Stubby car radio antennas?
 

I have been seeing some rather short stubby antennas on newer cars lately.
Some of them are short rods about an inch or two long. Others are blades
similar to what you sometimes see on large airplanes, an inhc or so tall and
2 or 3 inches long. Of course what I actually see appears to be just the
'radome' covering the actual antenna.

They are way to short to be useable on AM/FM, so my guess is that they are
actually:

1. Active antennas for AM/FM

2. The new 'satellite radio' antennas

3. Another conspiracy by the safety nuts who think that car radio antennas
are dangerous and have convinced the NTSB that they (the NTSB, that is) are
smarter than the rest of us and should tell us what we need.


Any 'experts' out there that know what they are?

--
Jim
N8EE

to email directly, send to my call sign at arrl dot net

If I understand the description you gave properly these antennas are for the
XM satellite radio receivers. On semi tractors, look for a whip mounted on
a rear view mirror with an inverted cone at the top of the whip that tapers
for about 6 inches or so. The wide part of the cone isn't a lot larger than
the supporting whip but it is noticeable.

Normally on a hardtop car the antenna is placed near the rear of the roof.
If it is a convertible then they will likely mount it on the trunk lid at
the back of the vehicle.

Short Rods are cellphone, in the 2 gig band, or a short loaded 800
celphone. or multibanded.
Blades can be from 49 MHz on up, 800 MHz common.
Many blades are folded over 1/4 wave tuned with a cap at the end, tend to be
narrowband.
Some of the washing requirements for busses, require blade antennas, has to
do with mechanical devices going over the vehicles and harsh chemicals.
Short antennas can be undercover or just business people.
If it is a round dome like a salad bowl on top like on Sears Trucks it is
satellite, Qualcom in L or S band, a data/tracking system (they paid too
much for)


"JLB" wrote in message
...
I have been seeing some rather short stubby antennas on newer cars lately.
Some of them are short rods about an inch or two long. Others are blades
similar to what you sometimes see on large airplanes, an inhc or so tall
and
2 or 3 inches long. Of course what I actually see appears to be just the
'radome' covering the actual antenna.

They are way to short to be useable on AM/FM, so my guess is that they are
actually:

1. Active antennas for AM/FM

2. The new 'satellite radio' antennas

3. Another conspiracy by the safety nuts who think that car radio
antennas
are dangerous and have convinced the NTSB that they (the NTSB, that is)
are
smarter than the rest of us and should tell us what we need.


Any 'experts' out there that know what they are?

--
Jim
N8EE

to email directly, send to my call sign at arrl dot net

GPS

JLB wrote:

I have been seeing some rather short stubby antennas on newer cars lately.
Some of them are short rods about an inch or two long. Others are blades
similar to what you sometimes see on large airplanes, an inhc or so tall and
2 or 3 inches long. Of course what I actually see appears to be just the
'radome' covering the actual antenna.

They are way to short to be useable on AM/FM, so my guess is that they are
actually:

1. Active antennas for AM/FM

2. The new 'satellite radio' antennas

3. Another conspiracy by the safety nuts who think that car radio antennas
are dangerous and have convinced the NTSB that they (the NTSB, that is) are
smarter than the rest of us and should tell us what we need.


Any 'experts' out there that know what they are?

No.

Read my description.

Wrong shape.

--
Jim
N8EE

to email directly, send to my call sign at arrl dot net

"Dave Shrader" wrote in message
news:x7Snc.22454$xw3.1440840@attbi_s04...
GPS

JLB wrote:

I have been seeing some rather short stubby antennas on newer cars
lately.
Some of them are short rods about an inch or two long. Others are
blades
similar to what you sometimes see on large airplanes, an inhc or so tall
and
2 or 3 inches long. Of course what I actually see appears to be just
the
'radome' covering the actual antenna.

They are way to short to be useable on AM/FM, so my guess is that they
are
actually:

1. Active antennas for AM/FM

2. The new 'satellite radio' antennas

3. Another conspiracy by the safety nuts who think that car radio
antennas
are dangerous and have convinced the NTSB that they (the NTSB, that is)
are
smarter than the rest of us and should tell us what we need.


Any 'experts' out there that know what they are?

On GM vehicles the short rod is for Onstar and the other one is for XM.

Larry


JLB wrote:

I have been seeing some rather short stubby antennas on newer cars lately.
Some of them are short rods about an inch or two long. Others are blades
similar to what you sometimes see on large airplanes, an inhc or so tall and
2 or 3 inches long. Of course what I actually see appears to be just the
'radome' covering the actual antenna.

They are way to short to be useable on AM/FM, so my guess is that they are
actually:

1. Active antennas for AM/FM

2. The new 'satellite radio' antennas

3. Another conspiracy by the safety nuts who think that car radio antennas
are dangerous and have convinced the NTSB that they (the NTSB, that is) are
smarter than the rest of us and should tell us what we need.

Any 'experts' out there that know what they are?

--
Jim
N8EE

to email directly, send to my call sign at arrl dot net