Outside radio antenna?'s

[suprz]

The outside radio antenna is on the roof of the RV and is a long metal whip style antenna. It is so long that the RV looks like it is remote controlled! I would like to change it to a smaller one that I have seen on cars that look like a small rubber one on walkie talkies. Has anyone done this?

[shastagary]

most of the antennas used for radios on rv's are just like the ones used on cars. the one on mine has a spring at the bottom for flexibility when hitting tree branches. the shorter rubber antennas should have the wire in the rubber coiled and still are electrically the the correct length although they are shorter in height and therefore will not work quite as well. just like all the shorter cb antennas had loading coils in them to make them the proper length.

[w8lpn]

Agreed with yxm there. You could try a piece of copper wire (stiff) cut to about 20-24 inches long and solder to your existing cable to the radio and should work good. But the shorter you go the worse your reception will be.

[GordonThree]

The bigger the better for a simple dipole, which is what the whip and rubber ducky are.

Alternative designs might offer better reception. Your batwing tv antenna can also handle FM radio, might be worth a shot and try connecting it to the radio and see what happens.

[wa8yxm]

Ok, here are some figures.

For CB a proper antenna is roughly 9 feet long Anything shorter will suffer from a lack of performance

For FM 3/4 of a meter (Around 21 inches if I recall)

For AM you really do not want to know (100 times as long as an FM)

So any shortening of the antenna will result in a lack of performance (Range)

THe Rubber Ducks are.. Well not all that great.

[Pirate1]

My radio reception is horrible with a small rubber walkie-talkie type antenna. I am thinking of upgrading to a long metal one. Thoughts?