How to Build a Dipole Antenna for CB Radio Use
People are aware that CB radios can be used in cars, but there are also those who prefer to use their citizen band radios from the comfort of their homes. You can build a Dipole antenna to use with a CB radio that will provide a strong signal and cost very little to construct. You will need coaxial cable and a few hardware parts, some of which are probably lying around the house. The Dipole CB radio antenna may not look pretty, but it will be more than powerful enough to let you communicate with other CB enthusiasts over great distances.
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Things You'll Need
- Spool of coaxial cable
- Wire cutters
- Tape measure
- Two antenna insulators
- Work gloves
- Silicone paste
- Coaxial cable stripper tool
- Coaxial connector
- String
Instructions
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1
Use the wire cutters to make a cut in the outer insulation jacket at the end of the coaxial cable. Carefully strip off 102 inches of insulation from off of the coaxial cable.
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2
Use your hands to bunch down the shielding that is over the coaxial cable (gloves will help with this). Continue bunching down the shielding until it meets the outer insulation jacket that has already been pulled down.
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3
Use the wire cutters to make a nick in the braided shield of the coaxial cable at the point where the outer insulation jacket and the shielding meet. Use your fingers to enlarge the nick into a hole.
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4
Use your fingers to pull the inner conductor wire out of the braided shield. Continue pulling on the inner connector until all of it has been pulled out.
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5
Stretch out the inner conductor wire. Wrap the end of the inner conductor wire around the end of an antenna insulator.
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6
Stretch out the braided shield. Measure out 106 inches from the point of the braided shield where it meets the outer insulation jacket and the shielding. Cut the braided shield at the 106-inch mark with the wire cutters. Wrap the end of the braided shield around the end of the antenna insulator.
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7
Apply silicone paste to the coaxial cable where the outer insulation jacket and the shielding meet. Let the silicone paste set.
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8
Measure out 9 feet of coaxial cable and cut it with the wire cutters so that you have a total length of about 17 feet all together.
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9
Screw a coaxial connector onto the free end of the coaxial cable with a coaxial cable stripper tool. Screw the coaxial connector onto the connection of the CB radio.
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10
Tie a string to the other ends of the coaxial cable and hoist it up the side of the house. Dangle the ends on the roof or around a chimney.
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Tips & Warnings
Have one person handling the coaxial cable from the ground as another is pulling the string.
Do not raise the Dipole antenna you have made so that it is next to a metal pole--the metal will interfere with the signal.
