Phillip M. Kancianic Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hi! I had to remove the antenna on my TC so it would fit in the garage. Has anyone found a replacement "shorty" antenna that will work? I know the male threads on the antenna are 10-32, but I can't find a supplier of an antenna. What I need would probably be in the 3-5 inch range. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 "Hi! I had to remove the antenna on my TC so it would fit in the garage. Has anyone found a replacement "shorty" antenna that will work? I know the male threads on the antenna are 10-32, but I can't find a supplier of an antenna. What I need would probably be in the 3-5 inch range. Thank you!" by Phillip M. Kancianic I too am facing the same issue. While my garage door opening is tall enough to clear the TC, the door opening mechanism itself does not retract the door all the way. I live in New England (RI) and I've been waiting for warmer weather to "rehang" the door opener to allow for full retraction. Best I can do at the moment is promise to post my "fix" for the antenna issue when I address it. Roland M(boomer43) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip M. Kancianic Posted April 8, 2010 Author Share Posted April 8, 2010 Thanks, I look forward to a solution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 (edited) A solution, maybe. I just placed an order for the antenna pictured. It "looks" like it might just thread into the existing receptacle. The seller did not provide the thread specification. Price was $10.00 plus $3.00 shipping, and they accepted Paypal. The URL is = http://www.carccessory.com/detail2O.asp?key=Stubby_Short_Antenna_A They do have other styles and lengths. Search terms used were stubby, stubbie, billet plus antenna. I'll post a comment when I receive my purchase. I fully expect poorer reception due to the extreme shortness. edit: for some reason the picture didn't load. . . visit the URL for a picture. Edited April 9, 2010 by boomer43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip M. Kancianic Posted April 10, 2010 Author Share Posted April 10, 2010 Cool, let me know. I've been seeing short antennas on other vehicles recently, and one for sale online that came with three interchangeable thread adapters. Something must be out there that will work. My reception, actually, isn't so bad without an antenna, but I suppose it would be better with one! Depends on where you live... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humitex Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Cool, let me know. I've been seeing short antennas on other vehicles recently, and one for sale online that came with three interchangeable thread adapters. Something must be out there that will work. My reception, actually, isn't so bad without an antenna, but I suppose it would be better with one! Depends on where you live... Hello guys, I am experiencing the same problem...so I removed my antenna completely. Be careful when using even a short antenna...because when you back out of your garage the rear of the van will drop slightly lower than the front (duh) and may cause even the small antenna to get jammed on your garage door. It is a snug fit to begin with. Only other suggestion is to purchase a glass mount antenna and affix it to the inside of the windshield. (if you own a classic car, you'll understand) You need to get an antenna adapter from Best Buy (Metra VW-20) this will allow you to plug the male end into the factory radio. Hope this helps! Justin/Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 A heads-up and an alternate suggestion. Thank you, Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip M. Kancianic Posted April 11, 2010 Author Share Posted April 11, 2010 Thanks for the tip, Justin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tone007 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Solution: pair of wire clippers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 (edited) Good News, Bad News and a Question. >First the question for 'tone007': Have you actually tried this? Having examined the OEM antenna, it doesn't appear to be a simple length of wire. Mine appears to have an added wire wrapped around the main body. >The good news: The stub antenna I ordered came in and I installed it on the Transit Connect. I ordered it from Carccessory.com . It was the first stub antenna I found using Google that showed a mounting means. There are other vendors and styles available. The product is imported and the package reads as follows; "Niken Racing Force, Aluminum Antenna" The antenna is 2.55 inches in length. It appears to be all anodized (black) aluminum. Price was $10.00. I posted a few pictures in the Gallery of my TC and the stub antenna. Installation was straight forward. I did disassemble the antenna to add some thread lock fluid. I did not add thread lock to the actual mounting portion of the antenna assembly as I wanted to be able to removed it later. NOTE: By my eyeball measurement, this looks to be the maximum length if you want the tip of the antenna to remain below roof height. >The bad news: Size matters as they say. . . The radio still receives signals but at a much reduced signal sensitivity. I ran a quick and simple test using the automatic seek function. Before dismounting the OEM antenna I scanned for number of available stations: 28 stations. Removed the OEM antenna and replaced it with the stub antenna. Resulting scan produced only 6 stations ! That's only 20 percent of the original available stations. (of course my favorite station was not one of the remaining available. . .) 8( As my main source of entertainment in the TC, other than driving it, is my iPod, and the reason for the stub antenna is so I can garage it, I can live with the reduced station availability. I will keep the OEM antenna aboard for use on long trips, etc., when radio reception may be more important. Keep on Trucking, Roland M(boomer43) Edited April 16, 2010 by boomer43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humitex Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Good News, Bad News and a Question. >First the question for 'tone007': Have you actually tried this? Having examined the OEM antenna, it doesn't appear to be a simple length of wire. Mine appears to have an added wire wrapped around the main body. >The good news: The stub antenna I ordered came in and I installed it on the Transit Connect. I ordered it from Carccessory.com . It was the first stub antenna I found using Google that showed a mounting means. There are other vendors and styles available. The product is imported and the package reads as follows; "Niken Racing Force, Aluminum Antenna" The antenna is 2.55 inches in length. It appears to be all anodized (black) aluminum. Price was $10.00. I posted a few pictures in the Gallery of my TC and the stub antenna. Installation was straight forward. I did disassemble the antenna to add some thread lock fluid. I did not add thread lock to the actual mounting portion of the antenna assembly as I wanted to be able to removed it later. NOTE: By my eyeball measurement, this looks to be the maximum length if you want the tip of the antenna to remain below roof height. >The bad news: Size matters as they say. . . The radio still receives signals but at a much reduced signal sensitivity. I ran a quick and simple test using the automatic seek function. Before dismounting the OEM antenna I scanned for number of available stations: 28 stations. Removed the OEM antenna and replaced it with the stub antenna. Resulting scan produced only 6 stations ! That's only 20 percent of the original available stations. (of course my favorite station was not one of the remaining available. . .) 8( As my main source of entertainment in the TC, other than driving it, is my iPod, and the reason for the stub antenna is so I can garage it, I can live with the reduced station availability. I will keep the OEM antenna aboard for use on long trips, etc., when radio reception may be more important. Keep on Trucking, Roland M(boomer43) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip M. Kancianic Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 Thanks, Roland! Would you mind checking to see if the stubby antenna works better than NO antenna? If it improves the signal at all, I'm sold! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 (edited) " Thanks, Roland! Would you mind checking to see if the stubby antenna works better than NO antenna? If it improves the signal at all, I'm sold! Phil " H-h-m-mm ! I should of thought of that. A quick trip out to the TC shows that without any antenna, I'm down to only five stations. With the OEM antenna = 28 stations. With the stub antenna = 6 stations. Without any antenna = 5 stations. Roland M(boomer43) Edited April 16, 2010 by boomer43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humitex Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 Roland, The reason the antenna is shaped funny (like a twist) is because it is a "diversified antenna" similar to the antennas used on many foreign cars. That allows better reception on a poor ground plain. (like a non-electrical booster) Some cars that offer a diversified antenna also have part of the antenna implanted into the glass (front or back) because the glass is a poor ground (insulator) In my old shop, if we got in an older nissan maxima with the antenna wire cut, we used to solder on a new adapter and then ground the copper braid of the antenna wire to the chassis of the car. That worked great with little if any reception issues. (it was cheaper than replacing the entire cable) If you substitute the OEM mast with and aftermarket, you can almost kiss AM goodbye, and will lose some, not all FM stations. Since I have XM radio I don't care if my antenna is off...but I can't listen to my favorite talk radio! Your receptions issues may improve dramatically once you upgrade your receiver with a more powerful headunit. JK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 JK, Thanks for the informative reply, as I don't listen to AM it never occurred to me to check the AM band. The data I posted is for the FM band. Most of my music and a few podcasts are provided by my iPod, with a radio upgrade planned for sometime in the future. The stub antenna is a compromise as I wanted to be able to garage the TC. Roland M(boomer430 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip M. Kancianic Posted April 17, 2010 Author Share Posted April 17, 2010 JK, Thanks for the info. Does anyone have a solution involving an on-glass antenna (perhaps along the top edge of the windshield) which would replace the roof-mounted antenna? I read somewhere about some sort of adhesive antenna that mounts to glass, but haven't had the chance to research it. Thanks! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tone007 Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 >First the question for 'tone007': Have you actually tried this? I haven't, but I'd bet my antenna it works at least as well as the stubby one you put on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 Without going into all the math involved, I will tel you that the lower the frequency of the radio station the longer the antenna required. This is why AM stations with frequencies in Khz require longer antennas than FM stations with frequencies measured in Mhz. So shortening an antenna will affect the AM stations more than the FM. I shortened my antenna on my Focus with the help of a fellow Amateur Radio operator and some of his test equipment. I ended up loosing the AM band almost entirely but only lost about 10% of the sensitvity on the FM band. I have made antennas for some of my amateur equipment before. I used whatever connector required to connect to the radio and a piece of fiberglass rod inserted into the connector. I fastened a small diameter solid copper wire to the connector and wound it around the fiberglass. That way I had 3 feet of wire for the antenna but the overall length was slightly less than a foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4DThinker Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 I was also afraid my TC wouldn't fit under the garage door. The door frame was plenty high. The panels when up are high enough. I realized the door's bottom edge didn't open up as high as the frame opening. On the opener rail there are adjustable stops that tell the opened where to stop the door at both the open and closed positions. I had an extra foot or so I could move the open stop, so I moved it. Now my door's bottom edge stops a little bit above the door frame. My TC slides through with ease, antenna and all. My point? The solution may be to adjust your garge door. It worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leisurebob Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Relative to replacing the antenna, after adjusting the garage door opener to get the maximum opening, the Transit Connect van would go through with 1.7 inches clearance but the antenna whacked the opened door going in and out. After hearing of the poor reception resulting from installation of a shorter antenna, I decided not to do that. I thought about installing a magnet at the top of the van to hold the antenna closer to the roof, esentially bending it downward toward the roof so that it is no higher than the rear center brakelight. After looking for alternatives, I found a magnet at Lowe's that seemed like it might work without changing anything on the magnet or vehicle. I bought it for $2.78, tried it and it seems to work well. I have used it for about a week now and no issues have developed. As it is shiny metallic color, I have since painted it black to match the other trim. It may rust with time but for $3 I could buy another one. Better than replacing the antenna? Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4DThinker Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 I thought about installing a magnet at the top of the van to hold the antenna closer to the roof, esentially bending it downward toward the roof so that it is no higher than the rear center brakelight. After looking for alternatives, I found a magnet at Lowe's that seemed like it might work without changing anything on the magnet or vehicle. I bought it for $2.78, tried it and it seems to work well. I have used it for about a week now and no issues have developed. As it is shiny metallic color, I have since painted it black to match the other trim. It may rust with time but for $3 I could buy another one. Better than replacing the antenna? Bob Looks like a wonderful solution, Bob. Did you have to bend the antenna or does it naturally flex that much? I was thinking along the same lines, but wondering if someone made an L adapter to screw between the antenna and it's mount. Wouldn't even need to be 90 degrees to get the antenna down a few inches. 4D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer43 Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Bob, Very clever ! As 'they' say, necessity is the mother of invention. Roland(boomer43) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyphil Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Bob, That's a pretty nifty solution, and I already have at least four of those magnets stuck to the cabinets in the back of the van. So thanks for the idea! Phil -------------- I thought about installing a magnet at the top of the van to hold the antenna closer to the roof, esentially bending it downward toward the roof so that it is no higher than the rear center brakelight. After looking for alternatives, I found a magnet at Lowe's that seemed like it might work without changing anything on the magnet or vehicle. I bought it for $2.78, tried it and it seems to work well. I have used it for about a week now and no issues have developed. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I picked a $0.99 3/4" Grey color PVC pipe with 90 degree bend from Home Depot (or most hardware store) and slide to the bottom of the antenna base then the antenna will bent almost 90 degree (you may heat it by a heat gun and bend more angles to your need) without any radio station lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyphil Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 nice idea, thanks! I picked a $0.99 3/4" Grey color PVC pipe with 90 degree bend from Home Depot (or most hardware store) and slide to the bottom of the antenna base then the antenna will bent almost 90 degree (you may heat it by a heat gun and bend more angles to your need) without any radio station lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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