Which CB antenna

Thanks for that Frank

Has anyone had any experience with an 8.1 dbi gain antenna?
Are they worth their money?

Thanks

Hi Frank P,
I am looking at a roof mounted too but the height is a worry. I can only get a 6db antenna that is 860mm long (high?).
Thats too high for most areas as it will get knocked off.
The only ones I can see me getting are 3db ones that are 350mm high.

I have been assured that a 3db on the roof will out perform a 6db whip mounted on the bullbar.

bill

I have two that I use for the roof. The longer one for highway use, and the shorter one for in town, or in the bush. Apparently the bounce coming off the metal of the roof is what makes them better.

Only can echo this comments. I have successful connection with 5W handheld with factory 15cm rubber duck for about 100km. Needs to be noted that I was sitting on Mt Magdala, so line of sight was excellent. Forget about all this gains - UHF very capable for long distance connection, but indeed require line of sight. In other words it utterly useless in hilly and forestry terrain, does not matter what antenna do you use.
Now explanation of this "gains". Spherical antenna will emit in all directions with the same effectiveness and if you chart a graph it will be sphere (surprise, surprise!). Rod (whip) one will emit more in horizontal plane then in vertical, so graph will look like doughnut. More gain one will emit even less vertically and more horizontally - heck, power still remains the same and for "gaining" in certain directions we will need to give up other ones. Consequences very simple - you will not be able to talk to people who on hill while your vehicle on flat. Moreover if high gain antenna is fairly flexible, it will not work that well on the move - particularity on rough road, because it will flex "bending" direction accordingly. So who would need those high gain antennas? Simple - truckies. They can put it high, they run on fairly flat ground and they will appreciate little more reach on flat road. For average 4WDer it will do more bad then good - put even simple piece of wire, it will be perfectly adequate.

Rubber one.
Fibreglass is second-best, but put attention to good spring mount. SS whips, especially longer ones have tendency to get broken from vibration - already lost few. All this related to 4WD and heavy corrugated roads - on bitumen anything suffice.

Practical solution? Get good base and get cheapest antenna from Dick Smith or similar. Even if you break it it is not that expensive to replace.

Good Luck.