerry

[wkboard]

I e-mailed the guy that did the Marshall Mod. (from mthe Delphi link)

He responded that they had indeed used 2' antennas on one of the test bikes and it worked very well. He also sugested that I stay away from the other brands, as the firestiks blew them all away in the tests.

I am now contemplating (HUH: to big of a word:rotf: ) fixin to get me a 2 footer and try it out.

Boo: I have seen several other wire antennas in my search. most of the base loaded ones come with a spring mount of some kind, but probably could be modified? I really didn't pay them to much atten. cause I like the fiberglass.

Alan..

[BOO]

When you decide what you are going to do we need to see the pictures.

You could email Marshal direct, he's on our list here. Think his user name is hugbare or something like that.

Jerry

[wkboard]

Thanks BOO!!

Thanks Hugbare!!

[Bummer]

For those who like wire antennas, Firestik distributes the Venice Kit; a base loaded wire antenna with a built in swivel base. It looks good and comes from the Firestik people so it should be good, but I've been unable to actually find one.

[Freebird]

I do like that. I have the Firefly models on mine now but do prefer the wire type. The thing is, I have a matching FM antenna that they used to make...don't know if they still do or not. To make it look right, you would need an FM antenna that sort of looks the same if you use a dual setup.

[Roy Hoffman]

If you do the Marshall mod when ordering your parts, do not spend the money for the fold down connectors!! I got everything with the 3' Firesticks, and used 90' connectors. The fold downs are worth nothing, there is so much play in them that yhey don't always make contact. I had mine on for about 10 mile trip and took them off, what a difference !! I also had the original cb antenna break and the stealer would not replace it under warranty.

[Bummer]

I do like that. I have the Firefly models on mine now but do prefer the wire type. The thing is, I have a matching FM antenna that they used to make...don't know if they still do or not. To make it look right, you would need an FM antenna that sort of looks the same if you use a dual setup.

Couldn't you use two of them? Pretty much any wire will pick up FM. Or use the Firestik AR1A splitter and just have one antenna. If you like the look. The splitter can be made to fit in the CB box by shortening its wires. You have to change the plugs on the splitter to motorolas, but that's no big deal at all.

 

Right now I have a single Firefly. It works great, but the wife says the tip makes noise at speed, probably because I used the pretty chrome folding mount from the Marshall Mod, and as Roy Hoffman mentioned it's just too loose, even after bending apart the two sides of the hinge.

 

I'm going to change over to the Venice when I can find one.

[wkboard]

OK, I'm getting closer. I got an SWR meter from my father in law. (heathkit HM-102) It's been so long since he used it that he can't remember how to calibrate it.

All of the swr meters that I have ever used have a "TEST" mark on the meter. This one does not. (Did I mention there is no manual for it)

I have looked on the Net and all I can find is a reference to setting it to the null. I don't know how to do that. If I can't even calibrate the meter, then I can't believe my readings.

I'm trying not to be frustrated, but getting close.

Anyone know anything about this??

Thanks, Alan..

[Hugbare]

For those who would like to go to a single antenna on the

RSV or for that matter, would like to get rid of the splitter on

the 1g bikes, yet keep the single whip, may I recommend

the HyLites TT2C2 AM/FM hidden Antenna ...

 

Link

http://www.ecshylites.citymax.com/page/page/603561.htm

 

And what it looks like installed on the RSV:

http://www.ecshylites.citymax.com/page/page/1574644.htm

 

I personally know both these gents who submitted the install Pictures

and did the write-up ... Butch lives very close and I trust his judgement

on the antenna's performance .. and Ken is also a good friend ...

 

Both report as good a results as the MarshallMod on the AM/FM side, plus

you can take the AM/FM antenna off. "That ole power robber ... ..

Uh, rite ...

[Freebird]

I'm just glad you are finally admitting that the AM/FM DOES rob power from the CB. I told you that so many times that you finally got mad at me about it even after I posted to you where Firestik ALSO says that the single setup is better. That being said, I still like the looks of the dual setup better and CB are not designed for great distance anyway. As long as I can talk to and hear riders in my group...that's all I care about.

[Hugbare]

Yeah, after working with the Firestik engineers for the past 5 years on

the MarshallMod project they finally showed me where the 30% loss is ...

I checked what they told me with a certified and calibrated Field strength

meter and they were totally right ... That loss is parallel to the AM/FM

antenna, left to right and not front to rear ... No wonder that ole Firestik

still gives me a good 5 mile range front to rear .. So Don, I apologize in the

fullest extent and ask your forgiveness for my crazy ways .... After being

a communications engineer for the past 42 year, I should have known better.

I see the same thing on dual antenna military systems running 8 - 10 KW

power. Amazing huh ... ...

 

Also, the Venice and Rome antenna which are base loaded with the wire

are not really good, because the coil is just big enough to rub against the

top trunk and they are really hard to tune .. Look good though ...

I am not 100% sure Firestik is still distributing them ... Looked at all the

CB distribution site that I know of and could not find them listed at

any of the sites or they were listed as Out Of Stock or Unavailable

 

For the fold down's, some are sloppy, some are not .. If you

still need the fold down capability, use the Firestik DV-SB wide base,

DV-SBS which has a nice spring or the DV-90 ... There is no slop in these

and are fairly new and work well ... Have tested all three ... My favorite

is the DV-SB ....

 

Don aren't you using the Firestik AM/FM 3' whip ?? These worked really

well, sorry they quit making them ...

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++

PS

 

I just finished testing the Firestik Splitter and it is the best of the 4 - 5

other splitter systems I have seen, including the OEM 1g splitter ... There

is virtually no power loss on this splitter like on the OEM splitter ... So,

if you 1g guys need a splitter, this one works really well ...

[Freebird]

No problem...wasn't really asking for nor expecting an apology..just giving you a bit of a hard time .. all in fun. But since you offered an apology, I accept it of course and that is another thing that we can put behind us.

 

Like I said, it's not important to me how far I can get out and I do like the looks of the dual setup. So long as I can communicate with the group, that's all I'm after.

 

I have the folding euro type mounts on mine. You tighten them with either the big wing nut or the key with the anti-theft setup. They are very tight and easy to fold but I've never been crazy about the looks of them.

[Hugbare]

Roger that .. I think the Key looks gaudy, but the SLS locking system

cleans them up pretty well ... Matter of preference I reckon ... Glad it

is behind us ...