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Anyone change out their antenna?


BlenderWizard
09-05-2005, 03:28 PM
I am looking to swap the giant antenna mast on my truck for a shorter, maybe rubber one. Mine gets loose after being on the road, and I drag it on things fairly often as I have to park outside and sometimes under a tree. Anyone know of some shorter replacements? Why did they stop putting the antennas in the windshield glass like they did in the 70's and the 80's?

jeverett
09-05-2005, 06:19 PM
I've replaced one on a Tahoe, but used a factory replacement. It wasn't fun at all though.

jethro_3
09-05-2005, 07:09 PM
My '05 has a tool in the glove box so you can tighten it or remove it for the carwash. I took it off as long as the 3 month free XM is on...

TexasF355F1
09-05-2005, 07:39 PM
I've had two of them. That will always be the first to go for me on any truck I own. I hate the stock antenna's.

BlenderWizard
09-05-2005, 08:40 PM
I've had two of them. That will always be the first to go for me on any truck I own. I hate the stock antenna's.

Well, would you mind sharing? I'd like to know what you used

atlsilver
09-05-2005, 11:52 PM
if you go to circuit city and ask them for an amplified antenna they will have one made by metra. i am an installer at ccity and i put one on my truck and have had no problems at all. its a box about 6" long 1 3/4 wide and has a sticky pad so you can put where you like.i have mine inside dash where you cant see and have had no problems.got rid of mast on outside.hope that helps

BlenderWizard
09-06-2005, 12:14 AM
if you go to circuit city and ask them for an amplified antenna they will have one made by metra. i am an installer at ccity and i put one on my truck and have had no problems at all. its a box about 6" long 1 3/4 wide and has a sticky pad so you can put where you like.i have mine inside dash where you cant see and have had no problems.got rid of mast on outside.hope that helps

That would be alright, but I'm really just looking for a shorter mast to screw back on to the factory stud.

Hurricane145
09-06-2005, 01:36 AM
Why did they stop putting the antennas in the windshield glass like they did in the 70's and the 80's?

Because that antenna configuration favored the FM band and did not work well on The AM broadcast band. The people that represented the AM stations were able to get it changed back to the "whip" style. It is now designed bettter for both frequency ranges. :sly:

sportin83
09-06-2005, 01:44 AM
Because that antenna configuration favored the FM band and did not work well on The AM broadcast band. The people that represented the AM stations were able to get it changed back to the "whip" style. It is now designed bettter for both frequency ranges. :sly:

there are some cars out there with antennas in the rear windows, but who listens to am anyways?? its like cassettes outdated! i would check autozone or similar store for a short wip antenna. maybe even ebay.

Rammer500
09-06-2005, 06:50 AM
The windshield antenna favored the am band and had poor performance with the fm band. For good reception, a FM antenna needs to be 30" long, the size of the wavelength of the FM broadcast.
One car that has/had a rear glass antenna is the Gran Prix 97+. Mostly the GTP's and GT's. Those cars with the glass mount antenna also have a signal booster for proper reception.
You'll find that cars with short antenna from the factory will have a signal booster for performance. My wife's Toyota Matrix has an antenna that's about a foot long on the roof and it also uses a booster.

sportin83
09-06-2005, 04:27 PM
That would be alright, but I'm really just looking for a shorter mast to screw back on to the factory stud.

here is one that just screws on and looks short. its only 9.99.

http://www.antennax.com/

they have pics of it installed on trucks too so you can see what it will look like when you get it.

TexasF355F1
09-06-2005, 06:03 PM
Well, would you mind sharing? I'd like to know what you used
My fault. My first one I had was made by Trenz. Then I bought one by a company called Autotecnica for my dad but he never used it so i did. Now I'm about to put my Trenz back on because my current one is starting to rust a bit.

Link from sportruck.com (I have Style 3)
http://www.truckshop.com/home.php?cat=359

Sportin, millions upon millions listen to AM. I'm 23 and listen to AM more than FM. Mostly the sports stations though, but my cd player is pretty much in infinite use.

BlenderWizard
09-06-2005, 06:47 PM
here is one that just screws on and looks short. its only 9.99.

http://www.antennax.com/

they have pics of it installed on trucks too so you can see what it will look like when you get it.

Is this what you got? http://www.antennax.com/products/description_ax01.htm

sportin83
09-06-2005, 07:10 PM
Is this what you got? http://www.antennax.com/products/description_ax01.htm

there is that one and then i also saw a short metal one for 15 bucks , says they screw right onto factory stud. they say they keep the same reception quality and work direct bolt on. or your money back within 30 days. seems like a good deal to me.

BlenderWizard
09-06-2005, 08:40 PM
the one I posted seemed to be pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much for finding that for me, I ordered one earlier

jethro_3
09-06-2005, 08:59 PM
Did you order the free 3 month XM with that?????

BlenderWizard
09-06-2005, 09:49 PM
Did you order the free 3 month XM with that?????

Wouldn't I have to have an XM radio to get that? But, no, I didn't. I didn't see it

jethro_3
09-06-2005, 10:09 PM
Just messin with you....

BlenderWizard
09-06-2005, 11:04 PM
Just messin with you....

Oh... man... :sly: :banghead:

sportin83
09-06-2005, 11:37 PM
Oh... man... :sly: :banghead:


if you like music satellite radio is great. always somethinggood on and no commercials. i like sirius better that xm but they are both good. i have used both.

sportin83
09-06-2005, 11:43 PM
the one I posted seemed to be pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much for finding that for me, I ordered one earlier

not a problem. acually it was in 1 of the links at the bottom of the posts in the advertisements. sometimes there are good pages in there. i check them once and a while.

jethro_3
09-07-2005, 12:11 AM
I only said that cause my truck came with 3 free months of XM and I removed the other antenna until my subscription runs out......... I appologize, I humbly, whole heartedly appologize....

jeverett
09-07-2005, 08:11 AM
I apologize too...um..wait, no I don't. I have XM also and I'm starting to like the music that Sirius offers better. Seems to have a better variety.

Now since this has nothing to do with the thread, y'all may kick my ass now.

nineball481
09-07-2005, 05:07 PM
I apologize too...um..wait, no I don't. I have XM also and I'm starting to like the music that Sirius offers better. Seems to have a better variety.

Now since this has nothing to do with the thread, y'all may kick my ass now.
:chair:

BlenderWizard
09-07-2005, 06:33 PM
I apologize too...um..wait, no I don't. I have XM also and I'm starting to like the music that Sirius offers better. Seems to have a better variety.

Now since this has nothing to do with the thread, y'all may kick my ass now.

Well, the thread has run it's course; my desire or the thread was for me to find an antenna, and I did. Talk about whatever u want. Sirius also gets you Howard Stern... I dunno if you like him, but I just thought I'd point that out.

sportin83
09-07-2005, 09:40 PM
Well, the thread has run it's course; my desire or the thread was for me to find an antenna, and I did. Talk about whatever u want. Sirius also gets you Howard Stern... I dunno if you like him, but I just thought I'd point that out.

sirius is getting howard stern and has the nfl. it has alot better music than xm IMO. but every man to his own. xm's stock is still better, but sirius's stock is growing. lately sirius's sales have been better than xm.

White Lightening
09-07-2005, 10:38 PM
sirius is getting howard stern and has the nfl. it has alot better music than xm IMO. but every man to his own. xm's stock is still better, but sirius's stock is growing. lately sirius's sales have been better than xm.

Sirius has also been much more expensive than was XM. This year I signed up for 5 years of XM for less than $500. Meanwhile Sirius for the same timeframe would have been 40% more.

I figure for a hundred bucks a year - its pretty fine music access :smile:

BlenderWizard
09-07-2005, 10:46 PM
Me... I don't even listen to the radio

BlenderWizard
09-16-2005, 07:49 AM
Well, I got my little rubber antenna, and it was much more flimsy than I expected. At driving speeds, it laid almost parallel to the windshield. I took it off. Anyway, look what GM is now planning: BACK INTO THE FRIGGIN WINSHIELD GLASS!!! Dang, man, why'd they ever stop?
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-09-15-fuel-efficiency-cover_x.htm

jeverett
09-16-2005, 08:02 AM
Why did you choose rubber over billet? I've never lliked the way the little rubber antennas would warp and stay disfigured.

BlenderWizard
09-16-2005, 10:16 PM
Why did you choose rubber over billet? I've never lliked the way the little rubber antennas would warp and stay disfigured.

Frankly, I thought the rubber would have been more of a hard rubber, but this thing is like a soft vinyl

sportin83
09-16-2005, 10:19 PM
Sirius has also been much more expensive than was XM. This year I signed up for 5 years of XM for less than $500. Meanwhile Sirius for the same timeframe would have been 40% more.

I figure for a hundred bucks a year - its pretty fine music access :smile:


if you call sirius and sign up for 5 years they wil give you about the same deal. they are both 12.95 a month and then the longer you pay ahead the better deal you get.

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