HF Mobile Antenna CBL-561

CBL-561 Review

The new CBL-561 antenna is strong and light that is fit for mobile work, camping or remote radio use. I plan to use this on our next outback trip!

This antenna supports a frequency range of 25-30MHz, covering both 10-meter and 11-meter bands.

With a SWR of ≤1.3:1 and a high power capacity of up to 500W, this makes an ideal mobile or camping antenna.

This antenna is compatible with the following radios:

Radioddity QT40

Radioddity QT60

Radioddity QT80

Radioddity CS-47

Radioddity CB-27 Pro

Radioddity CB-500

Radioddity CB-900 Pro

and all other brand’s that transmit in the range of 25-30MHz.

I use the QT80 radio with this antenna, so I highly recommend you seeing that review.

Tuning the antenna

I found tuning the antenna was simple. Just a small Allen Key allowed for adjustment between bands, however some bands were close enough as you can see in my video.

If you mark the antenna to the correct lengths, then it becomes easier still.

The antenna is built from aluminium alloy, so it shouldn’t rust. It is strong and windproof plus I’ve tested it mobile with the M916 base (extra) with great success.

The coil on the antenna is strong and doesn’t rattle at all.

The antenna has a standard PL259 on the bottom of the antenna so it fits my antenna connector that was already on my 4×4 which will save me wiring it all in.

More information

More information is available on my YouTube channel here.

There are several mounting options to the car, this is the base we use, th M916 Heavy Duty Magnetic Antenna:

Purchasing Tips

If you go via this link, you will get a discount (then search for CBL-561):
https://radioddity.refr.cc/bensangster

Radio is here https://www.radioddity.com/products/radioddity-cbl-561

Other reads you may also enjoy:

  • My Radio Diddity GD-77
    Starting in digital can be a little overwhelming to start with, no matter how many years you have had your licence.…
  • Updating GD-77 Firmware
    Updating the firmware on the GD-77 can be daunting, as you can easily “brick” your radio. So be extremely careful. Make sure you understand why you…
  • Chirp
    CHIRP is a free, open-source tool for programming your amateur radio. It supports a large number of manufacturers and models, as well as provides a way…
  • Power without Power
    In 2019 my family and I went on a five week trip through outback Australia to some of the remotest parts. We had no access to…
  • Welcome to the site
    Hi there from Down Under, Melbourne Australia. Thank you for visiting my radio web site. Below is what items by category is available on this web…
  • Using an Android TV Box for Ham Radio
    If you want to get onto Digital Radio for less (way less) than $100, then you may be interested in this. I have Apple equipment, and…
  • Orion Push to Talk
    Orion is an app that isn’t really known in my world, perhaps because it isn’t available on all platforms, or because it does transmit your exact…
  • Mini Keyboard Options
    I bought this wireless keyboard/mouse which was very cheap. It does not come with batteries, but come with a USB dongle. It has a fantastic range since it is 2.4GHz RF. The back also has good grip which apparently isn’t common on all models. You can select what colour you want the plastic to be also.…
  • WizNet DMR
    The WizNet DMR app is still in beta testing, and at the time of writing this, you have to not only have a currently have a…
  • The Radio Box
    How do you stop a hand held radio from falling and being damaged? Do you sometimes put the radio down on a bench or desk between…
  • Amateur Radio Nets
    A list of Radio nets we have gathered from web pages around the world, as well as friends etc.…
  • USB Device Error PL2303HXA
    I went into the device manager and found the error, my cable no longer worked. This same issue happened to a USB Card reader also.…
  • ProScan and ProScan Client
    I recently started using ProScan after years of using FreeScan. I have always enjoyed using FreeScan as it is easy to setup, I can download outputs from the software, and the main reason “it works”. However ProScan seems to be more graphical and has different features also.…
  • ProScan and ProScan Client Update
    I recently started using ProScan after years of using FreeScan. I have always enjoyed using FreeScan as it is easy to setup, I can download outputs from the software, and the main reason “it works”. However ProScan seems to be more graphical and has different features also.…
  • The History of Ham Radio
    A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
  • Basic Antenna Fundamentals
    A good friend of mine, Mike VK5ZC, put the information below together and asked me to put it on my web site. He has spent a lot of time putting it together with pictures and videos, so I encourage you to have a good read.…
  • Upgrade to OpenGD77
    This page is just a help to friends I have spoke to who are interested in upgrading the Radioditty GD-77 to the OpenGD77 software. This is not my work, however I really do appreciate Roger and his team have done to put this together. I claim no responsibility if it breaks your radio, however I have not hear this happen now in some time. I am not an expert at all with OpenGD77, I have just put this together to help people who have asked me how to do it.…
  • Australian DMR Repeaters
    There are several DMR networks around the world, and more and more start all the time. The Australian DMR network currently covers the entire country and…