I'm gonna be the black sheep here and plug the
Radio Shack 21-974. Here's why:
- If all you want it for is trail use and it'll come down during normal driving, no sense spending more than $16.99 plus tax.
- It has an adjustable tip setup similar to the
Firestik II, which makes getting the SWR down to a reasonable level a lot easier (not that I've done this on mine yet since I'm happy enough with the out-of-the-box performance, but I really should).
- Most of the aftermarket antennas are intended to handle way more power than the FCC-mandated four watts. Chances are you will probably never run a buttwarmer (amplifier) on your CB, so you're basically paying for a feature you'll likely not use.
The only real downside to it is that it doesn't come in a range of colours like the other fibreglass antennas do, so you'll have to get some plastic-compatible Rustoleum (check the can; it also works on fibreglass) and spray it whatever colour you want if white doesn't take your fancy. Chances are you already have a suitable rattle-can laying around somewhere.
As for whip vs. fibreglass: if you've ever experienced the lashing that a whip antenna will give you after it's released from being bent over (I have, and let me tell you it is *not* pleasant), you'll understand why fibreglass is a better idea. Yes, it will eventually break rather than bending, but at least you're not lacerating someone or taking their eye out.