Stubby antenna recommendations

[Cleankat]

I have the 13 inch rydonair or whatever it's called. Have had it on for 10 months and works great.

Sponsored

 

[Mr._Bill]

A lot of people don't know that the whip antenna is not for the satellite radio.....

That's not an apology...

 

[Undecided]

Bumping old thread - didn’t think this question was worth it’s own thread

just installed a Rydonair. For those with it does it screw down flush? Mine has a millimeter or so gap where you can see the metal. Instructions say over tightening can ruin it and it seems snug already.

Should it keep going down? If not guessing it’s okay for that metal to be getting wet?

Thank you

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Bumping old thread - didn’t think this question was worth it’s own thread

just installed a Rydonair. For those with it does it screw down flush? Mine has a millimeter or so gap where you can see the metal. Instructions say over tightening can ruin it and it seems snug already.

Should it keep going down? If not guessing it’s okay for that metal to be getting wet?

Thank you

In my experience with them on a couple different ones you shouldn't have a gap, it should screw all the way snug and you see no metal. I've never used that particular unit but I would think they are all pretty much the same in meaning how they install

 

[KC_H]

I went with this antenna, works great, reception is reasonable, not as good as the stock AM/FM antenna but still good. It is indeed car wash safe, although my Gladiator is no longer carwash safe, only good in touch less carwashes now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WX8125F?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

 

[Angry]

Might be a dumb question but has anyone used and found reception differences between the 6-13-21 inch antennae?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Might be a dumb question but has anyone used and found reception differences between the 6-13-21 inch antennae?

Not all 3 but I have had a 13 compared to a 6 and found no difference in reception between the 2 on my JKU I had. How tall ones is isn't really what matters, what matters is the materials they are made out of. Rubber vs aluminum and if it has copper contacts. Some vehicles have no antenna and get excellent reception or I should say a low profile antenna.

 

[Angry]

Excellent point

 

[Radio Guy]

I disagree here. The stock roughly 3ft antenna is a full 1/4 wavelength around 100MHz in the middle of the FM broadcast band and pretty efficient. When you shorten an antenna using a coil of wire the efficiency goes down and the smaller you go the worse it gets. A 6" long antenna might work about 10-15% of the full size version and it doesn't matter what the coil material is. A vendor can advertise copper wire or gold plated wire or whatever and the bottom line is its size which equates to capture area and performance.

I swapped out my stock 3ft whip for a 13" version made of a rubber coated copper wire with very good factory plots of VSWR over the FM broadcast band. It works noticeably worse than the stock antenna.

If your in an area where the FM transmitters are close by and have little obstructions at a distance you may not notice any change. But the signal levels will drop noticeably on a 13" replacement and drastically on a 6" version. You can't change the laws of physics.

If a 6" works adequately for you in the areas you drive them more power to ya., but you will find the point where your stations will fade out where they were just fine with the stock antenna. I used to test antennas as part of my profession many years ago and while my focus was not specifically on vehicle FM antennas, I tested enough similar stuff to see how they perform and how size plays into things.

Not all 3 but I have had a 13 compared to a 6 and found no difference in reception between the 2 on my JKU I had. How tall ones is isn't really what matters, what matters is the materials they are made out of. Rubber vs aluminum and if it has copper contacts. Some vehicles have no antenna and get excellent reception or I should say a low profile antenna.

 

[Fundamental Jeepster]

I bought Quadratec's 16 inch. Works fine for me.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ok, I'll be the guy that says it:

Why replace the stock antenna at all?

Gains you nothing, loses reception for a lot of guys, not to mention $15 to $25.

Just GOTTA spend more money on something?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

I disagree here. The stock roughly 3ft antenna is a full 1/4 wavelength around 100MHz in the middle of the FM broadcast band and pretty efficient. When you shorten an antenna using a coil of wire the efficiency goes down and the smaller you go the worse it gets. A 6" long antenna might work about 10-15% of the full size version and it doesn't matter what the coil material is. A vendor can advertise copper wire or gold plated wire or whatever and the bottom line is its size which equates to capture area and performance.

I swapped out my stock 3ft whip for a 13" version made of a rubber coated copper wire with very good factory plots of VSWR over the FM broadcast band. It works noticeably worse than the stock antenna.

If your in an area where the FM transmitters are close by and have little obstructions at a distance you may not notice any change. But the signal levels will drop noticeably on a 13" replacement and drastically on a 6" version. You can't change the laws of physics.

If a 6" works adequately for you in the areas you drive them more power to ya., but you will find the point where your stations will fade out where they were just fine with the stock antenna. I used to test antennas as part of my profession many years ago and while my focus was not specifically on vehicle FM antennas, I tested enough similar stuff to see how they perform and how size plays into things.

I disagree, I actually tested both on my JKU on a few trips to the beach about 4 different times a 6" stubby made from rubber, a 6" stubby made from aluminum with copper, a 13" rubber and the stock one and I can tell you the 13" rubber one was the worst out of the bunch, and the 6" aluminum one with copper was just as efficient as the stock long antenna, this was going the same trip, same route on multiple occasions to ocean isle beach in NC so plenty of in the middle of nowhere driving. I drove until I lost signal listening to the same FM station 106.5 on every trip and noted where the signal faded each time.

If the size had something to do with it then why does my BMW X5 50i get better reception for a longer distance than any other vehicle with a antenna i have owned. It doesn't have a physical antenna on it.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Ok, I'll be the guy that says it:

Why replace the stock antenna at all?

Gains you nothing, loses reception for a lot of guys, not to mention $15 to $25.

Just GOTTA spend more money on something?

The reason people replace them are because they can whip back on a trail if they get caught on a branch and crack your windshield, it happened to me on my JKU and that's why I replaced mine and if you put side mount lights on your Jeep it gets in the way of the beam pattern.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Ok, I'll be the guy that says it:

Why replace the stock antenna at all?

Gains you nothing, loses reception for a lot of guys, not to mention $15 to $25.

Just GOTTA spend more money on something?

Hit a turkey on ownership day #2 and bent the antenna.

 

[Tar Heel Wrangler]

The reason people replace them are because they can whip back on a trail if they get caught on a branch and crack your windshield, it happened to me on my JKU and that's why I replaced mine and if you put side mount lights on your Jeep it gets in the way of the beam pattern.

Plus the stock one looks turrible.

I put the Rydonair 13" on my daughter's JL. Works great.

I put an VMS Racing orange tip bullet one on my Mojave for the orange accent. Not as good reception as Rydonair, but does the job. No AM stations, which I don't need.

Sponsored