CB Antenna - Used

[kramttocs]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F164021086946

[salans7]

When a single part costs as much as a parts truck.

Ouch.

[grumpin]

Yes, wowza!

[Vic Roma]

I don't have one, so I cannot test the theory, so here is a potential stupid question of the day: is there a difference between a regular antenna and one for a CB? Can I not just plug in the CB into an antenna splitter for radio/CB?

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, there's a difference.  The regular antenna has one lead, but the CB antenna has two - one to plug into the CB and one to the radio.  

However, there's another, more important difference.  When you use an antenna for receiving the receiver takes what it can get in the way of a signal.  But when you use one for transmitting there's inevitably a wave of signal, a standing wave, reflected back at the transmitter.  And if that standing wave gets too large it'll fry the output (final) section of the transmitter.  Plus, the larger the standing wave the smaller the transmitted wave, so you get lots less distance.

Given that the CB antenna has a balun, which is a matching transformer to tune the short length of antenna to the transmitter and minimize the standing wave.  (The ratio of the standing wave to the transmitted wave is the Standing Wave Ratio.)  A regular antenna doesn't have the balun and w/o that the CB transmitter wouldn't last long.  And, the size of the transmitted wave will be very small, so it won't transmit far.

Sorry for the technospeak, but I've not had my first cup of coffee yet.  

[Vic Roma]

Apology unnecessary. Thanks Gary, that’s helpful.

[kramttocs]

$700 with 5 min left

[Gary Lewis]

WOW!!!!  Let us know what it goes for.

[kramttocs]

Sold at 706. Pretty impressive for just the antenna and short jumper.

[grumpin]

Wow!

[Gary Lewis]

That is amazing!  Someone had everything else and just HAD to have that to finish out the installation.  

[salans7]

We all know it was either Ranger429 or Chris L. lol.