Need recommendations for big rig

[hotrod]

As an ex truckdriver I ran lots of radios and antennas in trucks. Mag mounts wont work if you have an aluminum cab like many trucks these days. Unfortanelety the mirror mounts these days aren't very accessible for decent mounting systems either. Also the coax they use is subpar and the routing is nothing less than a nightmare. Sorry I dont have a good solution but I have seen some truckdrivers get pretty creative with mounts, some drill and mount them to the back of the sleeper and ground to the frame. Good luck.

this is all true.. also if ya tring the dual setup ya need 2 different runs of
coax .1st one needs to be 75 ohm coax 18 feet cophased. the second needs
to be 50 ohm coax 18 feet NOT cophased. this is for tuning ,tune each antenna
as a single setup with a single run of 50ohm coax 18feet. then do the same
with other antenna.while doing this only have 1 antenna on the mirrior.
and doors shut.once thier tuned. then you need the 18 foot co-phased
then you can connect them tiogether.this is assuming you dont have any
ground issues.now what swr meter ya using.ive ran dual setups and the work
ISNT worth it. i saw very little difference ,if any nothing measurable other than less money
but mine was able to tune to 1.4.1

 

[Turbo T]

Went to R Shack, they didn't have (or know) shit about CB antennas.

Unfortunately the only thing they know how to do is sell you a cell phone. :thumbdown:

 

[74IN]

Sorry, I lost my cool last night. Since I doubt I'll be able to find an easy way to ground my mirror mounts, should I just return the two K40's and buy a magnet mount Wilson somewhere down the line, or might I have SWR problems with one of them also? I don't do any high-speed driving (usually), I don't have any underpasses on my route, and I live in a hilly/mountainous area - IF a magnet mount would help me, what kind should I get to go with a Galaxy 959?

Thanks again... I really don't want to give up on trying to put a working CB in there.

Not passing under any bridges is very unusual. At least in my experience, I just find that interesting.

Some Macks had door grounding issues, at least one I drove.

You can use braided line to ground the mirror or door to the cab, coax braid would work.

What material are the doors made of?

If you have a non-metallic cab/doors, there are some no ground antennas or you could ground the mirror brackets to the frame/cab. After goggling Sterlings, you may have fiberglass doors.

Look for an area other than the door for a mount. Headache rack, bumper or evern stack mount with big ass hose clamp type mount.

 

[curlyjo]

Hi also run francis antennas on my trucks. No need to tune . Low swr. Harder to come by. I saw some at a Pilot. Also try Ebay. I saw them there. I have wilsons too. Can't go wrong with a francis. All you really need is one. One way to rig is on the left mirror if you can get a good ground. I always mount mine behind the cab. Centered on the pig tail bar. Get longer coax a run it through to the cab. I run mine under the right side door. Good Luck !!!

 

[KASZ 9113]

I have had the K-30 antennas and they run high swr's as they are, or seem to be, narrow banded. If your swr is high, shorten the whip. That may mean cutting the whip to shorten it after you run out of adjustment with the set screw. If it's going to be in a big rig and run on channel 19 primarily, than, tune for that channel. We run them at my work place, and the only saving grace is, that on the heavy equipment, we only use channel 3, so I adjust (shorten the whip) to that channel only. The only difference that I am aware of is that the K-40 will handle 7000 watts and the 30 will handle 600 (internal coil construction). Plus there is a 30 day guarantee that states if the antenna it is replacing does not transmit farther or receive more clearly, return it within 30 days with proof of purchase. I personally run the Wilson 5000 mag mount with the optional ground plane kit and it does well for me on my pick up truck, but I hear that the Coily Punishers are hot. I notice alot of them and the Monkey Made sticks on the big rigs, (can't tell the mfg. driving down the road) as well as Wilson. As always, check your grounds. Run a dedicated ground any ways. Just to cover the bases. Good luck, and don't be afraid to chop on that K-40's whip.