I'm a bit curious. When you say you are looking for a bit more improvement from your CB, what exactly are you looking for? Power wise, you either have 4 watts or 12 watts max, depending on if you are in AM or SSB mode of operation. Given the frequency range (11 meters for you new hams), propagation is being affected by the sun's 11 year sun spot cycle. At full legal-power, CB's have a maximum range of up to 4 miles. However, due to interference and/or obstacles, it is not possible to determine exact range for a certain area; range will vary regardless of the type, model or manufacturer of radio used.
Sideband, also known as single sideband (SSB), is a more effective use of the existing channels on a CB radio. By operating on a narrower band, the effective range is increased but the signal does not sound as clear as an AM signal. When using sideband, you should use the clairifier in order to clear up the sound of the transmission.
Getting the SWR as close as possible will get you the best performance of your antenna, not to mention make your radio last longer as you won't be making the finals sad.
