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silver bullet
01-02-2020, 10:48 PM
Hi to all. I am new to the CB world and need some advice or help. A friend gave me a 40 channel CB and a preditor 10 K antenna. I can not drive due to my medical condition, but would love to use it. Without spending a lot can I modify this mobile antenna by adding ground plane and make it work as a base antenna? If so what exactly do I need to do to modify it?

Thanks Silver Bullet

222DBFL
01-07-2020, 07:54 AM
Yes it’s possible. You’ll need to fabricate a ground plane using 4 102” or 108” whips and also you’ll need something like for an Antron 99 ground plane kit to get the whips at around 45 degree angle. For what it’s worth, all the money you’ll end up spending on parts and such, you could most likely buy a base antenna that will work better. JMHO.

silver bullet
01-07-2020, 10:46 AM
Thank you JMHO. i appreciate your advice. Perhaps just buying an antenna would be the best route for me. Any thoughts on a Workmam W 58 or a Sirio SD 27 diapole. Just looking for one that works best all around and is within my budget.
Silver Bullet

222DBFL
01-07-2020, 02:43 PM
No problem. For a relatively inexpensive antenna look into the Sirio Tornado or even an Antron A99. I’ve owned both of these antennas and had the best luck with the sirio tornado. While not as able to withstand as much abuse as the A99 it had better receive and transmit capabilities IMO. The Sirio Tornado is an aluminum antenna that is made of thin lightweight material and isn’t really made for a bad weather environment. The A99 is a fiberglass antenna that was given to me and I will say it is a lot better in bad weather. You’ll need some good coax, I recommend either RG8X or lmr240, you’ll also want good connectors as well, I recommend amphenol. And you’ll want to get these antennas up as high as possible. 30ft being the lowest I would mount one if possible. I know everyone isn’t capable of this, so as high as you can reasonably get one. The higher the better. If I can help with anything else please let me know. Good luck and have fun!!

JesseJamesDallas
01-07-2020, 04:09 PM
Dollar for dollar I second the A99...Things can handle just about anything Mother Nature can throw at (except lightning) and keep on ticking.

I recently helped one of my locals replace his A99 that had been up since around 1980...It was still working "OK", he just decided to upgrade to the MAX2000 which is a taller version of the A99.

BOOTY MONSTER
01-08-2020, 07:45 PM
you can make a ground plane suitable for a 11 meter/cb base antenna with four 108 inch lengths of wire and something to use as a spreader to somewhat equally space them around the antenna below it's feed point . i used two 10 ft pieces of 1 inch PVC pipe cut in half (four 5 ft pieces) and used a 1 inch pvc 4-way to attach/glue them to form a X , i attached each 108 inch wire to the tip of each X , attached the other wire end to the ground side of the antenna mount (a mobile mirror mount would work for your 10k or any other type mobile) and allow the ground wired to hang below the bottom of the antenna and tape/ziptie the center of the X to the mast below the antenna where ever it settles at . i did not use this on a mobile antenna but on home brewed .64 wavelength base antenna but this is an electrically suitable ground plane for any cb vertical omni antenna that needs one ..... and could benefit some antenna installs (antron 99 and imax 2000) that supposedly "don't need" a ground plane . it is essentially electrically the same ground plane system used on the starduster and the merlin antennas which are essentially mobile length or shorter radiating elements over a counterpoise . it is actually a better ground plane than what is sold for the antron or imax since it uses full length ground elements rather than elements shortened and made to tune using coils . any time you use a coil on a antenna element it reduces it efficiency . but antennas are typically exercises in trade offs sacrificing (https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS812US812&sxsrf=ACYBGNR1dPshmwr7_x9w4BUOC1ltTFzusA:1578530675804&q=sacrificing&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwio58qBpfXmAhWOxVkKHeONAI8QkeECKAB6BAgUECc) efficiency for smaller size , appearance , cost or adding in some snake oil to appeal to those that don't know better .

silver bullet
01-10-2020, 04:06 PM
Thank you for the info. Next question. I was thinking of mounting a antenna with mast to a 5 inch metal pipe that is 3 feet above the roof of my barn. The pipe is well casing and goes to my wood stove in the barn (shop). Would this be a bad idea? Cause ground issues and unwanted interfierene or signal loss? Please let me know if this is totally a bad idea.

Thanks silver bullet