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Stubby Antenna

5355 Views 21 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  Kazbaeden, 
M
Saw this on ebay...

I like this better than the stock one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2453150911&category=33639[url]

and another one..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2452511443&category=33639
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B
There's also this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33639&item=2453153201

Which is the one I have. It looks like this installed (On my Mazda3) :wink: :
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maxspeed said:
Saw this on ebay...

I like this better than the stock one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2453150911&category=33639[url]

and another one..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2452511443&category=33639
Click to expand...
Maxspeed,

I got the stubby antenna from your second link on ebay, but mine is silver and black. I don't like the first one because it seems that the base and the antenna don't flow together correctly. With that said, the one that bobmtb posted looks similar to your first, but the way its formed...it looks more uniformed.

Spencer
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M
Oh yeah,...

i like that one... it is def more uniform.

is there any problems with reception for the radio?
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Y
This is the one that I bought from the same guy. I bought the adjustable one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33639&item=2452946622
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maxspeed said:
Oh yeah,...

i like that one... it is def more uniform.

is there any problems with reception for the radio?
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I didn't notice any improvement or degrading of the radio signal at all. If there's any, it's negligeable.
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M
antenna

Does it just screw in to the base of the previous antennae?
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maxspeed: I bought one of the stubby antennas and did not notice any change when I put it on

MazdaExperienced: Yes it just screws into the base of the old antenna
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M
I noticed some degradation with a couple of radio stations in Montreal. 94.7 and 103.7 but their signal is already weak.
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F
I think I like the 2nd one posted by maxspeed the best. The factory antenna is just too frickin big... and the 2 inch stubbies are just too short on a sedan model (but seem alright on the HB)... I think the 2nd one posted would be a nice medium for a sedan model.
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here's a pic of it installed:
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FR3D said:
here's a pic of it installed:
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Hey FR3D,

That's the exact one that I got...just came in the mail yesterday.

I did notice that there was some degradation in the frequency. On two of my favorite channels that I get all the time around town, there seems to be a hint of static in the background, whereas before I would only get that going into the mountains. I don't know if its a psychological thing because of the fact that I know my antenna has been replaced or not, but for the record...I did notice a difference in the quality of the reception.

I'm keeping my stock one as a backup if it perceives to get worst. Please keep in mind that I live at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe...so reception can be poor. But I just noticed that the stock antenna did not create the "static" effect that I'm now getting. Oh well...I'll try it out a little longer.

Spencer
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I havent heard any reception degration with my stubby. Possibly cuz is 100% metal.
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vaBooM said:
I havent heard any reception degration with my stubby. Possibly cuz is 100% metal.
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Hey vaBooM,

My antenna is 100% metal too...anodized aluminum...I think. But I have notice a slight loss in quality. What makes the antenna pick up better reception? The metal used or the length of the antenna...or both? Any comments on how to improve the reception without putting the stock one back on?

Spencer
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R
There's debate on this (for like cell phone stubby antennas, etc...) but I believe its more the length of the antenna than the material (some cell phone extensions are simply plastic). The length of the antenna is related to amplitude of the FM or AM signal. When the length of the antenna is optimal (I think it was like a direct ratio to the signal, 1:2, 1:4, etc...) it means the majority of the full FM or AM signal is recieved over the length of the antenna to be trasmitted to the reciever. When its not optimal, the whole amplitude isn't fully accounted for. Of course, amplitude changes depending on the distance from the trasmission source, but antenna length is supposed to be calibrated for the majority size of the amplitude of wavelength (like 5-30 miles or so for FM as standard). Less or more results in a slight degregation of reception which in many cases goes unnoticed.
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rpc180 said:
There's debate on this (for like cell phone stubby antennas, etc...) but I believe its more the length of the antenna than the material (some cell phone extensions are simply plastic). The length of the antenna is related to amplitude of the FM or AM signal. When the length of the antenna is optimal (I think it was like a direct ratio to the signal, 1:2, 1:4, etc...) it means the majority of the full FM or AM signal is recieved over the length of the antenna to be trasmitted to the reciever. When its not optimal, the whole amplitude isn't fully accounted for. Of course, amplitude changes depending on the distance from the trasmission source, but antenna length is supposed to be calibrated for the majority size of the amplitude of wavelength (like 5-30 miles or so for FM as standard). Less or more results in a slight degregation of reception which in many cases goes unnoticed.
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Thanks rpc180! Great explanation.

Spencer
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Here's an UPDATE:

After two days of ownership, I decided to take off the stubby antenna that I purchased on ebay. I can live with a nice cosmetic change, but if it degrades the functionality of the vehicle, then I would have to separate the two and prioritize. The funcitionality and quality of the stock antenna serves a better purpose than the looks of a stubby antenna with quality loss.

Good luck to those of you who have the stubby antenna. Some of you stated that the reception has not been loss...I'm jealous :( . I wish that was my case. But I think I will stick with the stock antenna now, because I love music way too much to deal with static interference.

Spencer
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Thank god for CD-Rs.
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Noted your location, Reno NV, biggest little city on Earth right? Another reason that some people may not be noticiing loss is that they're in huge metropolitan areas ... IE, NYC where I am has radio stations everywhere all broadcasting. Noticing any loss in strength is unusual unless you're going under a tunnel. This is the case for places like LA, SanFran, etc...
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rpc180 said:
Noted your location, Reno NV, biggest little city on Earth right? Another reason that some people may not be noticiing loss is that they're in huge metropolitan areas ... IE, NYC where I am has radio stations everywhere all broadcasting. Noticing any loss in strength is unusual unless you're going under a tunnel. This is the case for places like LA, SanFran, etc...
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The key word is biggest "little" city...LOL!

Yeah, I'm sure if I was in a more metropolitan area, the reception probably wouldn't be affected, however the sad truth is that I'm not. If I do ever decide to move in the relatively near future, then I will attempt at another stubby antenna, but for now the stock will be adequate for its functionality.

Spencer
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