Which antennas do you guys think are very good under $30? What is there to look for in them? Also, do you guys run the antenna wire to the CB through the window, or is there an easier way?

i have an untuned firestick II 4 footer on my roofrack front crossmember with a spring and a clamp-on mount. my wire is just run through the door jamb on a door i dont use much and my radio shack cb is sandwiched between the console and passengr seat. i does pretty good. i have a 2-4 mile range in the city. for pics check out leebo. my tenna is mounted like his

oops forgot to mention it is 20.00 at frys electronics. also there is an entire mounting kit with a 5 foot firestick II for 50 bucks. it has a mount, 18 feet of wire, and a 5 foot stick.

on another note, how did you get your status to say punisher instead of exploer, or elite, or moderator, or admin, or asst admin, etc.

thanks for the info... is that firestick magnetic? if not, do u know of a good one that is? i don't use the cb much, but i want the best possible range when i do.

when they switched to this new style on the forum, there was an option where you could change it, so i did. then they took off that option so now i am stuck with it.

what about this antenna?
http://www.cobraelec.com/scripts/shopplus.cgi?DN=cobraelec.com&CARTID=13962269&ACTION=action&FILE=new/hga1000.html

Punisher:

I can't eally address the antenna you picture, but generally I've been disappointed in Cobra antennas (I've had a couple). Also, the one you show, is I believe, only about 18" tall. while that may seem like an advantage, it's really not. Size (height and length) does matter :) I understand your price concerns, but you may want to up the ante a little, say to the $50 range. A radio SYSTEM, is only as good as it's weakest link, and the antenna is an often overlooked, but fairly critical part of that system.

I'd look for a mag mount with a base loading coil and a steel whip about 4' long or so. Hustler makes a great little mag mount whip that I carry as a back-up spare antenna. about $45, I think. Also Wilson has their "Li'l Wil" that is similar in size and price. Both work quite well. You might also check Radio Shack, but again, ,stay away from their "cheapies". You might look at RS Catalog# 21-978, "Deluxe Mag Mount, w/ 54" whip for $40, or Cat# 21-672 "Mag- Mount" cb/Ham Antenna w/ 49" whip for about $30.

Don't skimp on your cb antenna, I could be your lifeline to help in case of an offroad emergency. I consider my CB an important item of safety gear.

get the whole kit at frys electronics for 50 bucks it has everything and is removable in 5 minutes. it has a 5 foot ant really good. i too have a cobra mag mount it sucks. if you do the firestik itll just clamp onto the roofrack then youll just need to run a wire to a ground point. alec suggested that you back out a screw on the rack and use that. it works for me. 2-4 mile range in the city and it isnt tuned yet.

http://members.aol.com/t500thrawn/ant.jpg
This Wilson little wil is 3 feet tall and selling for $4 (still time left in the auction), so that is a good antenna?. I don't want to deal with grounding it either.. just want a simple antenna. What is the base loading coil? And how do you run the antenna to your CB? Thanks for all the help

I do run the Firestick mounted to the stock roof-rack. Wire through the door(sorry ray....I'm lazy) and I'm off. I've yet to have a problem. I will say this though....the firestick and the wilson are almost the same. Nothing too fancy about either one.

With almost all antennas you will need to ground them(unless you get the no-ground type). All you need to do is run a 14gauge wire with the antenna wire to a ground on the frame. To connect the antenna to the CB you'll run a wire from the two. They sell it at radio shack and several other places.

I'm not sure if mine has to be grounded... There is only one wire and it is to the CB. I don't have the box to check to see what it says. How would I know?

the cb is grounded as it is already connected to the negative somehow. the little wil is a good antenna from what others have posted.

Magnetic (Mag) Mount antennas generally don't need to be grounded more than having the magnet stuck onto a grounded metal body panel such as roof, trunk, or hood. They "capacitively couple" to ground through the antanna mount base and the car panel. Permanent mount antennas, if not "Permanently" mounted to grounded metal, probably should have the mounting base grounded, unless they are, as Leebo says, the "no Ground" type. The documentation or packing will indicate, if so. Typically these "No Ground" antennas are for marine type applications and can mount directly onto ungrounded surfaces like wood or fiberglass.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1477133&a=12023731&f=0

I ran the wires from the cb under the center console and under the carpet from there.
I ran the antenna cable up to the roof rack crossmember, down the roof rack rails, into the grommet where the rear washer fluid hose goes, under the headliner, behind the body panels, under the carpet, and to the center console. It involved cutting the end off of the cable to get it though the grommet and putting a new one on, but it wasn't hard. I also had to buy a 9' extension cable.