Shorty antenna - good or not so good?

I have one of the 50cal antennas, got it for the looks. In San Antonio it picks up about 85-90% what the OEM one did. I mainly use XM so it does not bother me.

 

Very happy with the reception and durability of this one. I has far exceeded my expectations.

 

Might look funny on the bed side but it would be the easiest since it's a flat spot

 

That is the second one I bought and it’s a little bit better than the first one I bought but nowhere near the stock one but listen to satellite radio mostly

 

Ive got the 6 3/4" in the "products discussed" below, and it works pretty damn good. I only listen to sports talk radio mostly, but it picks up HD pretty well in the burbs of DFW

 

Who listens to radio?

I got a short rubbery one, been through the car wash a few times no prob. That stock metal hangar was a joke.

 

Yes, but there's another antenna for XM

 

"If" you had a shell or a cover you could mount it thru the top. Be cool but risk leakage ....

J/K

 

So my shorty is doing good in the city. Outside the city I just switch to Pandora or Spotify or Amazon music. The way I can easily find what music I'm looking for in unfamiliar areas.

 

I put this one on my [recently acquired] '09 DC and have had zero issues with it.. car wash or not. DO get iffy/fading reception winding down the parking garage.. but only used in a major metro area.. so far so good.

Kept the whip ant. but replaced the rubber mount as it was shot!

NIANPU Al Sports Style Short Antenna for Toyota All Model 4.7-Inch Carbon Fiber TRD

 

Grasshopper ask: Why do radio station make broadcast antenna so tall?

Confucius answer: Because they want best strong signal Grasshopper.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but it’s more than radio station music that comes across the HD stations. I believe the live traffic reports and local weather is also through the HD UHF frequencies and how it works without having Bluetooth connected to Entune.

 

I knocked the ball off the top of my stock antenna with an adjustable wrench and cut 2 or 3" off so it didn't hit my garage door. Filed the end down enough to tap the ball back on with a hammer (the ball is brass if remember right). It was tight going back on, which is what you want so it holds. Had to file it down because it gets slightly thicker being a tapered metal antenna. Shot the end with black Rustoleum. Still looks factory and didn't lose any reception. Holding up fine 2 years later. I tried a couple stub antennas and they were no good. Maybe 10 minute job.

 

More than likely you just changed the channel bandwidth of the antenna and won’t be picking up AM stations at the very bottom of the lowest channel and most likely there isn’t a radio station there anyways.

 

Anyone try the stock antenna inverted inside the right fenderwall? There is a thread about it but little after results.

 

I've bought 3 different versions off of Ebay and not a single one of them fit

 

I have this one with no issues.