Your CB radio is nothing without a great antenna, and FireStik might just be the brand that has the antenna you’ve been looking for. It is a well-respected brand that has earned a good reputation when it comes to CB radio antennas.
While there are plenty of different antennas to choose from, FireStik only has a handful. Since all are top-notch, reliable, and can give your radio the performance boost it needs, we sought out and reviewed five of the top FireStik antennas.
In addition, we also included a buyer’s guide in the article to remind you about a few important considerations you should make before buying a CB radio antenna of choice.
What’s Special About FireStik CB Radio Antennas
There are plenty of reasons why FireStik CB radio antennas are quite popular in the market. Some of them include:
- Good transmission and reception range – FireStik CB radio antennas are known for offering quality and clear signals.
- Affordable – You can get your hands on a high quality FireStik CB radio antenna for a fair price.
- Durable – Making FireStik antennas snap may be a little bit challenging because most are super flexible which makes them durable as well
FireStik as a brand goes a long way to ensure that it produces quality products, and this will be evident from the five antennas we’ll be reviewing.
Have a Quick Look At 5 Best FireStik CB Radio Antenna: Comparison Table
Reviews of Top 5 Best FireStik CB Radio Antennas
FireStik KW7-B Seven Foot Original CB Antenna (Black)
The FireStik KW7-B has a simple and elegant design that features a fiberglass core with a highly conductive wire wound around it. As it is well-insulated, you can expect the antenna to last for long regardless of how often you expose it to the harsh weather conditions.
Quick Summary
- 500W power handling capacity
- 7-foot
- Fiberglass core
- High quality loading coil
Why We Liked It
Perfectly Balanced
For one, we liked the FireStik KW7-B because its primary focus was not on being the best-performing CB radio antenna, but one of the most well-balanced antenna. It has a 500W power handling capacity which we thought was fair for an antenna of its kind.
Solid Fiberglass Core
The antenna also has a rigid solid fiberglass core at the center. Apart from offering it the much-needed strength so that it cannot snap like other antennas do, its construction greatly contributes to the overall performance of the antenna.
Easy to Mount
The 5/8 wave antenna is easy to mount. It also does not require a lot of unnecessary tools during installation. However, we did not like the fact that you may be forced to cut the antenna just so that you can tune it.
PROS
- Easily accessible loading coil allows precise SWR adjustments
- Powerful antenna
- Offers great range even in city environments
CONS
- You may be forced to cut the antenna to tune it
FireStik LG3M2-W 3-Foot Firefly CB Antenna 10 Meter Amateur Radio
Standing three feet tall, the FireStik LG3M2-W is an antenna you should consider getting if you like shorter and more minimalist antennas that can be placed far away from the radio. It includes a no-ground coax cable that gives you plenty of options on where you can mount it.
Quick Summary
- 3 feet tall
- 5/8 wave
- 17-foot no-ground coax
- Tunable tip
Why We Liked It
Ease of Use
The tunable tip on this antenna was by far the best feature of the antenna. Rather than having to deal with a screw or being forced to cut the tip of your antenna, you only need to adjust the tunable tip whenever you want to tune your antenna.
17-foot No-ground Coax Cable
Since the antenna is quite short, it comes with a 17-foot no-ground coaxial cable which lets you place the antenna at a convenient location. We also had no issues with the coaxial cable itself since it seemed like a premium quality cable.
Perfect for Fiberglass Vehicles
If you have a semi-truck or a fiberglass RV, you’ll love how the FireStik LG3M2-W complements the look and feel of your vehicle. The look of an antenna may not be an issue for some people. However, if you are planning to have the antenna on your vehicle for a long time, it’s a good idea to get an antenna that will blend in with the vehicle.
PROS
- Easy to install
- Offers great reception
- Impressive SWR readings on most channels
CONS
- Mounts on flat vertical surfaces only
FireStik KW7-R Seven Foot Original CB Antenna (Red)
The FireStik KW7-R and the KW7-B are identical in all respects. They both share the same design and have almost the same features with color being the main differentiating aspect. However, the KW7-R has a slightly better power handling capability.
Quick Summary
- 900W power handling capability
- ¾ wave antenna
- 7 feet tall
- Top loaded
Why We Liked It
Superior Performance
The KW7-R has a power handling ability of up to 900W which is one of the highest on the list. You can thus expect this ¾ wave antenna to perform better in situations where the other FireStik antennas were struggling to get good signals.
Compatibility
You can use the antenna with either a 10-meter or an 11-meter radio. However, you will need a suitable adapter in case your radio uses a different connector type.
Super Flexible
This is yet another interesting feature of the KW7-R which contributes to its durability. Whereas other types of antennas can snap when they are subjected to great wind loads, the KW7-R is quite flexible and is difficult to snap. In fact, you can form a C-shape with the antenna without breaking it.
PROS
- Great performance from a 7-foot antenna
- Has a low SWR and generally offers less static since it is coated
CONS
- Lacks a tunable tip and you might therefore have to cut it while tuning
FireStik FL3-B Three Foot Firefly Antenna
FireStik’s FL3-B heavily borrows its design from the KW7-R as it also comes with the tunable tip for easier tuning. However, it is shorter and has a slightly lower power handling ability despite featuring a high-performance coil.
Quick Summary
- Tunable tip
- Flexible fiberglass tube
- High performance coil design
- 3-foot tall
Why We Liked It
High Performance
Compared to the KW7-R, the FL3-B may not match up when it comes to performance because it is shorter. However, the high-performance coil design of the FL3-B makes it one of the few high-performance FireStik antennas you can find.
Easy to Tune
The tunable tip also made this antenna fairly easy to use. Whereas other antennas like the KW7-B require you to cut bits of the antenna during the tuning process, you only need to adjust the tunable tip on the FL3-B.
Sturdy Design
The FL3-B also features a flexible fiberglass tube. It is thus able to flex and bend whenever it sways. This reduces the chances that the antenna would snap.
PROS
- Super lightweight antenna and it offers little wind resistance
- Comes with a high-performance coil design which contributes to better range
- Flexible fiberglass tube reduces the chances of the antenna snapping
- Sturdy and well-designed antenna as it doesn’t wobble much
CONS
- Lacks mounting hardware
FireStik FS-4RD Four Foot FS Series CB Antenna
Apart from the FireStik KW7-R, the FS-4RD is the one other antenna that has a high power handling capability. However, one interesting thing you will note about the FS-4RD is that it is way shorter but still quite powerful.
Quick Summary
- 900W power handling capability
- Tunable tip CB antenna
- 4 feet tall
- 20-25-mile range
Why We Liked It
Great Range
Thanks to its 900W power handling capability, the FS-4RD has a range of up to 25 miles which is phenomenal. If paired with the right CB radio, you will be getting clear signals with ease. This makes the FS-4RD a great antenna to consider if you intend to engage in long-distance communication.
Ease of Tuning
The inclusion of a tunable tip on the FS-4RD makes it slightly more advanced than the KW7-R which lacked one. As such, you wouldn’t need to go with a screwdriver or a pair of pliers to cut down pieces of the antenna just to get the perfect SWR reading.
Durable Construction
Since the antenna measures four feet, it does not have a flexible fiberglass tube like some of the other antennas that we had viewed earlier. However, you shouldn’t expect it to experience too much sway.
PROS
- Offers great range thanks to its 900W power handling capability
- Comes with a useful tunable tip which makes tuning easy
- Superior performance regardless of weather conditions
CONS
- None
What to Consider Before Buying FireStik CB Radio Antennas
The considerations you need to make before buying a FireStik CB radio antenna apply to nearly all other types of antennas. This is because the performance of the antennas depends on physical attributes of the antenna itself.
Since FireStik only has a handful of antennas, here are some of the things you need to remember when picking any kind of antenna for your CB radio:
Size
FireStik makes a number of CB antennas, but the difference in sizes means that you can get an antenna that is just perfect for your needs. The height of an antenna is usually an important consideration to make when selecting a CB radio antenna, but you should select an antenna that comes with a height you are comfortable with.
In addition, you should also know that while longer antennas provide better range, they often sway a lot. As such, antennas without spring bases may end up receiving a lot of impact that may eventually damage the antennas entirely.
Power Handling
Unlike your CB radio, antennas can handle more power. This means that you can use the same antenna for your CB radio and ham radio. However, since not all antennas have the same power handling capabilities, you are supposed to find out the power handling capability of the antenna you fancy before you make the purchase.
It is unlikely that you will find a FireStik CB radio antenna with a power rating that is as low as 10W, but if you intend to use the same antenna with your ham radio or for any other purpose, then you should check its power capacity. FireStik CB antennas typically have power handling capacities that range in between 300W – 1000W.
Frequency Bandwidth
CB radios typically use the 26 MHz – 27 MHz band for communication. This means that the antenna should also cover this range of frequency for you to comfortably use it with your CB radio. However, just like with the power handling capability, there are instances when some of the devices you own can exceed the frequency bandwidth of the antenna you have.
Because of such cases, you should pick a CB radio antenna not only based on its power handling capabilities, but also based on its frequency bandwidth. These two will determine how many other devices you can use your antenna with. Additionally, a higher frequency bandwidth means that the antenna can transmit more information.
On the same note, you ought to know that having a multiband antenna is more advantageous than a single band antenna since you can use one antenna for two different purposes concurrently.
Final Verdict
Even though selection of a CB radio antenna is more of a matter of personal preference, we have to admit that FireStik does indeed have a number of great antennas.
We were mostly disappointed that we could not include all the antennas, but we believe that you will likely find an ideal one from the five we already reviewed.
In the event that doesn’t happen, be sure to consider the frequency bandwidth, height, and power handling capability of an antenna before you make a purchase.