I am a license Armature radio operator of 12 years.
For A CB radio you don't need a license and if you set up a decent station you can get as much as 30 miles from it. You can get more if you go with directional antenna called "Beams. You don't have to get a tower but with the 27 MHz freq you will be in need at least 20 feet from the ground to the base of the antenna. But you relay should get up to 36 feet high even if you use a unidirectional antenna. 36 feet is one wave length at 27 MHz and you will get far better range on transmit as well as listing.My son has a CB radio and is needing to get a antenna for the home unit.?
Regardless of the antenna type: the higher off the ground - the better. In the end it comes down to what is practical for your circumstances.
For CB base stations wanting to talk to mobile stations, an omni-directional ground-plane vertical antenna is most practical and also most common.
I would suggest a 5/8 wave vertical over a 1/2 wave. 5/8 wave gives a lower angle of radiation, which is best for maximizing your "line of sight" radiation angle.
Invest in a SWR power meter too, if possible. Follow the antenna manufacturers instructions on "tuning" the antenna for lowest SWR (standing wave ratio). 1:1 is ideal. 1.5:1 is OK. Anything higher is wasting power being reflected from antenna back to transmitter. SWR of 1:1 means all your forward power is being "radiated" from the antenna. This is very important for maximizing antenna transmission performance.... regardless of antenna type you buy.
Also, use the SWR meter to tune your sons mobile radio antenna too for maximum performance. It will pay-off in performance and troubleshooting problems.
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