Attic antenna not doing much
 

So I bought a magmount CB antenna from Radio Schmack and just stuck it
in my front room for testing purposes, connected to a Midland 77-104 .
Using a borrowed handheld CB, range was barely half a mile (I live in a
city), but that could have just been the handheld.

I have the magmount up in the attic on a cookie sheet now. I don't have
the handheld anymore for testing purposes, but I have heard nothing on
channel 9 or 19 for several days, even after soliciting contacts a few
times. I've got someone with a CB about 6 miles away and I have a
freeway (i.e., truckers) also about 6 miles away... still can't make
contact with anyone.

Is 6 miles out of reach for an attic magmount? Do I need a better
ground plane or should I just give it up as a lost cause?

On 4 May 2005 20:56:02 -0700, wrote in
.com:

snip
Is 6 miles out of reach for an attic magmount?


If it's on a cookie sheet? Probably.


Do I need a better
ground plane or should I just give it up as a lost cause?


First, lose the mag-mount. Trade it in on the tallest whip you can fit
in your attic and a standard 3/8-24 stud mount that you can secure to
a beam or the attic floor. Then scrounge all the wire you can, connect
them to the ground (shield) connection on the mount, and string them
out for ground radials. The more the better. Don't worry about cutting
them to any specific length, but make them as long as possible. If you
have the entire attic floor to play with, use it. The following file
might help:

www.bencher.com/pdfs/00361ZZV.pdf






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On 4 May 2005 20:56:02 -0700, wrote:

So I bought a magmount CB antenna from Radio Schmack and just stuck it
in my front room for testing purposes, connected to a Midland 77-104 .
Using a borrowed handheld CB, range was barely half a mile (I live in a
city), but that could have just been the handheld.

I have the magmount up in the attic on a cookie sheet now. I don't have
the handheld anymore for testing purposes, but I have heard nothing on
channel 9 or 19 for several days, even after soliciting contacts a few
times. I've got someone with a CB about 6 miles away and I have a
freeway (i.e., truckers) also about 6 miles away... still can't make
contact with anyone.

Is 6 miles out of reach for an attic magmount? Do I need a better
ground plane or should I just give it up as a lost cause?


I have a 6 foot Firestick in the attic, but I have 8 wires as a ground plane.
They are about 9 feet long. I did OK, and even shot skip. But I figured 10 miles
was tops locally. I am installing a Imax in a tree on Sat and Sun. SO the
Firestick will be out of service. My suggestion is if you have limited space,
use a dipole which would be about 18 feet long, and you can hang in horizontally
along the peak of your attic. It should improve your local contacts. Not great,
but better than a magmount.

Vinnie S.

No do not hang it horizontally as everybody else is vertical. Just add
5 or 6 9 foot wires to your cookie sheet and you should be fine.

From:
So I bought a magmount CB antenna from Radio Schmack and just stuck it
in my front room for testing purposes, connected to a Midland 77-104 .
Using a borrowed handheld CB, range was barely half a mile (I live in a
city), but that could have just been the handheld.
I have the magmount up in the attic on a cookie sheet now. I don't have
the handheld anymore for testing purposes, but I have heard nothing on
channel 9 or 19 for several days, even after soliciting contacts a few
times. I've got someone with a CB about 6 miles away and I have a
freeway (i.e., truckers) also about 6 miles away... still can't make
contact with anyone.
Is 6 miles out of reach for an attic magmount? Do I need a better ground
plane or should I just give it up as a lost cause?
_
For continuous reliable communications, get a base antenna if at all
possible,,it will give you better results than a mag mount. 6 miles is
an unrealistic goal in the city for reliable continuous communications
with your current set-up..unless you're on the top floor of a
multi-story tall building. If there is any way you cacn erect a base
antenna, even an antron,..go for it.,

Cookie sheet... LOL.... what is your match???
I'm afraid that may not be a big enough ground plane. If you want a
better ground plane you need to run some radials (maybe four or more)
that have perhaps a quarter wavelength length. You could use aluminum
grounding wire which is available from Radio Sack. Keep in mind that
signals in the CB frequencies have poor penetrating power through solid
objects... like your roof. You'd do much better to move whatever
installation you choose outside.

Professor
www.telstar-electronics.com