Wilson Flex CB Antenna anyone?

[patrick96814]

Anyone here use the Wilson fiberglass flex antenna and does anyone know how does it compare with the wilson 1000 or 5000?
Also is the top loading coil design of this fiberglass antenna a better design?

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i was looking at them myself . ive herd that folks are having problems with the new ones . they also only handle 100 or 200 watts . not a problem if thats enough for what you run .

i have no idea how they compare to the 1000/5000 but im sure the 1k/5k is better on tx and rx .

im gonna get one of these this week.......
K40 Antennas & Accessories :: Fiberglass Whips

i gonna try the 4 foot flex . its has a.......
"30-day money-back performance
Your new K40 Tunable Whip CB Antenna must
transmit farther and receive more clearly than the
product it replaces or simply return it within 30
days with proof-of-purchase for a complete
product credit from the authorized K40 dealer
who installed it."

so if i dont like it i get my money back . called my local store and they carry them and will honor the guarantee .

ive herd good things about the francis FG antennas .

 

[secret squirrel]

I use a Francis 5 1/12 foot on my Subaru Forester with good results. The Francis Antenna are easy to tune. They are shipped up too long, but tune the old fashion way. You just cut them with a hack saw. I have also used a Francis 4 foot on a Ford Explorer with a hood channel mount with good results. The antenna is just about indestructable. I regularly hit low tree limbs with the Francis. I accidently drove into a parking garage with the 4 four foot Francis. The antenna repeatedly struct the I-beams without damaging it. I did try a Firestik 4 footer called a Fire-Fly in the past. On the application I was doing the Francis out performed the Firestick for Tx/Rx and ease of tuning. I never tried the Wilson Flex, because I use quick disconnect,s and I just did not want to hook up or tape up the matching lead. The local CB shop pushes K-40 products and does pretty good sales, because of the warranty.

 

[patrick96814]

i was looking at them myself . ive herd that folks are having problems with the new ones . they also only handle 100 or 200 watts . not a problem if thats enough for what you run .

i have no idea how they compare to the 1000/5000 but im sure the 1k/5k is better on tx and rx .

im gonna get one of these this week.......
K40 Antennas & Accessories :: Fiberglass Whips

i gonna try the 4 foot flex . its has a.......
"30-day money-back performance
Your new K40 Tunable Whip CB Antenna must
transmit farther and receive more clearly than the
product it replaces or simply return it within 30
days with proof-of-purchase for a complete
product credit from the authorized K40 dealer
who installed it."

so if i dont like it i get my money back . called my local store and they carry them and will honor the guarantee .

ive herd good things about the francis FG antennas .

That guarantee is interesting because Wilson says the same thing about their whip antenna also except its limited to a 15 day return.

I am kind of new so I was wondering what you meant when you inferred that a CB can need a antenna rated more than 100 or 200 watts? Is that with modded 10 meter rigs or some kind of amp?

 

[W5LZ]

"...I was wondering what you meant when you inferred that a CB can need a antenna rated more than 100 or 200 watts?..."

Typically, it's because people seem to think that if it can 'handle' more power it's a 'better' antenna. Not true, but since when does it have to be 'true' to be important to people? Then again, there are some who do run more power than 'stock' (no matter how they do it). And the ol'standard, "mine's bigger than yours" thingy. Depending on the person asked, there's all kinds of 'rationals' for any of those reasons. Take your pick.
- 'Doc

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

"mine's bigger than yours"

hehehehe

amps are fairly popular for cb's . do you need one to talk ? nope . do you need one to be herd ? sometimes/depends . it also depends on how far you want to be herd .

if you can run the 1000/5000 its a very good antenna .

some folks do run more than stock power and some run amps too . i prefer a antenna that can handle at least twice the power that it will see . that way it isnt pushed to its limits . does higher power handling mean its a better performing antenna ? certianly not ! but i think it CAN be a indicator of a more durable design IF you stick with respected brand names . anyone can put out a lemon from time to time though .

 

[SR385]

I had a Dodge Raider, basically an all metal, short wheelbase 2DR 4x4, a.k.a. Mitsubishi Montero.

A Wilson 1000 roof mount in the center of the roof took 400+ watts day in and day out for years without any trouble at all. It performed better for me than many other antennas on that truck including 102" whips, stailness and fiberglass of many manufactures on a rear quarter bumper mount. They are very easy to just reach up and unscrew and stick the weather/dust cap on as well.

If my current Wrangler had a metal roof, I'd put another Wilson on for 10m use now. I run a stainless whip and auto tuner for working 20m and up on the same antenna now though.

 

[steved]

I have heard they tend to break electrically from flexing too much...very similar to most fiberglass antennas that break electrically at the base, only they can break anywhere along their length...

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

hey steved ,
thats the same problem i keep hearing and reading about .

 

[patrick96814]

i was looking at them myself . ive herd that folks are having problems with the new ones . they also only handle 100 or 200 watts . not a problem if thats enough for what you run .

i have no idea how they compare to the 1000/5000 but im sure the 1k/5k is better on tx and rx .

I am curious why are you so sure the Wilson 1000/5000 are better performers?
Wilson's own description states,

"Wilson 5000 will outperform all other base loaded antennas available."

and,

"your Wilson 1000 is guaranteed to outperform any base loaded CB mobile antenna (except the Wilson 5000 ) or your money back.**"

In both models, they exempt center and top loaded design antennas from direct comparison. This is what is troubling me.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

because its a 4 foot antenna vs. a 6 foot antenna . its a much larger silver plated heavy guage coil vs. a lil silver wire . but mostly , none of the folks that IMO possess a lot of knowledge on antennas on the forums has ever suggest they perform as well as the 1000/5000 . i try to learn from the mistakes and experiences of others , as well as my own . it hurts much less to learn from others mistakes .

in certian applications im sure they are better choices than a 1k or a 5k and in those situations it would be the better antenna , but not necessarally the better performing one .

im far from an authority though .
im just another part time idiot with a few opinions and a little bit of experience .

 

[Gearhead]

I use the flexible wilsons (cophase) on my work truck (peterbilt 379), and am very suprised with the performance. I chose them, because of the flexability so that I wouldn't break mounts when bending them over on tree branches. I never could get them tuned very well, but acceptable, and have no problem talking to base stations 20 miles away with my barefoot magnum m-1.
Local talking is real good, but I have yet to be able to get any DX contact with that setup.

 

[76Q]

I use the Wilson 4' Flex on my superbike. It's the only serious antenna that I have found with the thin flexibility required for my specific install. I don't intend to wack it much except for slight bend when moving out of the garage. It does appear somewhat fragile on close inspection. Matching great and as expected, with the antenna mount grounded to the engine block rear engine subframe on the frameless bike. With fragile nature, thinking of getting some spares, but the lightweight flex and 200w rating, it is, IMO, in keeping with the lightweight/high speed nature of the high speed machine even though some would say " is already out of place and better put on a Harley I think it is a limited application antenna where flexibility and lightweight is a must. I has a tapered shaft and thin flexible jacket over thin silver plated wire, works on weatherband, as well, and has a auxiliary tuning stub that lowers resonance about 20 channels. I don't know if that stub DC grounds the antenna but I think it does, maybe wrong. I didn't need that connected so cut it off