Pull out the top telescopic section gently until the next bigger section below the top section pulls out, or until you feel too much resistance. Then when you feel too much resistance on pulling out the the top section, stop pulling on the top section, and then start pulling on the biggest section that is pulled out, and then pull out each section from the bottom until you work up to pull out the top section last.

   When collapse the telescopic antenna, collapse the bottom telescopic section 1st, and then work up to collapse each section from the bottom until you collapse the top section last.

   So if you would do it this way as I mentioned on this webpage, you would reduce your chances of breaking a section or the section lock on the telescopic antenna.

When you use a long telescopic antenna on a CB handheld unit that has BNC connector base, do not exceed 54 inches on the antenna, use a base loaded telescopic antenna, and the base load can not be lenghty or heavy; or else you would quickly wear down that BNC jack on the CB handheld unit, and then the telescopic antenna may not make good connection to the CB handheld unit.