Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I sometimes wonder if anyone actually reads the instructions. Not just Midland antennas, but all CB radio antennas. I use the 18-2442 in my car, and a Firestik on my Jeep. Out of the box setup, most will work, but not in their most efficent configuration, and wanted to pass along some helpful information to get the most out of this (or ANY CB Antenna) 1: Avoid running the cable near any power wiring in your vehicle - other power sources can cause attenuation or interference that may impede performance. 2: NEVER loop the antenna coax! If you need to roll it up, rol it up in a Figure-8 style instead. Why? Looping can cause a smiilar effect as #1. 3: IDEALLY run the cabling in a serpentine fashion (S-path) so that it never crosses over itself for best performance. 4: Once installed, have the antenna adjusted for SWR - And a note about this: If someone does this while inside a garage/structure, near a large building or power line, they are doing it WRONG!!! Your antenna should be tuned in conditions where it will be used - outdoors in open areas. Indoor and nearby structures reflect signals, and high power lines can cause interference, both resulting in the adjustment being horribly off. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've seen local audio shops do this wrong only to get antennas returned repeatedly to them, or how many times I readjust them and people think I did something heinously expensive. When I tell them it was simply a bad adjustment and send them away, they are surprised. If you are not aware of how to adjust the antenna, find someone with an SWR meter, go to a large area parking lot, and set it per the instructions, and see if performance improves. As little as 1/16th of an inch can be the difference in hearing clerly and hearing a static-coated version of Charlie Brown's teacher. And yes, even the 18-2442 antenna has to be adjusted! 5: Keep the antenna clean! Road grime does build up on this antenna (it's out in the open, remember?). Wipe it down with a damp cloth once in a while to keep it working optimally. 6: If you change radios, re-test and re-adjust as needed. I've been using the same 18-2442 I've had since (eek!) 1988 to this day, and never have a problem with hearing or transmitting clearly up to around 3 or 4 miles range on the Interstate without a problem in most areas.