Alum body trucks and CB antennas

[ACZL]

The topic of CB's comes up every so ofter here w/ varying opinions on CB's themselves. My question is for those still using them and have Fords alum body trucks, what are you doing to mount the antenna and where? I currently have a magnet mount on roof, so that wouldn't work on an alum truck. Saw where you could attach a bracket by hood mount driver's side, but I'm not a fan of this location. To a degree, are alum body trucks killing off the use of CB's?

[ACZL]

burningman wrote:
CB is dying out even in big-trucks. I haven’t even turned mine on in forever.
Traveling together with friends in separate vehicles is one of the last good uses of CB.
Other than that, they’re still the standard for communicating between dump trucks and loader operators and scale houses at gravel pits and such, beyond that there’s not much use.
A large percentage of the current crop of big rig drivers are immigrants who don’t talk on the radio and don’t even follow any traditional common courtesies like flashing lights to signal when you’re clear to come back into a lane after a pass.

Add to that, that some companies are banning use of them and along with cell phones (even w/ bluetooth/handsfree). Essentially, they want you to be zombie steering wheel holders. FWIW tho, I did buy the Larson plate and mounted the cb in truck. Haven't tried it yet. The plate albeit pricey IMO, mounted easily and my K40 magnet fits w/o a problem. There are pre-drilled holes so if mounted on town hiway trucks, no drilling would be required into anything as long as no dump box was added.

[burningman]

CB is dying out even in big-trucks. I haven’t even turned mine on in forever.
Traveling together with friends in separate vehicles is one of the last good uses of CB.
Other than that, they’re still the standard for communicating between dump trucks and loader operators and scale houses at gravel pits and such, beyond that there’s not much use.
A large percentage of the current crop of big rig drivers are immigrants who don’t talk on the radio and don’t even follow any traditional common courtesies like flashing lights to signal when you’re clear to come back into a lane after a pass.

[Cameo_Phil]

You might want to take a look at Breedlove mounts. They have all kinds of mounts for antennas. I use a stake pocket mount which works great.
Breedlove mounts

[Grit_dog]

Last I checked, CBs are alive and well in most OTR trucks and dump trucks.
Mag mount is convienent, but many other way to mount a CB antenna properly....10-4.

[Slowmover]

See also the Larson No Drill Mount for pickups.

[Huntindog]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I lost interest in CB's many, many years ago. I learned if you actually drove the posted speed limit, you never needed one! Also, didn't care for all the foul language and sexual innuendos that was constantly broadcasted.

When the cell phone came along, the CB was thrown out. Never looked back.

Wow!
Now I gotta get one!

[Chuck_thehammer]

.
on the Ford.. no easy mount... except for a hole in the body/roof..

glass mount antenna
https://www.amazon.com/Midland-18-258-40-Channel-Glass-Mount-Antenna/dp/B00000K2YV

and clip on top glass edge
https://www.wearecb.com/procomm-window-clip-ngp-cb-antenna.html

[Michelle_S]

Members of our GS Chapter almost all still have CBs and we use them when traveling together. As was mentioned, pretty hard to get a Cell call through to the Rig behind you to warn of something in the lane before they're on top of it.

[ACZL]

I still use 1 both in my semi and pick up although others that have them are dwindling. Only real time you hear a lot of chatter is when the weather is bad. If not for running w/ a buddy of mine whom we chat out/back if our times coincide, could run 300 miles and not hear a soul. At least on the trucking side of things, many companies have come out against having add'l electronics in cabs besides what the company has installed. GPS units okay. But with the advent of audio books, cell phones, satellite radio and laptops, I personally feel this has contributed greatly to the "demise" of CB's.

I agree w' the posters on the language use by some that it's not always the best for all listening. If in an area where CB use is often, one can hear/find out about a problem down the road long before you get to it and a way around it (not always) which a GPS may not warn you until your in it. Topics run the gamut by truckers and if you listen alot, you'll come to find out that they are very well versed and seem to have a better grasp on things than leaders of either a company or country etc. Sadly, there is a lot of name calling, foul language and "womanizing" to which is downright discourteous. Get past that and you can learn a lot.

Regarding the mounting of antennas on mirrors brackets, the brackets are made of stainless steel not alum. Most cabs are made of steel. But when it come to pick-ups, besides Ford, everyone else uses or has cabs made of steel. I personally use a K40 Trucker Magnet mount which is on roof just ahead of the center stop light. Has worked great in this location since '03. Am considering upgrading to a newer super duty which has the alum cab, thus my question about how to mount an antenna or where. I like the idea of the plate by center stop light, but what kind of stress will be added to the mounting area/holes/screw/bolts is what I question. Don't want to drill into roof. Plus if you have a center console in cab, that presents another problem as to where to mount the CB itself.

Thanks for the replies given.

[Chuck_thehammer]

CB was a fleeting thing..... ( fad )

why do CB'rs talk in person like they do on the radio..?????????

Cobra/President/SBE/EF Johnson Warranty technician,, 1984 to 1988,,,,,

I got my first CB in 1968...
before truckers starting to use it big time.

and cell phones had nothing to do with CB..
what good are cell phone for finding the "Smokie"....?? or traffic jams...wrecks... road closures .

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

ACZL wrote:

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
LINK

The best place for your antenna is in the middle of the truck not off to either side.

Thanks for the link, but what's funny is that the plate is made of alum from what I see. Did I miss something?

Almost every mount be it mirror or side is made out of aluminum. As was pointed out all base station antennas are made out of aluminum along with TV antennas. The antenna is grounded via the outside breaded wire in the coax.

Don

[wnjj]

mike-s wrote:

harmanrk wrote:

ACZL wrote:
To a degree, are alum body trucks killing off the use of CB's?

No, they were already dead. An invention called the 'Cell Phone' killed off the CB, long before Aluminum because common in vehicle bodies.

Seems you're unclear on the concept. Radios are a shared/common medium. Cellphones do one-to-one communications. (mostly - I suppose the whole PTT thing is still available, but that's still not public)

Not to mention calling someone traveling with me to warn them about the debris in the road might be a bit slow to be of any use.

Also, how would I know the phone number of the semi I wanted to talk to?

Different tools with different purposes.

[mike-s]

harmanrk wrote:

ACZL wrote:
To a degree, are alum body trucks killing off the use of CB's?

No, they were already dead. An invention called the 'Cell Phone' killed off the CB, long before Aluminum because common in vehicle bodies.

Seems you're unclear on the concept. Radios are a shared/common medium. Cellphones do one-to-one communications. (mostly - I suppose the whole PTT thing is still available, but that's still not public)

[Slowmover]

Install an NMO Mount. Use a Larsen 27.

Any decent two way transceiver shop can set you up.