Installing Dual Antennas For Your CB Radio. Co-Phased And Switched Setups.

[@KageShi]

In a car for multiple band coverage I have used a Duplexer/Triplexer that allowed me to use 2-3 differently tuned antennas on one radio and it would route my RF to the correct antenna for the band I was using at the time. I'm back to multiple radios in my car now and one of my antennas covers 118-580mhz and other covers 22-50mhz. I have each antenna on power folder mounts allowing me to raise/lower them as needed for city life.. Lower the whip when there are low trees or wires and both when I have to use a parking structure.

[@CBHandleYamahaRider]

Eric I got 2 Cobra Model HG A1500 300 Watt Antenna's. Plus i ordered PL259 Coax Splitter & Adapter for my hand held Cobra cb radio. I'm gonna stick them on either side of my BBQ. So should i get a SWR meter or do you think it's good. oh & I always clean off my BBQ side metal table's. I have been asking people if i sound ok & they say i'm sounding Good I got 3 response's so far. Let me know what you think. Thanks Eric.

[@FarpointFarms]

YES! I just installed a HG A1500 on my car and it needed a lot of adjustment to get it right.

[@CBHandleYamahaRider]

@@FarpointFarms Sweet!

[@stevenhitt6954]

Cophased antennas work by directing the same power in fewer directions. This is how all directional (beam) antennas work. At 9 feet a cophased setup will have more gain in two directions (to the front and rear of the truck) than a smaller separation between antenna, although even with 9 feet of separation it still isn't very directional. Something that I don't think a lot of people realize, the layout of the vehicle itself will often have more of an effect than running cophased antennas. And when it comes to the losses from using an antenna switch, if there is enough that you notice a difference then the switch has a problem. I have actually measured losses through antenna switches, and even things like SWR meters and pl-259 connectors. Whenever people talk about losses in these devices, they always seem to greatly overestimate the actual losses present. In fact, the losses were so low that to measure a pl-259 connector I had to string 11 of them together to get accurate results, and that was with a vna that can measure down to 0.01 dB of loss.

[@FarpointFarms]

Good to know about those real world DB losses. It makes putting a lightning arrestor on an easier choice.

[@HearGear]

How about this, lets say i have a 70mhz radio and a 27mhz radio inside my house, the 70mhz has two antennas with a switch like the one you are talking about in this video, and the 27mhz just have one antenna, it makes it a total of three antennas, how ever, there will always only be two antennas in use at the same time, one from the 70mhz and the one from the 27mhz. My question is: does it matter about distance between those two antennas that are in use at the same time or can i just put them with some feets apart from each other ? Thanks..

[@FarpointFarms]

Put them a few feet apart and you should be fine.

[@genderization]

I use a coaxial switch to quickly change radios and have wondered if it would work for antennas as well good info great video

[@jamesrosso8882]

Thank you! You answered a question for me in the first minute of your video! Matching antenna!

[@FarpointFarms]

Glad I cold help!

[@arconeagain]

What was the question?

[@gerowen]

Also I've seen people use those switches in reverse; two radios to one antenna so that they could have a radio in their living room and a radio in their bedroom, and switch between them depending on which radio they felt like using to avoid bothering family members. I tried it once and maybe it was a cheap switch, but even with stock, factory radios, when I keyed up on one radio, the S needle on the other radio would quiver a little bit, so I got a little bit concerned about how good, or terrible of a job that switch was doing in isolating the unused output from signals traversing the other input/output connections. With 2 antennas to one radio, if there's a small amount of current running into the unused antenna I imagine it wouldn't be an issue, but when it's another radio on that unused line, I was concerned I might damage something in the unused radio.

[@FarpointFarms]

Interesting. I had been thinking about running a second run of wire into the house so I could have a base station in my house as well as the one I already have setup in the garage. Its freaking cold to be out there sometimes during the winter, and having a setup in the house would get more use. I had even thought about using that a/b switch for that exact use, but wasn't sure it would work for it. Sounds like it would probably ok, but after I watched your video on how you made your antenna mast for your A99 I started thinking about putting up something like that and maybe trying my hand at making a home brew base antenna. Spring is coming, and I can't wait to get back out on the property to play!

[@gavinjary]

Hi, great video, what is the official name for the splitter of the co phased antenna cable please. I'm struggling to find one with quality cable like pictured in the video. Thanks

[@johnyoung1128]

They are sometimes called phasing harnesses.

[@gerowen]

Re: @4:30 I remember when I had one of those home-made "Power Deluxe 250A" base station power supplies/amplifiers, if I didn't turn on the pre-amp, stations that were normally distant were noticeably quieter than when I hooked the feedline directly into the radio itself. I opened up the unit and double checked all of the connections, replaced the panel jacks thinking maybe they were just old and worn out and never could eliminate that loss. Since I preferred running barefoot 99% of the time I just sold the thing off to somebody else. Since then I've done some reading and tried to make sure I have quality coax and connectors, and keep the number of connections to a minimum because even just an SWR meter will introduce an impedance bump and some small amount of loss just from being a non-contiguous piece of cable between your radio and antenna.

[@FarpointFarms]

Totally true, and often overlooked. At 4 watts, every little "leak" starts to really ad up. I usually set my swr, and then run right from the antenna to the radio. nothing in between. I did notice that you mentioned in one of your videos that you were using r400 cable. tell me more about that if you would. I use R213 And its about the same thickness as the stuff in your video, but maybe R400 is better?

[@gerowen]

From what I've seen on charts, the difference is neglibible; it's like a 0.1dB per 100ft difference in loss if I recall correctly. The 400 is double shielded so it's a bit stiffer, but if you've already got 213 I would imagine you wouldn't see any real improvement by moving over to the 400. I just got the 400 because I was only doing a 100 foot run and since it goes through the floor right under my computer, I figured the additional shielding might help eliminate some of the electrical noise from the UPS and computer.

[@bpdenverco]

Can you please explain how to do a SWR for dual truck antenna . I’d do each one separate numbers are good, when I do a SWR will both are in place, my 20 and 40 are good, my 1 goes way up…maybe make. A video. I have 2 Wilson’s

[@FarpointFarms]

Hmm. That's a new one. I'll look into it!

[@waynedoomad2573]

Great video, how far apart to place gmrs & cb antennas on a tower

[@BabaOsei]

when you check your swrs where do you put the RF knob, is all the way down, half way or full way?

[@FarpointFarms]

All the way up.

[@BabaOsei]

@@FarpointFarms thank you for responding....Im not hearing any skip from North and south Carolina here in Central Florida, only skip from NE and NW

[@chriscruz1829]

I have this set up on my truck with the Two antennas I just don't know what that Y bridge is called to order the truck never had it just to little male in the middle console could you help lol I'm rocking a little will and the truck is setup for so much more

[@WilliamCalderon-yv3rr]

Can you use one of those coax with dipole antenna

[@FarpointFarms]

Yes, it should work great!

[@foxhound4748]

I know they are not the same, but what do you think would happen if a guy co-phased an Imax2000, and an Antron 99 in a base station application mounted 20ft apart?

[@FarpointFarms]

I think that would cause issues with imbalance.

[@foxhound4748]

@Farpoint Farms Yeah, I think you're right. I wish I could see the radio waves on a monitor live action. Like how an xray shows our bones. I wish I could do the same thing with radio waves off my antenna.

[@bradyseitz2883]

I run a bearcat 980SSb for side band but I wanna have a AM cb running on channel 19. While I'm driving around while using side ban. Are you capable of running to CBs with 2 separate and antennas the same vehicle on a car

[@FarpointFarms]

You can with an Ab Switch

[@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee]

I havent been back this far ,, good video Erik 👍

[@FarpointFarms]

Thanks 👍

[@leesaville1284]

When we where setting up our cophased antennas we would use high quality 75 ohm TV coax cables down to a PL58 T joiner,then from the joiner to the radio we would use 50 ohm cj58 cu coax.We would use what us Aussies would call a bush master they where a 4 foot helical whip with a adjustable tip,which made it a breeze to set the SWR.

[@FarpointFarms]

Really? That doesn't seem like it would work. Cool though!

[@leesaville1284]

@@FarpointFarms I used to do communications as a job.I installed CB,UHF and VHF we sold mostly Electrophone gear and some Phillips now and then.We installed them in cars,buses,trucks and water vessels.We also installed the bigger Codan Sideband sets ,to tourist bus services so they could call The Royal Flying Doctor services in case of emergency (there where no mobile phones then)

[@anthonysorrenti3661]

If there was two antennas on the truck can you just use one do I have to change the dual cable to the cb to a single cable

[@DeadInsideButStillSmiling]

I bought a dual antenna kit that I installed on my pickup. The cables came equal length,and the two antennas are of course identical. Does that mean my setup is only directional and,if so,how do I know what direction?

[@FarpointFarms]

It is directional to the sides. It will still get out and hear from the front and rear, but it will be better off to the sides.

[@arconeagain]

If the antennas are fed in phase and mounted on say the mirrors (not inline with the vehicle), the pattern will likely be broadside to the line of antennas. In other words, radiating in front and behind the car, so the opposite of what his reply says. Anyway, don't listen to a single word this idiot says, he doesn't know what he is talking about.

[@BATCHAGALOOP-ny2cy]

i have two firestick antennas co phased in my attic they work great about 10 feet apart

[@FarpointFarms]

Good to hear. SWR is Ok with that setup?

[@asocialconsciousness8535]

and how does the swr tuning process differ?

[@FarpointFarms]

I adjust each one alone, and then do a final check as a pair.

[@acrossmanoptimal]

Great video. I'm thinking of putting a dual firestick setup on my pickup right behind the cab. I want to do 5' sticks so I have 2/3 of each above the roof (obstructions) to increase range. Will that be a problem with the SWR since the total is over the 102"? Sorry for the newbie question, but I can't find anything other than mentioning dual 4' ones and I want to be able to justify it or not. Keep up the great videos sir! 73's from Mass

[@richardlasater785]

Can you mount a 2 m antenna on the same pole as your intron 99 and have the two meter under it but that in fact anything thank you for your time

[@molinagris66]

Will a dual setup work on a pickup?

[@dnice6252]

I want to run 2 antennas on my truck but be able to switch to just have 1 functioning antenna if I were to go off road or what have you. How would I do that?

[@MultiMrNoone]

Do you think the cars stereo antenna would cause any problems near a cb antenna? Should I try to get some distance between the two, or will it be fine since only the cb transmits?

[@FarpointFarms]

That's a question I've never heard, and to be honest I don't know the answer. My gut tells me that it would not be an issue, but if I can find out for sure either way, I will let you know.

[@arconeagain]

It can be an issue, any surrounding objects can. If the car radio antenna is of a length related to the 27mhz wavelength, it may interact more by mutual conductance.

[@swartzautoman2]

Im fairy new to the hobby so be gentle hahaha. Questions.... Can i run 2 different antennas if one is for 140 range and one is for 440 range into the same plug with the switch box?

[@FarpointFarms]

You can not, it could cause damage them- Look at some of my videos on SWR

[@swartzautoman2]

@FarpointFarms I did a search of your channel and didn't find a video with swr in the title. Can you be more specific.

[@FarpointFarms]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYu3fXeVgZeZaMk this is one of them

[@swartzautoman2]

@@FarpointFarms Great Thank you so much

[@000MACK000]

Question I have a 20-foot Toyota dolphin motorhome I'm thinking of getting 102 with in the back and a 102 whip in the front what are your thoughts on that.

[@williamvaughn9870]

What is the best way to ground an magnetic K40 antenna? I have it in the middle of my pickup roof.

[@jmanranger7271]

Shouldn't have to to ground it

[@bobbyscott3653]

Thanks for the video. I was thinking of doing something like that on my antennas.

[@robertrockwell7581]

nice video i have a 102 steel whip on the passenger side and was thinking about putting one on the other side thanks.

[@FarpointFarms]

Do it! just make sure to get that co-phased antenna cable and you'll be getting out great.

[@CSX692]

I did this on my 91 jeep code cherokee and was able to get contact at 25 miles. If i improved my grounds i could get more

[@dakotagraham2746]

Hey I got a 1980 Chevy wrecker I was wondering if I should put 1 or 2 fire stick antennas and what would be a good cb for my wrecker or would you put a different kind of antenna you tell me how you would do it

[@guitardzan5641]

Don't listen to the bullshitters. Any ham radio operator can show you the easy, easy math to get set up. Here's the deal: The formula for your vertical antenna PLUS the counterpoise that it needs is: the number 468 divided by the Frequency you are using divided by 2 will give the VERTICAL LENGTH in feet and the necessary length of the counterpoise wire to make it work. The counterpoise is THE OTHER HALF OF THE ANTENNA. So: Assuming channel 17 to be about in the middle of the frequencies you are looking at: 468/27.165 MHz. divided by 2 OR: 17.22 feet divided by 2 for a half wave antenna. OR: for a quarter wave antenna which is the usual size even if less efficient you can divide the 17.22 by 2 then divide the resulting 8.61 feet by 2 for the 1/4 wave length. This means: Your vertical will be at it's best, most efficient length with a 8.61 foot vertical and a 8.61 foot counterpoise wire. Your CB will work, with some slight power loss with a 4.36 foot vertical and a 4.36 foot counterpoise wire. Bottom line: Use ONE decent quality CB antenna (Firestick antennas are cheap and work fine). DO NOT use a antenna with a coil. The firestick has its wire wrapped around the fiberglass stick and that's fine....Those sexy looking coils ain't gonna get ya laid so don't waste yer money! Then cut a piece of wire 4.36 feet long (or just a skosh over 52.3 inches), crimp or solder a ring connector on it that is just big enough to slip over the antenna mounting threads. This will connect your coax braided sheath to the counterpoise wire. Tape or otherwise secure the counterpoise wire so it's horizontal and stretched out away from the vertical and doesn't blow around and yer done! Just a Firestick and a proper counterpoise wire is ALL YOU NEED! Then tune the antenna length for best SWR (which will be VERY EASY) and your radio will run better than any of the other radios set up by the truck stop bullshitters. Now, If ya wanna get serious, go for the 8.61 foot vertical with the 8.61 counterpoise. Your radio will turn into the monster you always knew it was when its antenna can actually radiate!!! bob/KF7ZSA ( run my call sign through your browser to check it)

[@edwardfoehring8827]

With beam ant as your turning it will the stations come in better that your trying to reach ?

[@FarpointFarms]

Yes. A directional beam can be turned to face the area a signal is coming from. For long range communications its much better as you will get up to 5 times the signal strength when you are lined up with the other station. Beams are great for base to base communications, but have a hard time tracking a moving car.

[@dksta2346]

Hi ED. Licensed Ham Radio Operator here. With a beam antenna the signals energy is concentrated in one direction. It works the same way when receiving. You can generally only hear from the direction the beam is pointed. The most simple beam will be a two element beam. It has a driven element and a reflector. If you add another element opposite the reflector from the driven that will be a director. You can continue to add more directors. As you add them the signal concentration becomes more directional or narrower and the better you have to aim it to receive a desired station. You need a pretty decent rotor to turn a CB beam antenna.

[@richardstith2010]

I have dual 4" antennas but I can only receive Meaning I can only hear people but they can't hear me.

[@trombino09]

what about an Mobile Antenna-l Matcher is a wase or does it work. bill

[@terryglenweaver]

I am looking to tri-phase or quad-phase 3 or 4 antennas

[@juancarloshernandez1769]

Hi, do I need to antenas for my truck or I just need one?..

[@FarpointFarms]

18 wheelers could get better reception with dual antennas.

[@samwilliams1142]

There is one use for A B switch in a car. Two antennas 9 feet apart Two pl259 a quarter wave of coax apart one antenna on the hood one on the trunk. The signal goes front or back depending on the feed point. A little tricky to set up.

[@camox3656]

How do you have your coax wired to get I from outside to inside your shop?

[@loxmup123]

Is there a was to run two linear?

[@deadbang241]

I have co-phased 3’ firestiks on my F-150 and get a 1to1 match on channel 40 but , on channel 1 it’s 2.3 ! Is there more grounding needed ? Thanks

[@arconeagain]

It could be related to the fact that the coaxial harness is cut to near 27.405mhz. This is one of the possible trade offs to phasing, although I personally haven't experienced much trouble. You see the cable acts as a transformer so the radio sees a 50ohm impedance. The cables have to be a specific length at the design frequency taking in the velocity factor. So in other words the array has a bandwidth. And if the antennas aren't exhibiting 50ohms then this can throw things off more. So you could play around with grounding or reposition the antennas by trial and error. Best bet is to have antennas with tuneable tips so you can dial up the impedance to some extent. No guarantees though, it's a bit of a guess.

[@arconeagain]

Sorry I just realised you have Firestiks, I run a 4ft version. So you have some tuning there, with the aid of an analyser, you can really get an idea of what's going on. I'd measure impedance for each individual antenna. You could do this with a half wavelength of 50ohm coax taking in account for the velocity factor. Get them to 50 ohms each then put the harness back on. Then measure the impedance at the radio end and you should see 50ohms. That's one approach anyway.

[@WolfPackProductions1320]

I run a IMAX 2000 about 40 ft High and I also run a Maco 7 element beam antenna also up 40 feet with a rotor on it and a high power coax switch also have another switch relay or Dow key so when I talk it's through my radio but when I unkey it goes to SDR way better listening on SDR plus waterfall and everything else

[@havennewsome4281]

high i have tw0 cb antennas...1-tram1498 18ft 2-imax 2000 24ft i want to co-phase them, how far apart should they be???

[@johnyoung1128]

It’s not a good idea to co phase different antenna types particularly ones of different length as that can lead to phasing errors.

[@fuzzyvision1219]

Hey Eric, can you give some insight on the most low profile antenna you would suggest? I'm willing to drill a hole in the trunk lid of my sedan, I came to this video because I was considering dual glass mounts ( trust me that I cringed at the thought myself ) I just dont want the mag mount paint scratch circle on this car. I've had this Cobra lx29 in many vehicle's with a mag mount

[@brandoncaldwell95]

Concidered looking at hinge brackets or something that fit between the seems? I used LED pod mounts for the corners by the windshield and simply drilled the hole larger. Im running dual firestik 5ft antennas on my 1 ton with the cobra 29lx in fixing to swap in. The old uniden gets 7 miles out which is plenty for me. If anything, and i want futher reception, ill run an illegal booster.

[@TINYNumismatics]

You can flip that switch around and run 2 radios to the same antenna right? And just switch between the 2 radios.

[@FarpointFarms]

Tiny Phil Yes. You just need to remember to switch it, or you can damage your radio when transmitting to a dead end.

[@TINYNumismatics]

TY Sir... Well, now I'm off to Lowes to get my switch building supplies. A metal light switch box, a metal light switch faceplate, and a double throw switch toggle. I already have the wire and os239's A Custom switch for under 8 bucks...Who really likes store bought anyway?LOL

[@automotriztechnica]

How you are decoupling these two?

[@sanitymaintenance1585]

Been in CB's forever but getting into marine vhf . Do you know if there is ways to increase power on them other than antennas ?

[@nicholasscyrkels3232]

I am thinking about getting a 25ft or 30ft pole and mounting a HD antenna for my tv but also on the pole at the top I want to put a whip or normal CB antenna. Would this work good? I live in the City right next to highway and have some trees around me too that are not mine to cut.

[@brandoncaldwell95]

If you can get over the trees and still be able to tune the antenna there shouldnt be a problem. Taller heights should help get further. As long as fhe antenna is tuned.

[@johnnyapplesead7164]

How can I use one antenna on a cophase cable? If so what do I need?

[@FarpointFarms]

I don't think that would work. I think it would see the missing antenna as a high SWR and cause issues.

[@charliemoore1199]

Don't be so cheeeeeep...

[@D3ATHSM3TALROCK3R]

Good video, I always wondered about this topic.

[@FarpointFarms]

Glad it was helpful!

[@barryhunt5357]

I looked through a box last night and found my Dads swr meter , 2 Cobra power Mics and replacement screw on / solder type mic connectors . I don't know what happened to his old White Face Base station ?? He had a Cigar box full of channel crystals he could swap out , I think it had 5 channels , and in the vehicles it was either Cobra brand , or Pace I believe ????

[@tungson9894]

You try to give the video more brightness it will be great if you do

[@21kiwi24]

Awesome, how did i miss this video. Any shooting vids? EDC or range time?

[@ronnorris8855]

What is the best antenna set up for a 1-ton ford van with a fiber glass top?

[@slimjim119]

,2 Wilson firesticks

[@guitardzan5641]

Here's the deal: The formula for your vertical antenna PLUS the counterpoise that it needs is: the number 468 divided by the Frequency you are using divided by 2 will give the VERTICAL LENGTH in feet and the necessary length of the counterpoise wire to make it work. The counterpoise is THE OTHER HALF OF THE ANTENNA. So: Assuming channel 17 to be about in the middle of the frequencies you are looking at: 468/27.165 MHz. divided by 2 OR: 17.22 feet divided by 2 for a half wave antenna. OR: for a quarter wave antenna which is the usual size even if less efficient you can divide the 17.22 by 2 then divide the resulting 8.61 feet by 2 for the 1/4 wave length. This means: Your vertical will be at it's best, most efficient length with a 8.61 foot vertical and a 8.61 foot counterpoise wire. Your CB will work, with some slight power loss with a 4.36 foot vertical and a 4.36 foot counterpoise wire. Bottom line: Use ONE decent quality CB antenna (Firestick antennas are cheap and work fine). DO NOT use a antenna with a coil. The firestick has its wire wrapped around the fiberglass stick and that's fine....Those sexy looking coils ain't gonna get ya laid so don't waste yer money! Then cut a piece of wire 4.36 feet long (or just a skosh over 52.3 inches), crimp or solder a ring connector on it that is just big enough to slip over the antenna mounting threads. This will connect your coax braided sheath to the counterpoise wire. Tape or otherwise secure the counterpoise wire so it's horizontal and stretched out away from the vertical and doesn't blow around and yer done! Just a Firestick and a proper counterpoise wire is ALL YOU NEED! Then tune the antenna length for best SWR (which will be VERY EASY) and your radio will run better than any of the other radios set up by the truck stop bullshitters. Now, If ya wanna get serious, go for the 8.61 foot vertical with the 8.61 counterpoise. Run your counterpoise wire down the vans rain gutter and your done. Your radio will turn into the monster you always knew it was when its antenna can actually radiate!!! bob/KF7ZSA

[@tombrown879]

is it possible with or without a switch, to use two different wave length antennas on a car or truck, if traveling from flat open land then into the mountains.

[@VicGreenBitcoin]

Good question, Anyone has the awnser? (I think its possible)

[@VicGreenBitcoin]

Question, with a normal Co-Phased setup, will your transiting energy be divided by 2? So if you have 4 watt going 2 watt to each antenna? Will my transmitting range also be less due to this?

[@johnyoung1128]

Yes the power delivered to each antenna is halved with this set up. The radiated power fields should recombine to reinforce in some direction and subtract in others, in other words it makes the antenna system directional. I have to say I’m sceptical of any practical benefit of this arrangement on a vehicle due to a range of other factors too complicated to go into here.

[@swampfox5329]

I just picked up a version at an auction for five bucks hopefully it works. I have a vertical and then I'm going to try a dipole (base station).

[@FarpointFarms]

Let me know how it works. I had a co-phased setup on my old house back in the 90's that I used to make a poor mans beam. I set it up so I would have a better signal toward the south, where the local group was based, and it worked pretty dang good. I went from 1S units for some of the farther members to 3S (much easier to hear). If I could find a cheap 4 beam setup, I already have a spare antenna rotor so I'd hook up this A/B switch in a heart beat.

[@bobhricko9892]

Definitely more directional with co phazed antennas. I ran Tri Axle with a pup trailer and had twin Wilson 2000 trucker antennas on the mirrors but only one was hooked up (drivers mirror) It did perform better for me TX & RX. with my deal. Two antennas for looks on a Big WesternStar lol. 🤘

[@FarpointFarms]

Ha! Yup!

[@dudebuchanan]

Does anybody know if it's OK to use a double bazooka and tram 1499 together? What is a safe and effective way to do it?

[@danialphaomega]

I was thinking of doing a 2 antenna setup on my jeeps rear steel bumper. I need help with this can you help bud?

[@Harcoredneck234]

danialphaomega better off with a single antenna on a Jeep, tried both and had better luck with single antenna then dual antennas on my XJ

[@Littlelewie151]

Also a lot of your rf energy is radiated at the coil, so you want to keep your coil above any obstructions.

[@ryanjacobsen9557]

Im racking my brain out in the middle of a field right now trying to tune my dual antena set up need help please

[@FarpointFarms]

You need to have co-phased cables or it will never work right.

[@ryanjacobsen9557]

@@FarpointFarms I baught the dual firestik set up it came with the cables and everyrhing they are the same lenght

[@arconeagain]

What type of cable have they used for the harness? Does it have mil spec written on it? What is the length of each cable from the tee piece? I can help you with this. What's the mounting situation of the antennas and exact type are they. The antennas need to have an impedance of about 50ohms each (56.5 is near perfect) so the transformation is around 50ohms at the centre of tee. How far apart are the antennas too?

[@brandoncaldwell95]

Distance apart? Size of the antennas? Tee or a cophased line? Properly grounded? Whats the SWR readings doing? I run dual 5ft firestik on my 1 ton with LED pod mounts by the hood corners near the glass. I just bought a New Cobra 29LX so ill have to retun here soon. The old setup gave me 6 miles but it wasnt set up correctly like it will be now.

[@richardpeterson3753]

can a house tv antenna be used for cb if it has a coax?

[@FarpointFarms]

No. A TV antenna is tuned just for that, TV. It works well for that function but would be a poor match for a CB, and if you were to transmit using one, you would very quickly damage your CB as the SWR would be VERY high. Even if you found an antenna tuner to sync up the two, it would still be a very poor antenna for use with CB.

[@robertmitchum2972]

Not exactly true.... although a direct connection from radio to connector is most certainly going to give you grief.... you can use an Antenna Tuner. You will have some signal loss due to the mismatch of the cable, 75 ohm VS 50 ohm, and you might fry the 75 to 300 ohm matching transformer depending on the power you are running it will work..... But unless your going for stealth, I’d opt for a good CB antenna and coax. It will still work out cheaper than a good antenna tuner.

[@arconeagain]

Yes but if the tv antenna is a typical Yagi design then you are not going to achieve any directionality regardless of a tuner because it is not cut for 27mhz. So it's kind of pointless. You may hear the guy down the road with a kilowatt though.

[@Littlelewie151]

I have used cophased antennas on my big rig a couple times over the years. I was never impressed. The biggest thing I see with any mobile setup is that people often overlook the ground plane. Also since rf ground and dc ground are two different things, a multimeter is not much help with ground planes.

[@KageShi]

I tell persons to buy several feet of flat stainless steel grounding strap and run a section from the base of the antenna mount to the hinge of the truck door. Then again from the inside of the hinge to the frame. In my car I use a such cable to ground the radio chassis to the seat rail of my car to create the referenced ground plane. My antenna mounts are not grounded so to say and it has improved my Rx/Tx greatly. SWR of 1:1@28.400mhz and 1.2:1@ 27.185mhz

[@waswestkan]

Even on large trucks a phase antenna system is a fashion thing, and not a performance thing. After actually plotting installations using a field strength meter and using modeling software I never found a phase system that have an omni-directional pattern, I'd say put your money in a quality single omni-directional antenna at the center of the cab roof.

[@FarpointFarms]

Thanks for the info. I think the mirror mount thing is based on the fact that a roof mount on an 18 wheeler would get smashed up pretty bad on overpasses. As for the dual antenna setups. I don't know why they became a thing originally.

[@guitardzan5641]

@@WolfPackProductions1320 Joe, go back to the books. You really should know better. KF7ZSA

[@arconeagain]

Who's this directed at?

[@m.3591]

Thank you for your knowledge

[@arconeagain]

He has no knowledge.

[@ciclonpr]

Hi, I do enjoy your videos but please look at your video at 5:03 that you say that you rotate your antenna 360 degrees, if you do that actually your antenna will be facing the same direction, in other words a Circle has 360 degrees, if you rotate it that much you just end on the same spot. Wanted to do the comment in private so you could fix it but could not find how. Take care.

[@FarpointFarms]

Thanks for the heads up, and you are right, I meant to say or imply 180 degrees, but sometimes I will say 360 instead.

[@charliemoore1199]

That was a bit confusing...

[@wcemichael]

Well that doesn't help much... I'm trying to come up with a covert system for a trailer park home base with steel roof. I was thinking cophased dual big sticks or something small like that.

[@dudebuchanan]

Did you ever try this? I want to use a double bazooka with a tram 1499.

[@wcemichael]

@@dudebuchanan I have a 102 steel whip up there now with a Jeep mounting bracket

[@arconeagain]

To use the beam like you're talking, it would have to be vertically polarised for best effect. And who says an antenna switch loses 1db? You need a better switch.

[@johnyoung1128]

I think he meant connector loss rather than switching loss, 1dB sounds high to me as that’s close to 20% loss per connector. I personally would avoid the type of switch shown as it has a slide switch, a type of switch known for becoming intermittent due to contact wear. I would go for a rotary type that has an internal strip line mechanism where contact friction is minimal.

[@arconeagain]

@@johnyoung1128 yeah I use a rotary type. But it's worth mentioning that connector loss is insignificant at HF, even on the edge at 11m. And I have done on air tests with a friend who had a bunch of switches and relays inline for his switchable beam and radios etc. and you could not see any signal drop with or without. There's a YT video where this old bloke daisy chains all of these old connectors together to prove this. With 100W in he compares with and without and his high quality meters show practically no change in output. And when you think about how this would show on an S meter for a receiving radio, there is no way that it could have a distinguishing effect considering that you need to quadruple your power for 1 S point on paper. Anyone that says they can notice these differences is living in a fantasy land, they're flat out liars.

[@johnyoung1128]

@@arconeagain Yes I did say I was sceptical of the 1dB figure.

[@arconeagain]

@@johnyoung1128 yeah I know, just sending a message to other people out there that stress about one or two extra connections on 27MHz.

[@arconeagain]

No mention of how to hook these 'co phased' antennas up. What cable do you use and what lengths? What about other patterns, should one lag? What's this about the spacing being wrong so they're no longer omni directional? Isn't that what you want to achieve? The spacing is critical to generate a desired pattern so there is gain in certain directions and nulls in other directions. That is how it works, you cannot get something from nothing. Then there are other methods to achieve things like end fire. But I feel this is way outside your scope, I'm gunna save my breath.

[@samwilliams1142]

Another use is to switch between a loop and dummy when rf locating rfi problems.

[@johnmckinney1493]

Putting two strykers on my pete. 112 inches is the magic #.

[@richardpeterson3753]

sorry if that's a stupid question you have seen a lot. but I'm having issues getting this info

[@FarpointFarms]

There are no stupid questions. Everyone has to begin somewhere!

[@lizzyfan1986]

Isn't it just phased?

[@321CatboxWA]

Beam Ontenna yes Ontenna not antenna but ON-tenna . All this time I had it wrong. thanks

[@smotherme54]

use tot have one of those it worked quite well

[@1981seafarer]

If they're omnidirectional when correctly spaced apart, couldn't one be run on one side of the truck, and the other be run 9' away anywhere else on the truck? They shouldn't have to be side-by-side...

[@joeyemmert3519]

This is correct but the pattern will change also if one is mounted lower than the other can have a different directional pattern as well

[@heathcampbell3768]

Thanks for the history lesson but it says installing duel antenna you must forgot about that part

[@edwardfoehring8827]

Awsome ,Thank you

[@arconeagain]

How so?

[@JimGrimNY]

At no point did you say anything about how to match and get a proper SWR between a co-phased pair of CB antennas. Surprisingly nowhere on the internet can I find a simple video with a person matching up a pair of antennas co-phase and adjusting the SWR properly. Does anyone know of a good video tutorial???

[@FarpointFarms]

That is because you don't need to match the antenna's the Co-Phased Antenna harness is a match. You can adjust the SWR of each antenna alone and then hook them to the co-phased wiring and you are all set.

[@JimGrimNY]

@@FarpointFarms I don't think I understand what you're trying to say. You have to adjust the antennas before use for proper SWR in balance.

[@FarpointFarms]

@@JimGrimNY Yes, hook up each antenna alone and get the best SWR in the place you intend to use it. Then when they are in co-phase all will be well.

[@JimGrimNY]

@@FarpointFarms so what you're saying is I need to have a separate coax cable and an independent mount to hook up an antenna set the SWR (twice, once for each) then take all that down, then re put up a co-phase line and put those antennas back on that? At the present time I'm very limited in my budget. I don't have a spare single mount and coax. Also I don't have a dummy load to plug off one side of the co phase line while I tune the antenna.

[@arconeagain]

This is going to be so funny, I can't wait.

[@chris2crazzy]

People are still really serious into it lol

[@angelcolon8948]

Can any one please help me

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Unless you plan to use full 1/4 wavelength antennas I wouldn't bother with it.

[@arconeagain]

That actually makes no reasonable sense at all. Care to explain this theory.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

@@arconeagain Shortened antennas lose quite a bit of gain. Trying to get some signal back in the form of 1/4 wave physically spaced as well as 90° phase separation isn't enough IMHO to be worth it. A plain old SS 1/4 wave whip mounted so it will clear bridges will do more and cost less.

[@davidjames1684]

27 Mhz is the biggest screwup in band allocation. They should have made CB what we currently now have as MURS (around 152-155 Mhz). That way cars could easily have true 1/2 wave spacing for phased arrays since that band is about 1.9m so half of that would be only 0.9 meters or about 3 feet. 27 Mhz should have been allocated to hams as the 11m band.

[@FarpointFarms]

I'm not going to disagree with you on that. It would have been interesting to see how the hobby might have grown or maybe not have grown depending on the band or mode that was made legal for CB here in the states.

[@arconeagain]

That's your opinion probably based in one country.

[@arconeagain]

People it is the opposite of what he says. If you phase a pair of end fed verticals and you still have an omni pattern, you are wasting your time because it is basically pointless.

[@YZFoFittie]

No, no amount of antennas will, "amplify" anything. The ONLY reason to use more than one is a properly built phased array; which sole purpose, is directional performance. This is what happens when CB guys (mostly truckers) think some sort of different science applies everywhere else in the universe besides their CB radio...

[@masterful7574]

*Dual

[@captainmidnight5958]

Nearly every single point this fella mentions about a phased collinear mobile antenna setup is absolutely WRONG. ...period.

[@arconeagain]

Do you make this shit up as you go along? So you phase antennas to achieve an omni pattern? Your theory and terms often contradict. This makes absolutely no sense and defeats the purpose of phasing a pair of antennas. And I love the 1db of loss rule at hf. Very funny.

[@JOHN_COSMO]

Can I mount it antron a99 CB antenna in my house I have cathedral ceilings so it would fit? Thank you