CB Antenna

[williamsgw]

I have a 2015 328 TS Georgetown Class A and wanted info on where to mount a glass mount CB antenna. Anyone mounted one of these before.

[4mula1fan]

These kind of antennas don't work very well, so I've heard.

[Flybob]

Glass mount antennas although easy to install are very inefficient. If you plan to use it for more than short distance vehicle to vehicle, get a frame or mirror mount.

[kenandterry]

As reported by the others, the glass mount type are not worth your money except for vehicle to vehicle in close range.

Here's a link to the type I installed on our Georgetown.

https://www.rightchannelradios.com/c...ded-side-mount


I mounted it on the driver side of the Georgetown about 6 inches behind the drivers side window frame. I determined the height of the mount, based on the height of the actual antenna. I wanted the top of the antenna to be 6 inches higher than ANYTHING rigidly mounted on the roof so it would act as a "curb feeler" to let me know how much vertical clearance I might have....such as under the roof at gas stations, trees, and especially clearance issues at the various parks we travel within.

The reception of this style is satisfactory enough for my needs to be able to monitor others, have conversations within a respectable range, but most of all act as a "curb feeler" against any rooftop damage. If you know the term "curb feelers" you know we're from the same common time in history.

[Cornelius]

As mentioned by the others here, glass mount antennas do not work very well, especially at lower frequencies such as CB (26 - 27 MHz). This is because they require a capacitive connection through the glass instead of a physical, wired connection. If you insist on using one, avoid installing it on the tinted sections of glass. The tint is usually a metallic blend in the glass and will degrade performance even further.

A less bad (but still not great) option is to use a "no ground plane" antenna. These are designed for use on RVs, boats, and other non-metal mounting surfaces. A special coax cable is required, and is often included with the no ground plane antenna. The special coax cable must not be cut, as part of it acts as the antenna counterpoise.

The best option is to install a conventional vehicle side wall mount antenna as Kenandterry described in the post above. This is the same antenna mount that I have installed on my Georgetown. They are also available at Amazon and eBay.

The Georgetown body uses an aluminum frame, however there is a heavy vertical steel frame where the front fiberglass cap meets the sidewall. It is easily accessible by removing the interior plastic trim between the front windshield and either the driver or passenger side window. Securely attach the braided coax cable shield to the steel frame using a crimp ring and screw, keeping the coax braid as short as possible from the antenna base. A few inches is OK. The center of the coax cable goes to the antenna mount. The vertical steel frame section will provide an excellent RF ground, which is not the same as a 12 volt electrical ground.