4ft Black Firefly

In my set up, I have the antennas mounted behind the cab of my Colorado pick up truck on the bed rail directly behind the window. I have a GMRS antenna on the right and a VHF/UHF on the left with the CB antenna in the middle. I first tried out a 4' Francis double 1/4 wave antenna and unfortunately I was only able to get 2.5 SWR across all channels, that was the good thing more or less, while not great, at least it was consistent SWR on ALL channels. CH 1 and 40 were the same SWR, along with CH19 (~2.5 SWR). If I were to cut any more off after trimming about 1.5" off, then CH 1 and 40 would not be equal anymore. I used a QD mount which raised the antenna about 3" higher than it would have been. The ground plane is great of course--you have the top of the cab and bed as a great counterpoise, and I also tested the ground electrically and everything was mounted correctly and the coax was exactly the length I needed at 15', RG58. I tried RG8X as well, with no difference in SWR whatsoever. Therefore, I decided to try out this 4' FireStik (Firefly) and I get improved SWR of 1.4 on CH19 and 1.8-1.9 on CH1 & 40 WITHOUT any adjustments to the tuning screw and only raising up the capacitance cap about 1/2 inch. Not saying the Francis is a bad antenna, but the double 1/4 wave antenna did not give the best performance for my purpose like the comparable 4' FireStik antenna. So now, I am sticking with the FireStik for my specific setup, and recommend if you do the same set up as me.

Great antenna! I used this to replace a beat to hell Firestick I had on my truck and it's been working great for the last month since I installed it. I'm a big fan of being able to tune it by the screw top and the fact that it's not as rigid as the old Firestick ended up being a plus considering I'm just using a solid mount with no spring. Also of note. If you don't plan on running this from a base station and are going to hook it up to a typical vehicle mounted radio that never puts out more than 5 watts anyway, the maximum power tolerance (200w) is a non-issue considering you're never going to come remotely close to transmitting that kind of power.

This antenna gave me really good reception for where I was (Florence by the Coke Ovens). Was able to communicate between the 4 trucks we had no problem at all. Very clear with the Uniden BEARCAT CB Radio With Sideband And WeatherBand (980SSB) and super easy to install and tune. We went pretty deep into the wash and the antenna handled the trees like a champ...super flexible. Only thing to be careful with in the trees is your tip cover, mine got pulled off. But you can order a set of 2 for like $5 I think. Be sure to get the other items necessary 18' RG-58A/U Coaxial Cable With Pl-259 Connectors , an Firestik SS-3H Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Antenna Spring , and a Firestik K-4A Stud with Screw-On Coaxial Termination for Antenna Mirror Mounts . You'll also need some way to mount it. A bracket of sorts. I just drilled a hole through my front bumper and installed it there. I really like my setup with this product.

I always hear people saying, “get a firestik.” I agree... although to be honest, I have limited experience with competitor’s products. Instructions are clear, product is made in the US (if I remember correctly), and adjustments are a breeze. I’ve whacked many a trees off-roading and have scraped the antenna numerous times due to my temporary mount location that interferes with the back window opening of my jeep. It’s held up fine and has even served as a whip flag mount. Nothing negative to say about it. In fact, I will be purchasing their 5’ antenna very shortly... because I’m a geek and I want that extra potential mile or two more of range. Please keep in mind, no matter what antenna you chose, make sure you SWR tune it. Don’t be that guy that buys a quality product, shortcuts it, then complains about the CB, or cable, or antenna, etc. Not sure what you’re doing?... google it and you’ll find a wealth of resources to do the job proper.

Does whats its designed to do. I havent used a lot of CB antennas but it has worked great for the last year. The easy adjustable tip makes this a great antenna to set up for novice radio users.

I removed the tuning screw and it seems to do well enough on 11m with the cap on and 10m (USB voice part) with the cap off. I use a 3" heavy spring the diameter of it is like a Everhardt or prostick. Not as thin as the wilson flex, but quit a bit lighter and more flexible that the standard firestick.

I've used firestik for years, but always the FS2 model, so I wanted to try out a firefly. I'm very impressed. These antennas are very broadbanded, giving an almost flat 1:1 match across the whole 11 meter band. For my application, I took the tuning screw, the lock nut, and the o ring completely out of the tip and it made it perfect length. I'll definitely be getting a few more to have on hand. We will see in the next few days how well it performs.

Previously purchased the 3-ft version for my '16 Jeep Wrangler spare tire mount. Performance of the 4-ft antenna is greatly improved. Much better SWR results after adjusting and much better reception. I have to remove the antenna to enter my garage, so I keep a wrench and antenna in the back of my Jeep for installation on longer trips. Total height from ground to antenna tip is 8-ft. I have acquired a stainless-steel bolt (with compatible threads) I thread into the antenna mount (in place of the antenna) to keep mud and water out of the antenna mount threads. I also mad a small tag to remind me that the antenna is not installed so I do not inadvertently try to transmit on the CB radio without the antenna installed...

Good quality

Has been on my jeep for close to a year, and has seen a lot of off roading. Still good as new. Great price and fast shipping.

Looks really nice on my 05 jeep wk

Great

Excellent product