Cheap DIY CB Antenna!

[JBLKING]

New here, and this is my very first post! I just got into the crawling/scaler hobby last week. I've always wanted an Axial SCX10 but the TR and kits are too expensive for a young adult like me! Just my luck, I picked up a honcho roller for $100 (AX2/AR2) w/ a rough Pro Line Cherokee body!

Ok, enough talk, on to the main course- after respraying and stickering the rough body, I couldn't resist the idea to put a CB straight antenna on the bumper so here's what I did.
Keep in mind, I aimed to get the most scale look for the least amount of pocket change. I was definitely not about to spend $10 on a Reign RC CB Antenna. Hobbies are most enjoyable and fun for me with a little human ingenuity

Parts used:
-Traxxas 1530
-Small Spring
-A bit of plastic

Tools used:
-Electric Dremel
-Wire Cutter
-Needle Nose Pliers

1. The Antenna
I bought a Traxxas wire whip antenna (#1530) for a couple dollars to be my main antenna. It comes 18" long so I cut it in half to 9". Be aware you need to straighten it out as the whip comes rolled.

2. Coils
To replicate coils, I took a pen spring from my miscellaneous parts bag and wound it narrow on the top of the spring with needle nose pliers to align the "coil" dead center around the antenna. Then I expanded the bottom of the spring and tightened it around the bottom of the antenna. It holds nicely just from friction.
-Depending what size/length/color you want your coil to be, just use different miscellaneous springs.

3. Mounting (depends on your body)
The Cherokee body has a slightly slanted bumper so mounting the antenna straight in would not work. I drilled a slightly larger hole and shaved the surface of the trunk door so the antenna would have enough room to sit properly. Then, I crafted a small rectangle bushing for the antennae to screw into, securing it against the bumper. I made this out of a little piece of plastic. It fits right under and against the bumper and now the antenna stands true and straight.

...and there you have it!
Took about an hour to craft and fit and total expense was just $2.99
Simple n' Cheap! not bad!

I hope yall have enjoyed this little tip, comments and criticism welcome!

Sorry for the quality of the pictures

[Sheepdawg23wm]

Looks good on there. Glad to see new guys putting good thought process into a homemade part. I've always enjoyed getting creative with useless stuff I have laying around and turning into a cool functional piece. Keep it up, I'm sure you'll get more ideas to make more parts