For the guys that are using the CB to communicate bike to bike I am wondering how far you can transmit clearly. When I originally purchased this 06 Ultra the first owner cut these antenna's down. Went out tonight and tried the CB for the 1st time with my son on one bike and me on the other and we could only be at the most 10 bike lengths apart. After that nothing. I am looking to find out what the normal distance is or maybe the range might be a better question. Might have to pick up another CB antenna as with this one being cut may be the cause for the short distance to transmit..

 

Get a new antennae; my dad and I usually are good as long as we are in sight of each other.

 

A new one looks like the answer.

 

I bought a tuneable K20 cb antenna for mine... on flat land with the squelch adjusted i can talk with my buddies for over a mile...

 

Where do you get one of these? And how would one go about tuning it?

 

Local Truck stop, you use an SWR meter to tune it. You install the meter between the transmitter and the antenna. Key up the CB and check the SWR. For adjusting that antenna you have to loosen up the set screws for the upper whip and either lower or raise the whip until you get an SWR below 2:1. Perferably you want to see anywere from 1:1- 1.5:1. Any higher then 2.5:1 and you run the risk of burning out the output transistor in the transmittor.

Don't expect huge gains on a motorcycle as there is not alot of "Groundplane" with a motorcycle. I would say that if you can get it to work up to two miles then you would be pretty good.

I don't have a CB on my scooter but I do run a high powered "export" (ten meter radio converted to run on the Cb bands which are 11 meter)in the big truck. Locally I can talk across the county and when conditions are right then I can reach all the way across the country.

In all honesty, for bike to bike comunications, I would go out and get a set of GMRS/FRS two way handhelds. Get the 35 mile ones and you will easily reach each other out up to 20-25 miles pending terrain. The come with vox type headsets for hand free comunication.

 

The FRS has a range of about 1 mile as it can only run 1/2 watt and can't be modified. GMRS can talk upto about 10 miles but is for mobile antennas or base units that can put out up to 50 watts. It also requires a $75 FCC licenses to purchase equipment over 1/2 watt. If used with a repeater it can do much farther range. Repeaters are expensive and are stationary. CB can have 1 to maybe 2 mile bike to bike. You can talk maybe 10+ miles if bike to good base station. The CB is by far your best bet for bike to bike as usually you are with in range of anyother bike you are riding with. You can also talk to the truckers if you like. Other than above you can get a ham licenses and use either 2 meter or 70 cm repeaters and talk 50 to 100 miles via repeaters. Not real practical for bike to bike as very few bikes are equiped with these radios.

 

Yep. i bought a K20 at a truck stop when mine broke....Got it tuned at a local CB shop.

 

Anyone with a take off CB antenna that they would want to part with?

 

Full length? I have the one from my 1998 and one from my 1989. The '89 was the only antenna on the Tour Pak. It was for both the CB and AM/FM radio.