WRQS499

so i bought a cheap analog swr meter and my midland mxta26 in 3 different locations on the jeep. I dont have specific SWR numbers but I was able to see relative using same cable and same antenna different locations. 1) Highest SWR tailgate mounted to hinge next to my CB antenna. SWR improved slightly when I removed the CB antenna. 2) Side of driver side cowl next to a pillar. 3) best swr on roll bar. Of course with the 36" antenna the top was completely open.

I have my CB antenna mounted in this forbidden zone. I have not informed my antenna that it is mounted poorly so it happily produces a 1.5 SWR on channels 1 and 40 and on 19 it is 1.1 While I do plan to primarily use my mxt275 for simplex trail communication I am looking at different setups that would allow for more advanced forms of communication in the future. I really like the idea of the roll bar mounted antenna but without any data it looks like I either become the guinea pig or follow the masses. I am fairly certain that my soft top is invisible to the radio waves. There are metal support bows but they are smaller than the a-pillar that would be next to my hood mounting location.

I asked this in the Jeep forum but those are jeep guys not radio guys. Radios need a good ground plane and need to be mounted as high as possible. In my jeep It seems I can have one or the other. I have a 2020 Wrangler 4 door. The roll bar on these is wider than the previous body styles. Most people mount their antennas beside the hood on these. I think I have enough room for a 3db ghost antenna between the roll bar and the top. My question is this: Would you rather have a 3db antenna on the roll bar up high or a 6db antenna by the hood?