Clipped my antenna!
GT Member
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 168
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I took my antenna off and i'm gonna have the hole welded up. They make an "invisible antenna" that you can mount up under the fender or something. I never listen to the radio, so i'm not worried about reception quality or anything. No good radio stations around here anyway. I think the car will look so much better without it.
Cobra R Member
Joined: November 10, 2004
Posts: 1,601
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Originally posted by dustindu4@May 16, 2005, 5:57 PM
I cut the antenna first with a dremel. On the short piece I put the closed end of a small sized wrench over the open end. I then put the open end in a vise and whacked the wrench with a hammer against the ball popping it off. Be careful, it will run away from you. Then I just ground the tip down on the antenna ever so slighly so the ball would barely fit over the shaft. Then I wrapped the antenna in a rag and put it in the vise and hit the ball until it was back on pretty tight.
No matter what you're going to nick the paint. Just use some old black spraypaint or model paint to touch it up.
I cut the antenna first with a dremel. On the short piece I put the closed end of a small sized wrench over the open end. I then put the open end in a vise and whacked the wrench with a hammer against the ball popping it off. Be careful, it will run away from you. Then I just ground the tip down on the antenna ever so slighly so the ball would barely fit over the shaft. Then I wrapped the antenna in a rag and put it in the vise and hit the ball until it was back on pretty tight.
No matter what you're going to nick the paint. Just use some old black spraypaint or model paint to touch it up.
I wonder what the antenna would look like if the black paint was stripped off of it, and polished up? (even though the base is black)
Member
Joined: April 25, 2005
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
I bought a 14" shorty antenna from eBay a while back for my F150, of course the same model fits a stang as well. My justification for spending my 15 bucks was that it scraped the top of my garage every time I pulled in, and I didn't feel like hacking the original.
However, based upon my experiences the signal strength loss is negligible while in town and listening to local stations….so I wouldn’t stress about it too much. Out on the open highway you won’t pull in radio stations quite as well, but I live in the middle of nowhere and since I don’t have a strong desire to listen to Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings I’m not missing much.
Cutting the antenna down to one inch is feasible, but your signal degradation would be even more pronounced. The length of a stock antenna isn’t just an arbitrary figure….it is calculated based upon the wavelength of the signal you are attempting to receive, so any modification will result in some change to reception quality. In most cases antennas for cars are 30â€, which is one half of the wavelength for FM if I remember correctly.
I would guess in a larger city it wouldn’t matter because the proximity to the radio stations is close enough to overcome the loss, but if you are like me and live in a rural area you may not wish to cut up your antenna until you try some other options.
I know there is at least one company that sells a billet antenna mast that isn’t over an inch or two, and I know someone else on the board used a standard metric allen headed bolt to fill in the hole – so if you search I’m sure you will find it. I think his total cost was under a buck for 2 of them….so if you honestly want something that short, I think it is easily worth your time to spend a few cents versus trying to cut down a stock antenna and risking making it useless.
However, based upon my experiences the signal strength loss is negligible while in town and listening to local stations….so I wouldn’t stress about it too much. Out on the open highway you won’t pull in radio stations quite as well, but I live in the middle of nowhere and since I don’t have a strong desire to listen to Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings I’m not missing much.
Cutting the antenna down to one inch is feasible, but your signal degradation would be even more pronounced. The length of a stock antenna isn’t just an arbitrary figure….it is calculated based upon the wavelength of the signal you are attempting to receive, so any modification will result in some change to reception quality. In most cases antennas for cars are 30â€, which is one half of the wavelength for FM if I remember correctly.
I would guess in a larger city it wouldn’t matter because the proximity to the radio stations is close enough to overcome the loss, but if you are like me and live in a rural area you may not wish to cut up your antenna until you try some other options.
I know there is at least one company that sells a billet antenna mast that isn’t over an inch or two, and I know someone else on the board used a standard metric allen headed bolt to fill in the hole – so if you search I’m sure you will find it. I think his total cost was under a buck for 2 of them….so if you honestly want something that short, I think it is easily worth your time to spend a few cents versus trying to cut down a stock antenna and risking making it useless.
Bullitt Member
Joined: April 19, 2005
Posts: 368
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Originally posted by PonyGirl@May 17, 2005, 3:19 PM
I bought the 14 in billit black metal antenna for $14.95, great reception, and 100% better then the tall stock antenna. I have the stock antenna if anyone needs one.
I bought the 14 in billit black metal antenna for $14.95, great reception, and 100% better then the tall stock antenna. I have the stock antenna if anyone needs one.
Where did you get the antenna? All I can find in my area are the reallllly cheap ones. ALso, your lettering for your intake cover? I was looking for your post on just how you went about it... can you give me a link to the place you said you ordered from... or a link to the original post? Thanks for your time!
Kirk
Team Mustang Source
Joined: January 5, 2005
Posts: 13,223
Likes: 14
Originally posted by Boomer@May 14, 2005, 11:08 AM
Dustin, did the exact same thing.
Makes the antenna look so much better, rather than this huge whip stick.
You can actually use a rotary tool (dremel) to grind down the tip a bit to put the ball back on...supergluing it, then spray painting it in highgloss black.
And its free
Dustin, did the exact same thing.
Makes the antenna look so much better, rather than this huge whip stick.
You can actually use a rotary tool (dremel) to grind down the tip a bit to put the ball back on...supergluing it, then spray painting it in highgloss black.
And its free
Team Mustang Source Legacy Member
Joined: September 2, 2004
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 5
From: Las Vegas
I finally got a pic of the shorty antenna I ended up with when my antenna ball decided to take off with the rest of my antenna on the freeway. 
I've got the 8" antenna on the way from Mustang tuning, but after re-reading here, I see there's a black 14" available. I might have to get that one instead, I just am worried 8" will look too short.
I've got the 8" antenna on the way from Mustang tuning, but after re-reading here, I see there's a black 14" available. I might have to get that one instead, I just am worried 8" will look too short.
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