Just shortened my Antenna- best 5 min mod

Some times you have to love being able to do something productive when you have to wait while your woman makes you 10 min late. Seriously its that or I start to pull my hair out. I can sit and fish all day but ask me to wait 10 min to walk out the door and I am worse then any dog dying to go on a walk.

I cut of ~9" so that the ball sits about 1" over the top of the cab. It just drove me nuts how goofy it looked towering over the vehicle and when it dragged in low hanging vegitation on trails or when pulling into garages.

All I needed was a heavy duty pair of dikes, pliers, a drop of superglue to reattach the ball and some black paint (or a sharpie would work). All stuff that was sitting under the back seat of my access cab.

I'll snag pics when I get back.

 

Cool!

 

How's the reception now?

 

so you just cut it on the top?

 

pics or it didn't happen

 

hmmm......I think your radio reception will suffer. If I'm not mistaken antennas are supposed to have a certain length of conductor (wire) in them in order to tune it to receive radio stations across the desired band. A different length of the conductor changes the range of frequencies where the antenna will optimally work. You'll probably still receive radio stations though, just maybe not as good as before.

 

i have an 14" euro antenna from antennax.com..havent lost any reception that i notice

 

I have an 8" from shortyantennasource that as far as I can tell works fine. But then, I've listened to the radio in my truck maybe twice. mp3 player or die.

 

I kind of like the look of the classic (ie. stock) "Truck" antennae... with that said, I have no use for mine - but will not mess with it... XM all the way!

 

My friend did this on his mustang, he had limited ill effects on his radio stations. It did fuzz up a bit when he tried to tune in a station that was over 100 miles away. How's the reception with it chopped?

 

Nope, no noticeable change in the radio. I really only use it for my Ipod anyway, but I did check after clipping it.

 

Just ordered my shorty, can't wait I hope I won't be disappointed.

 

I was thinking about ordering a shorty, but the euro-style I like even less, If I could I would not have one at all and hide something in the roof, but then I am left with a hole in the side of my truck.

Yup, cut off the desired amount and then use the pliers to retrieve the little ball. Don't grab it and try to twist it off btw, all you will do is gouge it. Hold the pliers in your dominant hand and the bottom end of the antenna in the other. Use the pliers like a hammer by placing them on the antenna by your other hand so that you aren't quite gripping the antenna. Now holding them slightly open like this slam them against the ball hard. It should just fly off. -Do this in the truck or into a box or your not finding that sucker.

 

i got a shorty from cravenspeed, love it

 

hahahaha...

 

Thats correct , and the shorter ones actually have a longer wire wrapped inside, although i have ofter thought of just taking the antenna off because i NEVER listen to the radio, and i mean never.

 

u will not find the stock antenna on my truck it was removed the day the sirius radio was put in. it took the radio static out of the sirius

 

I was thinking about removing mine, did you find a cover or cap for the area that the antenna pccupied? I always listen to my Sirius or Ipod.