If you were to buy a real radio and a real antenna. You would not believe how far you could talk with just a stock cobra 29. Now add a galaxy or Stryker to that or any ssb radio then you would get a little further. Then throw the fire to the wire and then see who hears you. I have a little wil that has caught on fire from a little over 500 watts. Make a video on the Stryker sra10 or Wilson 5000 both are mag mounts and way way better than that lil wil k whatever you are showcasing. Bob im going to have to pass.
@@jordanjacobs2440 15 to 20 miles easy if antenna is tuned properly. My first antenna was a Wilson 1000 its performance kept me in the hobby. I still have it. But I use a 102" stainless steel whip and a Galaxy 66v2 in the mobile now. You will enjoy the setup you have chosen. No doubt.
Well electrically the radio sees 1/4 wave length but they are not equivalent to 102 inches and the higher you are the farther you see into the horizon, the only way to beat the 102 is to top load a tall antenna
Thank you for this video. My dad recently passed away and I inherited a whole bunch of CB radio stuff he had from the 70's including an old "Midland International 13-898 B" Base. I also acquired an old "Fanon - Fanfare 300 SSB" mobile unit Dad used to run in his truck that i want to try to setup in my camper. Unfortunately, no antennas were found in/near the box. He even had an old CB scanner (Realistic PRO-16). i remember used to sit on top of our fridge and it would scan all day long.. (lights-a-flashing)...anyway... i am totally new to this and digging through his old equipment and i just gotta figure out how to make all this stuff work. It's personal and nostalgic, I know, but yeah...thx for this video!
I'm a really old guy, but I'm still running my Wilson Am_1 25 years after I found it at a flea market in its original 1970's or early 1980's packaging.
Nothing has really change in the technology of CB antennas. Just make sure your CB is tuned to the antenna that you're using as there's not much else you can really do.
This is literally exactly what I have been searching for on UA-cam. My mother and I live 2.6 miles away from each other and my kids wanna be able to talk to her through CB. And I wasn’t sure how the quality would be. But this is a clear indication of a green light.
Are these two guys cute or what. I guess I should say they are well matched. I'm 64 years old so I feel like it's say that. You work excellently together. Keep smiling you too. Stay married for years
I’ve been into CB radios off and on since like 2006 or so. When I finally got a quality radio I got a decent antenna but wanted something small because it was like a 4 door sedan. So I got the little will and it worked great. After a while I was looking at upgrading and I liked the quality of the brand and definitely didn’t want a 102” whip lol. So I got the Wilson 1000 magnet mount. I was amazed at the difference performance! I knew it would be better than the little will cause of what I read about it. But man it was a huge difference! Everything came in clearer and it was sensitive. I did have a good radio, a galaxy 959. So quality radio helped I’m sure but with CB’s the antenna makes all the difference.
You both should also be looking at the S/RF meters on the radios when the other person is talking. You can see if one antenna has a stronger signal or not. Sometimes your audio will still come through, but your actual rf signal may be a little stronger/weaker. I like radios with the needle type meters, not the LED meters, I think the needle type are more accurate. (P.S. One of the best antennas you can get is the 102" stainless steel whip...yes, 8 1/2 feet long!)
@@steverzepecki500 If you have a good magnet mount antenna, with low swr, on top of a metal roof van it should work great. I can't say it would work as good as a 102 - the higher the antenna the better usually. Mag mounts are usually shorter with loads/coils, but if you get the swr low it'll be a good set up. That's my opinion anyway. I've had great luck with the K-40 mag mount before.
The only thing I was able to conclude from this video is that Mrs. 1road is really cute. Mag-mount antennas are a 'compromise' antenna, meaning that you compromise efficiency and better radiation for the convenience of being able to mount an antenna on and off quickly and easily. An antenna must have a 'ground' to work against to radiate well. In the case of magnet mounts, the connection between the coax shield and the 'ground' underneath the antenna is achieved via capacitive coupling (as opposed to a direct connection to the sheet metal under the antenna). At CB frequencies, capacitive coupling is not as good as, say, VHF and UHF. For the casual user, mag-mount antennas are usually sufficient to achieve the objective.
I’ve had pretty good results with a Tram 300 (paired with a Uniden Pro520XL), which is the same type of antenna in this video. It is great that you mention “line of sight”. Most people don’t know or don’t understand how geographic conditions affect transmit/receive on two radios before they say, “this sucks”. Great video.
them little willies and k40s kill your db gain , i know i ran radios for most of my life lol , you have to use the full size ones . the bigger the better lol
Great vid-bear in mind generally a bottom loaded coil Ariel, will roughly half your Effected Radiated Power (ERP),so a 4w cb will be around 2Watts ERP!(roughly).If you try a ariel with centre coil this increase ERP,if you go to a top loaded coil ERP increases even further closer to 4W erp .A 4-5ft top loaded Ariel should perform slightly better, than base loaded types generally. Glad your having fun with CB radio! Rob P 73's
Back when my dad's friend Ryan had a 2010 Chevrolet Suburban LS 4WD, he installed a CB Radio into it and he mounted it somewhere in the interior to make it look factory and I got to admit, it looked so good in that Suburban after it was installed
I noticed the K-30 sounded a little clearer. I've been into CBs for many years and have always used the K-40. After 30+ years it finally hit one too many trees and broke. My new one is a K-30. I run a Uniden Grant-XL side band radio. And used to run a "White Tornado" linear. I could talk "skip" all over the country from my truck on the low setting (75 watts) the most important thing is getting a 1 to 1 match on the antenna. I ran a Cobre 2000 base station with an Antrim-99 antenna at a high of 55 foot to the tip with ground planes. No amp but peaked at 9 watts dead key. And modulating (swinging) to almost 30 watts. And again could "skip" talk (I live in Michigan) from Alaska to Panama. Florida to Nova Scotia. And locally an easy 20 miles. My Mobil I kept stock as to not overdrive the amp. Would reach out 10 miles barefoot with the K-40 antenna. Some of my buddies ran the Wilson-1000 and would start to break up at around six miles. They could hear me. But I couldn't hear them. I did have a better radio than most of them. So that could be some of it.. Many buddies ran a mobile radio on a powerpack as their base radio. The Cobra 148GTL, Uniden Grant-XL, and the Cobra-2000 have the identical boards in them. And are easy to peak. Just the Cobra-2000 is bigger inside. And looks great set up with meters, an Astatic Mic and separate matching speaker. I haven't had a base in over 20 years. But plan on putting one together. I'm also going to install a Cobra 510XL in my side-by-side. There's lots of info out there as to how to get the most out of your radio. Look into it. You can easily add two or three miles to you talking range without adding an amp and angering your neighbors by coming over their TV, stereo or satellite dish..
Out of all the license-free options available to Americans (FRS, MURS, CB), CB Radio STILL has the longest range and the most available wattage. And it's got a cool history. Thanks for this video!
Lil will is better . u can take yur radio to a CB shop and have it peek and tune to perform better and u are gonna hear static unless u use a noise canceling mic and some of the static u hear can be power line that you are under etc as a trucker and we use that tool alot with a amp to talk skip I can give u some tips if needed...
I was sitting in my truck tonight talking on channel 1 to a town 40 miles away the SWR on my radio is so low the needle on the SWR meter does not move. Antenna was a magnetic mounted Sirio Bull Trucker 3000 radio was barefoot. Have to admit it caught me by surprise. Radio on the other end was a base. A mobile in that town tried to get back but all I could tell was that he was trying to talk to me I just didn't have enough signal to understand him.
@@roger71901 you can definitely hit base stations a long way off using 4 watt radio and small mobile antenna. They have big enough antennas to hear you and transmit back. So 20 to 40 miles Mobil to base is pretty typical. Stock 4 watt radios transmit a lot further than most realize, it's a matter of someone out there having the antenna to hear it. The base station guys can hear it and get back. I sit in my truck at night and talk to locals 20 to 40 miles away all the time. It's a lot of fun lol. I'm running a stock cobra 29 4 watts and little will antenna
Your wife was right. The K30 had the edge over the Lil Wil. I could hear the difference. I personally own a Hustler mag mount with a shorter whip and mounted on the trunk so I can get the car into the garage without jumping out and removing the unit. The Hustler performs very well for its size.
@@jay5243 yep I managed to get the right conditions and be in the right place at the right time. There’s a specific spot on a specific ramp that I always make great contacts and that was it
I have a couple of Little Wils in service and for their size seem to preform very well, never used a K30 , years ago had a K40 mag mounted it worked great till the mount broke and I went to a 102 inch whip .
I purchased the K40 in january this year, I am using a handheld cobra CB , i got the little wilson for my birthday, I have been using the little guy ever since
Thank you Mrs. 1Road for your participation in the test from the Home 20. It is quite obvious that your spouse has his 'wife' filter activated , as you clearly informed him on all 3 tests that the K30 seemed / sounded a little better . I concur with your observations , judging by the audio on the video. MADE IN USA is always the winner . Thank you 1Road.
It's interesting watching this video, it reminds me of how kids started the hobby years ago and had no clue how to set this stuff up. You'll get there fella but you're going to need a big boy antenna and some wattage. Wilson 1000 will get you started.
I actually have tried almost all from whips to hard mounts. Now retired but cross country runs in my day were fairly normal and actually found all around the K-40 magnetic mount over-all was best everywhere. There have been times I relayed radio traffic for drivers and more than once have met at a truck stop to prove that was indeed my antenna with no kicker involved. Now as stated living in a mountain area still have to say it out performs over-all anything I have or currently use. That goes back to my first one in the 90's. Now they have (if you can find them) a K40 Trucker capable of 3500 watts (not a typo) that I am seeing more of in the mountains on Semis. A K-40 I also use (K40BCMAX) (26 MHz to 30 MHz) is rated to 20,000 Watts but I run barefoot and have never had an issue even when using side band radios, and still use the original on one of our cars.
I still have the Royce 40 channel CB and K40 mag mount antenna my late dad bought around 1977 or 8. I remember the K40 dealer recommending the mag mount for better performance.
Great video man. Just picked up a president McKinley CB in the process of looking for a mag mount. This was exactly what I was looking for. Love the vids...
You can spend a lot of money boosting performance on your c.b. radios but you've already discovered some basics. Wilson makes a fine product. I've had the high dollar antennas on my Kenworth W900 but the Wilson 2000 works great. 8f you want to clean up the clarity of your radios add an Astatic noise canceling microphone. Some like the Road King microphones but the Astatic mikes are great. I have and Conner 4400hp radio and 2 Cobra 29 classics. One of the Cobras is over 30 years old and still works great. I'm a retire ober the road trucker. Be well! :)
I'd recommend the ill Wil over K40. I used to run a 5' FiresticK II on my trunk lid and I used to talk from Bremerton Wa. To Tacoma Narrows bridge. That was about 25 miles terrestrial based communication. Furthest I've shot skip (DX) was Melbourne AU. The Wilson for magnet mount would be 1st choice. Love the fire stick but too much wind load for magnet mount. I say that cause when I got a different car (hatch back) I switched to a Firestick II 3' and a single 5" magnetic base. Windy days I'd blow it off the roof on the freeway. That was until I bought a triple 5" magnet mount setup. But that is too gaudy for most people. Ill wil is a simple solution.
Never heard of tram making a CB antenna. Kind of stopped talking on the radio around 2002. Not sure if that was out bofore or around them. I can attest that a 5' firestick II trunk mounted on a '77 boninville Ciobra 148gtl, next to a 79 K15 Blazer witj a mag mount wilson 1000 and Uniden PC122 sitting up on Green mountain side by side running stock. Both were pretty equal. Transmitting to a base station in seattle, who ever keyed up first walked over the other person.
@catking radio honestly if your running stock, as long as your VSWR is is low throughout the band the only real way to make your signal get out further is either location on the vehicle, RF radiating area, and/or height.
@catking radio while you are commenting on length most antennas on a vehicle are running a length in the 1/8th wavelength. Loads an coils are used as impedance matching and also work at extending the electrical length. While a Wilson 1000 base loads their antenna and the trucker line center load I prefer the top loading and 5/8th wave length of a 4 to 5 foot Firestick II. while just my preference. I've talked, just like I'm sure you have to a many a people all over. Most back in the day in my car. That set up I mentioned above talked all over the world stock. What I ran really wasn't as crucial as my location I was sitting.
I have tried them both and in my area I prefer my little wil. However that is just my situation. Thanks for the great video do appreciate it and she’s easy to look at by the way
If all things are equal I would get the one made in USA. Both seem about the same in all other areas. Nice that you can remove it when commuting or putting vehicle in garage. That big Chevy truck roof does provide an excellent ground plane for any antenna
Great video! I originally ordered a K30, but as I needed it sooner than 8/22, I cancelled it and ordered a Little Wil that's supposed to arrive by 8/17. It's nice to know that they both perform about the same. PS - I wish I could talk my wife into letting me put a CB in her car. I showed her a Cobra CB with a pink case and jokingly said that a perfect handle for her would be "Pink Lady". But alas, it was a "no go". 🤪
I've ordered the K-30 and a new President Thomas AM FM CB Radio after being out of the CB Radio for 20 years I decided to put one in my pickup truck so I hope it works out for me.
I was always told by most of the cb shops that if you're going to spend the money you might as well get the Wilson 1000 it's way better than the little will but then again a lot of the reputable cb shops don't recommend either any of the magnetic that have a load in the base give you false swrs it's better to get a magnetic Mount without a load in the base that's adjustable height to get true low Swr. But they are good in a pinch if you just want an antenna that's decent. me personally I'm kind of crazy I drilled a hole in the cab of my truck and put 102-in whip on there I can't go through any drive-thrus cuz I hit everything but I can sure walk over the top of most cbs unless they're running a linear. 😂
I have a whip mounted on just behind my cab at the height of my cab I go through drive throus and even carports it whips right through swr1.1 only one problem my cobra 29gtl does 100w or is that a problem lol ;-) chevy in the pile
@@FredTheLutinoCocatiel depends on the class of the amp yes class C no ssb but if you go texas star its a/b bios and yes ssb and cleaner . Cleaner is better no one wants a splatter box so keep it clean go a/b
I have a little will, friend had a fire stick, I could hear him when he got home from my house, which was 9mi in a straight line. We lost connection when he was in town, but then I heard him again as he left town. Was a fun test.
Not worth it! stick with one 102 inch whip! put it on the roof or as high as you can! use good coax rg8x or Lmr200! get coax from ham radio shop with amphenol connectors! Take care good DX!
I have Wilson 5000 102" whip antenna magnet base they are the best one and they go pretty far 10 miles plus more with cobra LTD29 CB radio. I tried all kind of antenna they sucks bad so i came across with this Wilson 5000 and im very very impressed. My has nice clear sound no static at all.
My little Willie always did a good job even though some people scoff at how short it is, I tell 'em if you know how to use it it'll provide satisfaction.
Those aren’t bad starter antennas, but it’s time to upgrade, I use a Wilson 1000 and a Wilson 5000, take your pick according to budget, but in the case of antennas, you get what you pay for. I’ve heard really good reports on the newer Stryker antennas, but haven’t used one myself.
The test would be what are the differences in signal strength from point to point with the 2 antennas. You're using the same radios so the sound will not change.
The sound will change if the reception is poor, but you are right. Signal strength is a better way to test, not to mention it gives scientific data as opposed to opinion on what sounds best.
Wow! You sent me back 40 years to the 1980's, when "The Grey Ghost," traveled the roads with his CB. I had a permanent mount, bolted to the body K-40 antenna on my Jeep. :D
they both will work great, need to take the one down when using the other as the one next to it causes refletion. Get SWR to a 1to1 or flat they both will work
One thing I didn't notice in your testing - How good are the magnets? Test to Freeway speeds. Did one come off at a different speed? Will they both hold at 80mph ?
Talking in the day time is a struggle. I remember talking on my CB in the 80s. It was much better as everybody knows at night. And you know this too. But testing in the day time is better in my opinion.
SO, these are basically identical "okay" antennas. For just a little more $$$, you get into Wilson 1000-2000-5000 antennas. Ones that can actually benefit from the skip.
Lil Wil wasn't around 40 years ago when I was installing and servicing CBs (the good ol' days). Most antennas were permanent mount and a lot were 106" whips w/ a heavy 6" spring. The Lil Wil is the best all-around mag-mount I've used. They don't do as good as a full-size 1/4 wave, but pretty good. I'm sure the K-30 compares, as your test shows.
This is pretty much how radio checks go with my daughter or wife on the other end. For your next trick, add single sideband to the mix! She'll love that.
I had a wilson Little Will with a 400 watt Kicker and if skip was kicking it was good from Billings Montana to Jamaica. I would talk to Tennessee and Georgia alot some times I could get a guy in the Mohave Desert. good old skip on the 27 mhz. now lets talk about skiping off the moon
I’ve played around and ran the lil will as a base station setup, stuck to the metal chimney cap on my house. Was speaking loud and clear to another base stations about 3-4 air miles away. Actually tested one of the old “emergency Cb radios” that they made to carry in cars and they have the cheapest looking flimsy magnetic mount antenna I’ve ever seen but it managed to talk/receive for almost 10 mile range before it finally couldn’t cut it. 👌
The antenna is only HALF of the setup. the other half is the metal underneath the antenna. Sticking it on a small piece of metal doesn't cut it. At 27 mhz, (CB freq) the closer you can get to 102" of wire or metal in a spoke-like, radial pattern around the antenna is the best.
I was using 2 Uniden SSB radios into two K40 mag antennas. with flat SWR. One in each vehicle. Although Some people don't recommend SSB in mobile operation, Well we did it anyway... We consistently got 10 and sometimes 12 miles out of them in an partially urban area.... That's far superior to FRS or MURS or GMRS without a repeater.
Best mag mount is a Stryker Antenna. I have tried them all. The Stryker has been by far the best on performance. Always remember there is more to it than just throwing an antenna on. SWR is everything and checking reflections. Personally nothing beats a 102 whip for a permanent mount. And a don’t for get you get what you pay for. I run a Stryker 655 and Stryker Antenna in my Van. In my Ram 2500 I run a Galaxy 98VHP and a 102 whip.
Were you using stock 4w radios? I live in the mountains of VA and a half mile distance on a 4w radio is about max. Great video! Well done! Your wife is a keeper, for sure!
That President radio sounded a lot better than that Cobra. Her volume sounded low on the vid. That President mic came in loud and clear. But ewwww...that roger beep.🤔
Iused to talk to my wife Smack dab in the middle of Long Island I would be in co-op city in the Bronx, I did have a little help under the seat though if you know what I mean.
I was at a cb shop when k40 first came out in late 1970 s had a shoot out with firestick both antennas locatd generally mounted sme spot on similar car bodies the firestick went 12-15 mile the second vehicle with the k40 starting there went 7 more miles
I would buy a front hood mount and buy a couple Firestick antennas. Can't go wrong. They mount on the front fender between the fender and hood. Also the coex cables that come with these pre wired antennas is cheap. The shorter the run of coex cable the better.
To me the K30 sounds alot better than the Wilson. I have never owned a K40 antenna but I have owned a Wilson 1000 and it was not all that great and the magnet mount didnt hold up to interstate driving. It kept popping of at highway speeds. I have and us now a pair of whips and their the best I have ever owned so far. I say I would stick to the K30 on both cars.
Great videos man keep it up!! I have the k30 with a cobra 29ltd classic and let me tell u on a highway I can reach almost 15miles and in the city I get about 5 to 8 miles pretty good I think!! Comes in pretty clear too
taking into consideration the background noise in your vehicle, and also the alternator power systems it sounded great. Nice job man. now get the groceries like she requested, lol. Nice job great video. So cool.
How can you have a power loss with a 1:1 SWR ? Maybe you didn't and the automatic power/SWR cutback circuit lowered the power or you burned up the antenna with high power? Some cheap chinese knockoffs lose a cap inside , I had that happen , burned out 2 antennas .
Next review have your half look at the needle on the radio meter to compare transmit performance. Might have her watch, "Smoky and the Bandit I and II" also. 😁. I've had a K30 for over fifteen years. I use it with a Midland 75-822 handheld with the vehicle module.
Your vid does help. It shows they don't get out very far, like 4 miles. So what good are they, I'm asking you. I just heard the K40 is suppose to be better. If you want to get out and really talk to ppl other than your lovely wife you might entertain adding power. I haven't done so yet. I might try it some day.
Am i the only one that loves this guys CB radio videos??😁
Me Too.
Yeah. Yeah you are. All this s@#& is starter kit truck stop crap.
If you were to buy a real radio and a real antenna. You would not believe how far you could talk with just a stock cobra 29. Now add a galaxy or Stryker to that or any ssb radio then you would get a little further. Then throw the fire to the wire and then see who hears you. I have a little wil that has caught on fire from a little over 500 watts. Make a video on the Stryker sra10 or Wilson 5000 both are mag mounts and way way better than that lil wil k whatever you are showcasing. Bob im going to have to pass.
@@goldpipe2003 hey! I have a wilson 1000 and im getting a galaxy 10 meter on 11 meter band. What kinda range can i expect with 38 watts?
@@jordanjacobs2440 15 to 20 miles easy if antenna is tuned properly. My first antenna was a Wilson 1000 its performance kept me in the hobby. I still have it. But I use a 102" stainless steel whip and a Galaxy 66v2 in the mobile now. You will enjoy the setup you have chosen. No doubt.
your wife is one kool woman !!!!! to help out on what you want to do, must be nice!!!!!!!
LOL She looked to me like there were 5 other things she'd rather be doing.
When the wife mentions a grocery list, that's when the static is supposed to get really bad!
Or a trip to the in-laws
@@DBR00 lol 😂👍
I had to test my CB with complete strangers, until I got to a wheeling event with other guys with CBs.
My conclusion from this test would be that you will be running more errands in the future. LOL
Yes, he has her right where she wants him:-)
Jimmy I have been using the same K-30 antenna for over 20 years , still works fine. Thank your wife she has the patience of a Saint.
It's not the same antenna now...congrats on yours...mine was toast in 2 years...coax came apart everywhere. Like an ice creme pail in the sun...
Finally a real test under suburb/trees conditions🤙, I HATE EVERY OTHER TEST VIDEO!!!!
102" whip baby.
Yes but it must on the highest part of the vehical, get one with a flip mount then
you can flip it down when going under passes
@@phillipsmiley5930 no it must not. Preaching and practice are two different things sir.
The coil plus the can on a Wilson is essentially a 102" whip
Well electrically the radio sees 1/4 wave length but they are not equivalent to 102 inches and the higher you are the farther you see into the horizon, the only way to beat the 102 is to top load a tall antenna
👍 Great demo. I have a little Wil and a K40 ❤both
Thank you for this video. My dad recently passed away and I inherited a whole bunch of CB radio stuff he had from the 70's including an old "Midland International 13-898 B" Base. I also acquired an old "Fanon - Fanfare 300 SSB" mobile unit Dad used to run in his truck that i want to try to setup in my camper. Unfortunately, no antennas were found in/near the box. He even had an old CB scanner (Realistic PRO-16). i remember used to sit on top of our fridge and it would scan all day long.. (lights-a-flashing)...anyway... i am totally new to this and digging through his old equipment and i just gotta figure out how to make all this stuff work. It's personal and nostalgic, I know, but yeah...thx for this video!
Get a good antenna and a swr meter, don't forget some good coaxial.
I'm a really old guy, but I'm still running my Wilson Am_1 25 years after I found it at a flea market in its original 1970's or early 1980's packaging.
Nothing has really change in the technology of CB antennas. Just make sure your CB is tuned to the antenna that you're using as there's not much else you can really do.
Cool. If it ain't broke don't fix it! Lots of old radios and antennas out there that still work fine.
I would have checked the "S" Meters for signal strength too!
This is literally exactly what I have been searching for on UA-cam. My mother and I live 2.6 miles away from each other and my kids wanna be able to talk to her through CB. And I wasn’t sure how the quality would be. But this is a clear indication of a green light.
Great comparison Jimmy !! You have a great "better HALF" to help out with this test! Keep these CB videos coming they are great!!
Are these two guys cute or what. I guess I should say they are well matched. I'm 64 years old so I feel like it's say that. You work excellently together. Keep smiling you too. Stay married for years
I’ve been into CB radios off and on since like 2006 or so. When I finally got a quality radio I got a decent antenna but wanted something small because it was like a 4 door sedan. So I got the little will and it worked great. After a while I was looking at upgrading and I liked the quality of the brand and definitely didn’t want a 102” whip lol. So I got the Wilson 1000 magnet mount. I was amazed at the difference performance! I knew it would be better than the little will cause of what I read about it. But man it was a huge difference! Everything came in clearer and it was sensitive. I did have a good radio, a galaxy 959. So quality radio helped I’m sure but with CB’s the antenna makes all the difference.
Thanks Jimmy"The Big Dog" for bringing the real Superstar on today...😁😁👍👍
She’s great!
@@1RoadGarage one of the best home-base antennas is the Maco V5000. You will get excellent SWR match on your CB radio.
@@unitedstatesirie7431 Low SWR is overrated
@@phillipsmiley5930 Not When Your Radio Is Fried Because You Didn't Make Sure You Had Low SWR.
@@phillipsmiley5930 Low SWR is SUPER important. If you have 4 watts output, you don't have a lot of signal to throw away.
You both should also be looking at the S/RF meters on the radios when the other person is talking. You can see if one antenna has a stronger signal or not. Sometimes your audio will still come through, but your actual rf signal may be a little stronger/weaker. I like radios with the needle type meters, not the LED meters, I think the needle type are more accurate. (P.S. One of the best antennas you can get is the 102" stainless steel whip...yes, 8 1/2 feet long!)
Yup I agree. He was not looking at the signal strength he was going only on audio.
Douglas Bollinger,
I have a van, would a magnet mount work as good as a 102", just learning
Douglas Bollinger
Is a Cobra 29LTDCHR a good starter ??? With a K30 magnet mount.
Douglas Bollinger
How about a Wilson 1000 with a 62" magnet mount, whip for on top of a van, Cobra 29LTDCHR ???
@@steverzepecki500 If you have a good magnet mount antenna, with low swr, on top of a metal roof van it should work great. I can't say it would work as good as a 102 - the higher the antenna the better usually. Mag mounts are usually shorter with loads/coils, but if you get the swr low it'll be a good set up. That's my opinion anyway. I've had great luck with the K-40 mag mount before.
The only thing I was able to conclude from this video is that Mrs. 1road is really cute.
Mag-mount antennas are a 'compromise' antenna, meaning that you compromise efficiency and better radiation for the convenience of being able to mount an antenna on and off quickly and easily.
An antenna must have a 'ground' to work against to radiate well. In the case of magnet mounts, the connection between the coax shield and the 'ground' underneath the antenna is achieved via capacitive coupling (as opposed to a direct connection to the sheet metal under the antenna). At CB frequencies, capacitive coupling is not as good as, say, VHF and UHF.
For the casual user, mag-mount antennas are usually sufficient to achieve the objective.
I’ve had pretty good results with a Tram 300 (paired with a Uniden Pro520XL), which is the same type of antenna in this video. It is great that you mention “line of sight”. Most people don’t know or don’t understand how geographic conditions affect transmit/receive on two radios before they say, “this sucks”. Great video.
Just go with a trunk lip mount K40..... It's easily removed with it's built in quick release. It will spank both of these magnet mounts.
Agree…just need to have a car that actually has a trunk. Not many cars anymore compared to the SUV’s 🤣
Im surpized that Pretty young lady didnt tell ya to keep driving untill ya got to the end :) She is a KEEPER .PEACE kids
I think the cameo appearance from Mrs @1ROAD will bring up your subscription and view numbers! Very entertaining ,Keep em coming Jimmy
them little willies and k40s kill your db gain , i know i ran radios for most of my life lol , you have to use the full size ones . the bigger the better lol
That's what she said
Definitely true, but big antennas are more of a hassle with a car. Magnet mounts are really convenient.
Dam strate
Wilson 1000 for mag mount but 102" whip works the best.
What is the best antenna for a Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins that can be removed for parking garages and drive through car washes?
I have two little wilsons and my son has a k-30 and really can't tell any difference. Both are great entry level antennas.
Great vid-bear in mind generally a bottom loaded coil Ariel, will roughly half your Effected Radiated Power (ERP),so a 4w cb will be around 2Watts ERP!(roughly).If you try a ariel with centre coil this increase ERP,if you go to a top loaded coil ERP increases even further closer to 4W erp .A 4-5ft top loaded Ariel should perform slightly better, than base loaded types generally.
Glad your having fun with CB radio!
Rob P 73's
Back when my dad's friend Ryan had a 2010 Chevrolet Suburban LS 4WD, he installed a CB Radio into it and he mounted it somewhere in the interior to make it look factory and I got to admit, it looked so good in that Suburban after it was installed
Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy, with a wife fine like that, what the heck are you doing going camping by yourself?????? Enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
I noticed the K-30 sounded a little clearer. I've been into CBs for many years and have always used the K-40. After 30+ years it finally hit one too many trees and broke. My new one is a K-30. I run a Uniden Grant-XL side band radio. And used to run a "White Tornado" linear. I could talk "skip" all over the country from my truck on the low setting (75 watts) the most important thing is getting a 1 to 1 match on the antenna. I ran a Cobre 2000 base station with an Antrim-99 antenna at a high of 55 foot to the tip with ground planes. No amp but peaked at 9 watts dead key. And modulating (swinging) to almost 30 watts. And again could "skip" talk (I live in Michigan) from Alaska to Panama. Florida to Nova Scotia. And locally an easy 20 miles. My Mobil I kept stock as to not overdrive the amp. Would reach out 10 miles barefoot with the K-40 antenna. Some of my buddies ran the Wilson-1000 and would start to break up at around six miles. They could hear me. But I couldn't hear them. I did have a better radio than most of them. So that could be some of it.. Many buddies ran a mobile radio on a powerpack as their base radio. The Cobra 148GTL, Uniden Grant-XL, and the Cobra-2000 have the identical boards in them. And are easy to peak. Just the Cobra-2000 is bigger inside. And looks great set up with meters, an Astatic Mic and separate matching speaker. I haven't had a base in over 20 years. But plan on putting one together. I'm also going to install a Cobra 510XL in my side-by-side. There's lots of info out there as to how to get the most out of your radio. Look into it. You can easily add two or three miles to you talking range without adding an amp and angering your neighbors by coming over their TV, stereo or satellite dish..
I’m
Get a 102" whip and join the 10 mile club.
The 102” is an awesome antenna. I refuse to go back to magnet mount.
Out of all the license-free options available to Americans (FRS, MURS, CB), CB Radio STILL has the longest range and the most available wattage. And it's got a cool history. Thanks for this video!
No you can't ADD repeater
On CB
I would have to see a head to head as far as MURS goes. Might just give CB a run for the money.
Lil will is better . u can take yur radio to a CB shop and have it peek and tune to perform better and u are gonna hear static unless u use a noise canceling mic and some of the static u hear can be power line that you are under etc as a trucker and we use that tool alot with a amp to talk skip I can give u some tips if needed...
When CB's are tuned at a low swr they'll typically go 8 - 40 miles depending on surroundings
Also depends on the sun cycle your in. If (skip) is bad you can sometimes talks to someone across the country but not down the block.
@@noniespam yeah that's true. I've been doing CB's and jam radio now for about 20 years.
@@alancarter8573 It is fun, got into it heavy back in the 70’s. Looking at starting up again.
I was sitting in my truck tonight talking on channel 1 to a town 40 miles away the SWR on my radio is so low the needle on the SWR meter does not move. Antenna was a magnetic mounted Sirio Bull Trucker 3000 radio was barefoot. Have to admit it caught me by surprise. Radio on the other end was a base. A mobile in that town tried to get back but all I could tell was that he was trying to talk to me I just didn't have enough signal to understand him.
@@roger71901 you can definitely hit base stations a long way off using 4 watt radio and small mobile antenna. They have big enough antennas to hear you and transmit back. So 20 to 40 miles Mobil to base is pretty typical. Stock 4 watt radios transmit a lot further than most realize, it's a matter of someone out there having the antenna to hear it. The base station guys can hear it and get back. I sit in my truck at night and talk to locals 20 to 40 miles away all the time. It's a lot of fun lol. I'm running a stock cobra 29 4 watts and little will antenna
I talk skip all over the USA on a little Wilson magnet mount although it does have a little bit of help to boost the power!
Your wife was right. The K30 had the edge over the Lil Wil. I could hear the difference. I personally own a Hustler mag mount with a shorter whip and mounted on the trunk so I can get the car into the garage without jumping out and removing the unit. The Hustler performs very well for its size.
I have a little will and one k30... Great video
Great video. I had a Little Wil on my old car and I was able to talk from Hackensack, NJ to someone in Wales
sounds like you were 'shooting skip " . Depending the atmosphere and time of day that's not impossible to do
@@jay5243 yep I managed to get the right conditions and be in the right place at the right time. There’s a specific spot on a specific ramp that I always make great contacts and that was it
I have a couple of Little Wils in service and for their size seem to preform very well, never used a K30 , years ago had a K40 mag mounted it worked great till the mount broke and I went to a 102 inch whip .
I purchased the K40 in january this year, I am using a handheld cobra CB , i got the little wilson for my birthday, I have been using the little guy ever since
Thank you Mrs. 1Road for your participation in the test from the Home 20. It is quite obvious that your spouse has his 'wife' filter activated , as you clearly informed him on all 3 tests that the K30 seemed / sounded a little better . I concur with your observations , judging by the audio on the video. MADE IN USA is always the winner . Thank you 1Road.
I love her comments
What a great assistant
It's interesting watching this video, it reminds me of how kids started the hobby years ago and had no clue how to set this stuff up. You'll get there fella but you're going to need a big boy antenna and some wattage. Wilson 1000 will get you started.
I actually have tried almost all from whips to hard mounts. Now retired but cross country runs in my day were fairly normal and actually found all around the K-40 magnetic mount over-all was best everywhere. There have been times I relayed radio traffic for drivers and more than once have met at a truck stop to prove that was indeed my antenna with no kicker involved. Now as stated living in a mountain area still have to say it out performs over-all anything I have or currently use. That goes back to my first one in the 90's. Now they have (if you can find them) a K40 Trucker capable of 3500 watts (not a typo) that I am seeing more of in the mountains on Semis. A K-40 I also use (K40BCMAX) (26 MHz to 30 MHz) is rated to 20,000 Watts but I run barefoot and have never had an issue even when using side band radios, and still use the original on one of our cars.
I still have the Royce 40 channel CB and K40 mag mount antenna my late dad bought around 1977 or 8. I remember the K40 dealer recommending the mag mount for better performance.
Great video man. Just picked up a president McKinley CB in the process of looking for a mag mount. This was exactly what I was looking for. Love the vids...
Awesome! Glad to help!
Get a K40 or a wilson 500.
You can spend a lot of money boosting performance on your c.b. radios but you've already discovered some basics. Wilson makes a fine product. I've had the high dollar antennas on my Kenworth W900 but the Wilson 2000 works great. 8f you want to clean up the clarity of your radios add an Astatic noise canceling microphone. Some like the Road King microphones but the Astatic mikes are great. I have and Conner 4400hp radio and 2 Cobra 29 classics. One of the Cobras is over 30 years old and still works great. I'm a retire ober the road trucker. Be well! :)
I'd recommend the ill Wil over K40. I used to run a 5' FiresticK II on my trunk lid and I used to talk from Bremerton Wa. To Tacoma Narrows bridge. That was about 25 miles terrestrial based communication. Furthest I've shot skip (DX) was Melbourne AU.
The Wilson for magnet mount would be 1st choice. Love the fire stick but too much wind load for magnet mount.
I say that cause when I got a different car (hatch back) I switched to a Firestick II 3' and a single 5" magnetic base. Windy days I'd blow it off the roof on the freeway. That was until I bought a triple 5" magnet mount setup. But that is too gaudy for most people.
Ill wil is a simple solution.
Seattle here! Woot Woot!
Never heard of tram making a CB antenna. Kind of stopped talking on the radio around 2002. Not sure if that was out bofore or around them.
I can attest that a 5' firestick II trunk mounted on a '77 boninville Ciobra 148gtl, next to a 79 K15 Blazer witj a mag mount wilson 1000 and Uniden PC122 sitting up on Green mountain side by side running stock. Both were pretty equal. Transmitting to a base station in seattle, who ever keyed up first walked over the other person.
@catking radio honestly if your running stock, as long as your VSWR is is low throughout the band the only real way to make your signal get out further is either location on the vehicle, RF radiating area, and/or height.
@catking radio while you are commenting on length most antennas on a vehicle are running a length in the 1/8th wavelength. Loads an coils are used as impedance matching and also work at extending the electrical length.
While a Wilson 1000 base loads their antenna and the trucker line center load I prefer the top loading and 5/8th wave length of a 4 to 5 foot Firestick II.
while just my preference.
I've talked, just like I'm sure you have to a many a people all over. Most back in the day in my car. That set up I mentioned above talked all over the world stock. What I ran really wasn't as crucial as my location I was sitting.
I have tried them both and in my area I prefer my little wil. However that is just my situation. Thanks for the great video do appreciate it and she’s easy to look at by the way
If all things are equal I would get the one made in USA. Both seem about the same in all other areas. Nice that you can remove it when commuting or putting vehicle in garage. That big Chevy truck roof does provide an excellent ground plane for any antenna
Your wife should have pranked you by playing Charlie Brown’s teacher talking over her end. 😄
Or on his end when she mentions "grocery list". 😳😲😆😂
Great video! I originally ordered a K30, but as I needed it sooner than 8/22, I cancelled it and ordered a Little Wil that's supposed to arrive by 8/17. It's nice to know that they both perform about the same.
PS - I wish I could talk my wife into letting me put a CB in her car. I showed her a Cobra CB with a pink case and jokingly said that a perfect handle for her would be "Pink Lady". But alas, it was a "no go". 🤪
Wife is a trooper for helping out with your projects! Good info on mag mount antennas, I've been looking at a Firestik 4ft for my Hummer H3.
i got one
I had a fire stick 4ft back in the 80’s, worked great & tunable. Main thing is to get a very low swr. I talked 10-20 miles or more no problem on am.
Your surroundings look like So. Cal.
I had a 4' Firestick Firefly with a heavy duty spring and quick detach mount on my Wrangler by the rear tire. Worked great.
I've ordered the K-30 and a new President Thomas AM FM CB Radio after being out of the CB Radio for 20 years I decided to put one in my pickup truck so I hope it works out for me.
I was always told by most of the cb shops that if you're going to spend the money you might as well get the Wilson 1000 it's way better than the little will but then again a lot of the reputable cb shops don't recommend either any of the magnetic that have a load in the base give you false swrs it's better to get a magnetic Mount without a load in the base that's adjustable height to get true low Swr. But they are good in a pinch if you just want an antenna that's decent. me personally I'm kind of crazy I drilled a hole in the cab of my truck and put 102-in whip on there I can't go through any drive-thrus cuz I hit everything but I can sure walk over the top of most cbs unless they're running a linear. 😂
10-4 on that Andy of Mayberry whip you hook up a linear to that and you'll be talking over televisions
I have a whip mounted on just behind my cab at the height of my cab I go through drive throus and even carports it whips right through swr1.1 only one problem my cobra 29gtl does 100w or is that a problem lol ;-) chevy in the pile
@@FredTheLutinoCocatiel depends on the class of the amp yes class C no ssb but if you go texas star its a/b bios and yes ssb and cleaner . Cleaner is better no one wants a splatter box so keep it clean go a/b
I have a little will, friend had a fire stick, I could hear him when he got home from my house, which was 9mi in a straight line. We lost connection when he was in town, but then I heard him again as he left town. Was a fun test.
102 inch whip is the best! cheap too
What about twins behind the cab on the bed mounted toolbox?
Not worth it! stick with one 102 inch whip! put it on the roof or as high as you can! use good coax rg8x or
Lmr200! get coax from ham radio shop with amphenol connectors! Take care good DX!
@@jakemichael8586 102" antenna is about to to high to go on the new pick up trucks.
how about bumper or
top of pickup bed?they make a mount that fits the pickup bed post holes.
Congratulations, Jimmy, for having such a pretty wife.
I have Wilson 5000 102" whip antenna magnet base they are the best one and they go pretty far 10 miles plus more with cobra LTD29 CB radio. I tried all kind of antenna they sucks bad so i came across with this Wilson 5000 and im very very impressed. My has nice clear sound no static at all.
My little Willie always did a good job even though some people scoff at how short it is, I tell 'em if you know how to use it it'll provide satisfaction.
Those aren’t bad starter antennas, but it’s time to upgrade, I use a Wilson 1000 and a Wilson 5000, take your pick according to budget, but in the case of antennas, you get what you pay for. I’ve heard really good reports on the newer Stryker antennas, but haven’t used one myself.
The test would be what are the differences in signal strength from point to point with the 2 antennas. You're using the same radios so the sound will not change.
The sound will change if the reception is poor, but you are right. Signal strength is a better way to test, not to mention it gives scientific data as opposed to opinion on what sounds best.
Wow! You sent me back 40 years to the 1980's, when "The Grey Ghost," traveled the roads with his CB. I had a permanent mount, bolted to the body K-40 antenna on my Jeep. :D
K-30 thanks for your work.
they both will work great, need to take the one down when using the other as the one next to it causes refletion. Get SWR to a 1to1 or flat they both will work
im running a wilson500 with 54 whip antenna and running a cobra29 classic ltd and i easily reach out 30-35miles clearly and strongly.
Planning to put CB radio in my wife's truck thanks for sharing👍
One thing I didn't notice in your testing - How good are the magnets? Test to Freeway speeds. Did one come off at a different speed? Will they both hold at 80mph ?
Talking in the day time is a struggle. I remember talking on my CB in the 80s. It was much better as everybody knows at night. And you know this too. But testing in the day time is better in my opinion.
SO, these are basically identical "okay" antennas. For just a little more $$$, you get into Wilson 1000-2000-5000 antennas. Ones that can actually benefit from the skip.
Lil Wil wasn't around 40 years ago when I was installing and servicing CBs (the good ol' days). Most antennas were permanent mount and a lot were 106" whips w/ a heavy 6" spring. The Lil Wil is the best all-around mag-mount I've used. They don't do as good as a full-size 1/4 wave, but pretty good. I'm sure the K-30 compares, as your test shows.
This is pretty much how radio checks go with my daughter or wife on the other end. For your next trick, add single sideband to the mix! She'll love that.
I had a wilson Little Will with a 400 watt Kicker and if skip was kicking it was good from Billings Montana to Jamaica. I would talk to Tennessee and Georgia alot some times I could get a guy in the Mohave Desert. good old skip on the 27 mhz. now lets talk about skiping off the moon
You should have kept going to find out where they max out at see if one could actually transmit or hear further away More one than the other
Jimmy, your wife sure has got it goin' on! Us viewers would love to see more of her in your videos.
Great product review!
I’ve played around and ran the lil will as a base station setup, stuck to the metal chimney cap on my house. Was speaking loud and clear to another base stations about 3-4 air miles away.
Actually tested one of the old “emergency Cb radios” that they made to carry in cars and they have the cheapest looking flimsy magnetic mount antenna I’ve ever seen but it managed to talk/receive for almost 10 mile range before it finally couldn’t cut it. 👌
The antenna is only HALF of the setup. the other half is the metal underneath the antenna. Sticking it on a small piece of metal doesn't cut it. At 27 mhz, (CB freq) the closer you can get to 102" of wire or metal in a spoke-like, radial pattern around the antenna is the best.
I was using 2 Uniden SSB radios into two K40 mag antennas. with flat SWR. One in each vehicle. Although Some people don't recommend SSB in mobile operation, Well we did it anyway... We consistently got 10 and sometimes 12 miles out of them in an partially urban area.... That's far superior to FRS or MURS or GMRS without a repeater.
Love the way she said "i could give you the grocery list".... and you said "yeah........" (moving right along) haha "Bro Points" scored.....
Best mag mount is a Stryker Antenna. I have tried them all. The Stryker has been by far the best on performance. Always remember there is more to it than just throwing an antenna on. SWR is everything and checking reflections. Personally nothing beats a 102 whip for a permanent mount. And a don’t for get you get what you pay for. I run a Stryker 655 and Stryker Antenna in my Van. In my Ram 2500 I run a Galaxy 98VHP and a 102 whip.
would you sell your galaxy?
I had a K 30 back in the mid 90s so they been around for a while.
Were you using stock 4w radios? I live in the mountains of VA and a half mile distance on a 4w radio is about max.
Great video! Well done! Your wife is a keeper, for sure!
🤣🤣 You are a lucky young man. That's what my wife said to me when I asked for radio check
That President radio sounded a lot better than that Cobra. Her volume sounded low on the vid. That President mic came in loud and clear. But ewwww...that roger beep.🤔
Iused to talk to my wife
Smack dab in the middle of Long Island I would be in co-op city in the Bronx, I did have a little help under the seat though if you know what I mean.
I was at a cb shop when k40 first came out in late 1970 s had a shoot out with firestick both antennas locatd generally mounted sme spot on similar car bodies the firestick went 12-15 mile the second vehicle with the k40 starting there went 7 more miles
Someone should introduce you to Sirio antennas . The HP4000 will quadruple your range , more if it’s mounted directly !
Wilson is the Standard antenna amongst us Truckers 🚛
I LOVE YOU GUYS AND LOVE TO USE MY C.B RADIO COBRA ULTRA 3
I would buy a front hood mount and buy a couple Firestick antennas. Can't go wrong. They mount on the front fender between the fender and hood. Also the coex cables that come with these pre wired antennas is cheap. The shorter the run of coex cable the better.
To me the K30 sounds alot better than the Wilson. I have never owned a K40 antenna but I have owned a Wilson 1000 and it was not all that great and the magnet mount didnt hold up to interstate driving. It kept popping of at highway speeds. I have and us now a pair of whips and their the best I have ever owned so far. I say I would stick to the K30 on both cars.
She puts up with your shenanigans quite well I commend her. She's also beautiful you are very lucky man. And don't ever forget that
Great videos man keep it up!! I have the k30 with a cobra 29ltd classic and let me tell u on a highway I can reach almost 15miles and in the city I get about 5 to 8 miles pretty good I think!! Comes in pretty clear too
I love how his wife is basically playing with him like she would one of her kids hahaha.
taking into consideration the background noise in your vehicle, and also the alternator power systems it sounded great. Nice job man. now get the groceries like she requested, lol. Nice job great video. So cool.
Good work, but you should've showed differences in signal strength via S/RF meter
Great Video, your wife is great for doing this with you. get that grocery list and take her out for a nice wine and dine. 73
The bestway antenna is the one that works best in your setup and fits your budget!
I tried a "Little Wil" and it was troublesome with power loss even with a perfect 1 for 1 SWR, never had that problem with my old K40.
How can you have a power loss with a 1:1 SWR ? Maybe you didn't and the automatic power/SWR cutback circuit lowered the power or you burned up the antenna with high power? Some cheap chinese knockoffs lose a cap inside , I had that happen , burned out 2 antennas .
Next review have your half look at the needle on the radio meter to compare transmit performance. Might have her watch, "Smoky and the Bandit I and II" also. 😁. I've had a K30 for over fifteen years. I use it with a Midland 75-822 handheld with the vehicle module.
14:40 Did you call your wife a dog?
She ain’t no dog......she’s very pretty!
Haha,thanks for the antenna test Big Dog and Pretty Thing 👍
Your Wife is Just Awesome! Sooo Patient 👌🙏🏼 Great Video!
Your vid does help. It shows they don't get out very far, like 4 miles. So what good are they, I'm asking you. I just heard the K40 is suppose to be better.
If you want to get out and really talk to ppl other than your lovely wife you might entertain adding power. I haven't done so yet. I might try it some day.
I like the Wilson 5000.I think that it has more DB gain
That static seems from the vehicles ignition system. Tortoise or a workman inline would really add miles to transmission and reception
I agree, Need to put a filter or figure out a better grounding solution.