Silent Earth
A True Doomsday Prepper
This is primarily about CB but may apply to other radio comms (Not PMR though as the Antenna are only 6 inches long).
Anyway, it appears the growing interest in CB Radio again for preppers and survivalists has rekindled an old problem.. Now with EXPORT rated CB rigs that cover 27Mhz AM & FM plus SSB, and the idiots and muppets who blighted CB having moved onto other things CB once again is playing a useful role for preppers who want Comms but dont want to be licenced Amateur users for assorted reasons of their own.
The gear is good , affordable and readily available but my inbox STILL gets mail about one particular problem, and its one that I share.
CB Antenna, It is so difficult to get an antenna that is DISCRETE but still FULLY EFFECTIVE. You can make a dipole out of scrap wire only 5.5 meters long and hide it in your attic but you lose much of the signal for local comms if its horizontal, and much of the signal strength is blocked by the roof. A Fire stick or modern DV 27 type vertical antenna on a mag mount attached to a square of sheet metal works, but again in the attic much signal strength is lost, same with most antenna if its inside for privacy, opsec, local laws etc much of the radios output capability is wasted and effective range shortened.
Using vertical or horizontal dipoles outdoors is better but NOT if they are strung along the eaves or guttering of the house, or along walls etc as again much needed signal strength is lost, and often local ordinances prohibited long wire antenna so preppers try to conceal them close to buildings thus again reducing their efficiency.
Many masts are HUGE great big ugly things banned by many local by laws and community rules, shorter half wave Dipoles often using TWO mobile antenna offer quite decent performance PROVIDING you can get them far enough out from any building or obstruction and also get them high enough to be fully effective.
Heck even conventional CB antenna often require ground plane radials sticking out 104 inches in all directions for OPTIMUM performance, over 200 inches wide !!!!!!!
Local laws, building regs, community rules, fears over privacy and opsec, lack of capability in building their own antenna, lack of funds, apartment dwellers, live in built up area etc.
So those are a few of the problems I am aware of, trouble is I am unaware of an answer.
There is a need for a fully effective, affordable, compact, easy to erect / install, very discrete CB antenna that will cover the 11 meter band GOOD and be still useful on 10 meter.
So thinking cap on friends , SIMPLE, VERY EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE, DISCRETE, UNCOMPLICATED, EASY TO USE, No soldering, No SWRing, No Degree in communications required.
Ideas please Mes Ami.
Anyway, it appears the growing interest in CB Radio again for preppers and survivalists has rekindled an old problem.. Now with EXPORT rated CB rigs that cover 27Mhz AM & FM plus SSB, and the idiots and muppets who blighted CB having moved onto other things CB once again is playing a useful role for preppers who want Comms but dont want to be licenced Amateur users for assorted reasons of their own.
The gear is good , affordable and readily available but my inbox STILL gets mail about one particular problem, and its one that I share.
CB Antenna, It is so difficult to get an antenna that is DISCRETE but still FULLY EFFECTIVE. You can make a dipole out of scrap wire only 5.5 meters long and hide it in your attic but you lose much of the signal for local comms if its horizontal, and much of the signal strength is blocked by the roof. A Fire stick or modern DV 27 type vertical antenna on a mag mount attached to a square of sheet metal works, but again in the attic much signal strength is lost, same with most antenna if its inside for privacy, opsec, local laws etc much of the radios output capability is wasted and effective range shortened.
Using vertical or horizontal dipoles outdoors is better but NOT if they are strung along the eaves or guttering of the house, or along walls etc as again much needed signal strength is lost, and often local ordinances prohibited long wire antenna so preppers try to conceal them close to buildings thus again reducing their efficiency.
Many masts are HUGE great big ugly things banned by many local by laws and community rules, shorter half wave Dipoles often using TWO mobile antenna offer quite decent performance PROVIDING you can get them far enough out from any building or obstruction and also get them high enough to be fully effective.
Heck even conventional CB antenna often require ground plane radials sticking out 104 inches in all directions for OPTIMUM performance, over 200 inches wide !!!!!!!
Local laws, building regs, community rules, fears over privacy and opsec, lack of capability in building their own antenna, lack of funds, apartment dwellers, live in built up area etc.
So those are a few of the problems I am aware of, trouble is I am unaware of an answer.
There is a need for a fully effective, affordable, compact, easy to erect / install, very discrete CB antenna that will cover the 11 meter band GOOD and be still useful on 10 meter.
So thinking cap on friends , SIMPLE, VERY EFFECTIVE, AFFORDABLE, DISCRETE, UNCOMPLICATED, EASY TO USE, No soldering, No SWRing, No Degree in communications required.
Ideas please Mes Ami.
) I can erm twist, bend or manipulate the rules but not in your face break them 
