Do I need my radio antenna?

[coopns]

09 Tundra...just looking around at other cars/trucks and noticing not as many old school antennas. Newer models
have them embedded in the windshield right?

Guess I could take the antenna off and find out! Any thoughts/opinions.

 

[Leo99]

Newer cars have the shark fin antenna. 35 years ago I learned the antenna length is a divisor of a wavelength. Maybe they've solved that limitation or maybe there is a specific length of wire rolled up inside the shark fin. But yeah, your antenna serves a purpose.

 

[raytseng]

many of the external antenna are less to boost am/fm radio signals and more to boost the advanced satellite signals such as gps/Sirius xm and the like.
so it can be very likely that your am fm radio still picks up a signal fine.

 

[SHOZ]

My rear glass antenna on my Gen Coupe is the worst I have ever had for reception. I put in an electronic one over the rear view mirror and it has better AM but still the FM has about a 30 mile range. Nothing like I'm use to with a regular solid 1/4 wave antenna.

 

[Errtt]

An antenna is usually determined by 468/frequency in megahertz. Then it can by divided by half for a half wave, divide that by half for a 1/4 wave. There are 7/8 wave. 3/4 wave, 5/8 wave etc. for ham's to receive/transmit.
Ideally a resonance antenna is more effective.
Anyway an antenna actual length/height (i.e. rubber ducky) can be a shorter length because the wire length can be coiled, think of a spring. So (guessing) there must be some wire coiled in the shark fin.
Well, I think that's the way I remember it when I used to make a few dipole antennas.
Also, up in the clear and away from interference, good ground plane

 

[kschachn]

I don't know what kind of radio you have, but on my cars if I unplug the antenna I don't get any reception, AM or FM. There's a big difference between some kind of antenna and no antenna at all.

 

[zzyzzx]

You really only need an antenna if you want to listen to the radio.

Having said that, obviously a real antenna will work better then something embedded in your window and connected to an amplifier (although the one in my Alero works just fine). They did away with real antennas to reduce aerodynamic drag.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
You really only need an antenna if you want to listen to the radio.


True. I've even started to stream my local radio stations since the audio is better.

 

[Chris142]

I take mine off at the car wash.reception is very bad without it

 

[BrocLuno]

Straight external 1/4 wave is best. All the embedded and coiled and what not are less effective ...

Do you need it? Do you listen to FM or AM?

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: coopns
09 Tundra...just looking around at other cars/trucks and noticing not as many old school antennas. Newer models
have them embedded in the windshield right?

Guess I could take the antenna off and find out! Any thoughts/opinions.


What's wrong with having an antenna on a vehicle? Is driving around with just the antenna mounting stub somehow cool?

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: Errtt
An antenna is usually determined by 468/frequency in megahertz. Then it can by divided by half for a half wave, divide that by half for a 1/4 wave. There are 7/8 wave. 3/4 wave, 5/8 wave etc. for ham's to receive/transmit.
Ideally a resonance antenna is more effective.
Anyway an antenna actual length/height (i.e. rubber ducky) can be a shorter length because the wire length can be coiled, think of a spring. So (guessing) there must be some wire coiled in the shark fin.
Well, I think that's the way I remember it when I used to make a few dipole antennas.
Also, up in the clear and away from interference, good ground plane
A 1/4 wave for the AM broadcast band seems kinda big.

 

[Andrew1972]

They don't put antennas on for no reason. I think the answer is quite obvious what happens if you remove it.

This question is almost stupid.

 

[stephenbrown22]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
They don't put antennas on for no reason. I think the answer is quite obvious what happens if you remove it.

This question is almost stupid.


I think what the OP was asking was "will it hurt my radio to operate it without the stick antenna installed on the exterior of my car...."..........

I know that with professional Short Wave radios .......it WILL indeed hurt some of them to operate for just a few seconds without being attached to an antenna.......

In cars.......I don't know though...........

 

[supton]

A transmitter can be damaged by no load (most will be). Receivers, not aware of one that would be somehow damaged without an antenna. Maybe there's some odd duck out there... but the vast majority, nope.

You just will only hear the strongest FM stations, and probably no AM ones. Any sort of wire to act like an antenna will be better than none.

 

[SHOZ]

Most of the new cars have signal boosting amplifiers between the radio and the antenna now too.