On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 21:09:37 -0500, Vinnie S.
wrote in :

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 01:45:00 GMT, Lancer wrote:


Barefoot or not, an attic is probably the worst place to put an
antenna. You have all kinds of possible problems, not the least of
which is house wiring or foil-backed insulation that can cause
reflections (high SWR).

There is also the issue of polarity. Almost all mobile CB antennas are
vertical so don't expect strong signals from a horizontal antenna, or
even an inverted-V which is largely horizontal. You might get some
skip but that depends a lot on the position of the antenna -- you
might have to rotate your house to align yourself with the traffic.

I would think your best solution is to buy a cheap antenna tuner and
load up the flag pole, rain gutter, drip-strip, sewer vent, aluminum
siding, chain-link fence, steel shed..... whatever works best.


Vinnie;
You said you lived on a ranch? Use Franks tuner idea, run a wire
out the window and tie the other end to a fence post, your wifes
clothes line pole or anything else above eye level.


I don't have a clothesline. I am thinking about running it vertical up a tree,
but would have to trench the coax.


You wouldn't even need coax. Just hook the tuner right to the radio,
ground the radio, and run a single wire out the wall (through an
insulator) to any large metal object you can find, attached to your
house or not. I like metal drip-strips because they circle the entire
roof and make dandy antennas for quick-n-dirty installations.

The problem with a horizontal dipole, as I mentioned before, is the
polarity of the antenna. Most CB antennas are vertical, and if your's
is horizontal you won't hear very many people and they won't hear you.

Vinnie, don't use a tuner if you don't know WTF you're doing,
you'll be constantly throwing carriers yelling AAUDDIOO whistling
into the mike trying to get 1:1, a real pain in the ass
for anyone trying to use the CB in your area. Forget about radials
in the attic, you'll screw it up, stop trying to get cute, JUST BUY A
NORMAL CB ANTENNA AND PUT IT OUTSIDE, YOU F-ING MAROON.