Antenna Length

[brianinpa]

With the pile of Asp. parts I got came all the fairing mounted stereo components and an antenna. The stereo components are in a box and on there way to California (and I have since had a few beers to forget about that miserable experience :salute: ) but not antenna. That found it's way only my 1100. I have wanted to get rid of the rat-tail antenna that was on the Vetter Cycle Sound Pod for a while and this was my chance. I now have a problem!

The antenna is a radio/CB antenna combination so the tip of the antenna is about 7 1/2 feet above the ground so I always here a "twang" when I go in or out of the garage. I think I read somewhere that CB antennas need to be a certain length for the best reception, but I have no intention of using a CB on my bike. So, can I shorten one of the antenna masts and have it NOT affect FM reception? I do not want to go back to that rat-tail so I don't want to screw it up. Besides, I have something else in mind for that long antenna:

That would look cool flapping in the breeze behind a Classic Gold Wing!

 

[Joep]

On my base for the cb the whole antenna staff was gone... so I bought a car mast replacement and with the included adapter I attached it to the bar and it works fine.. about 6 ft.maybe at top.. bought at autozone... removed the large cb antenna staff from the 1100 and put that on the 12...as I was looking fir the antenna staff replacement and can only find the whole unit or the base for it.. a p.o. put a car antenna on the radio side mount so that is where I got the idea from... just a suggestion.. possibly consider something? Pm me..

 

[zman]

I dont think there would be any problem, I barely have my mast pulled out my fender(on the car) and I get great reception, FM is good that way and my AM comes in fine too, I would only cut what you need to get it in the garage and from there cut a little at a time if you need to, throw a little orange ball on the tip and Bobs your uncle.

 

[mike in idaho]

I read somewhere that 31 inches is optimum length for FM reception. Combination CB/AM-FM antennas are generally a compromise, performance is not the best.

 

[AApple]

My Cycle Sounds setup had a cheesy flex-rubber antenna on it when I got it. One day I was snoopin around Pep Boys, and they had some shorty metal ones that I liked better, so I bought two of them....they were only $2 each, so I wasn't gunna lose much if it dint work. The actual mast on the thing is only 16 1/2", with a curly-q section in the middle. I put it on the Cycle Sound box, and it has worked fine for me, but...it's hard to get very far from a radio tower around here. I was gunna put it back by the trunk, but dint wanna go thru all the hassle of runnin the cable thru the bodywerk and stuff.

I've got a long fiberglass CB antenna I stuck on the light bar around the saddle bags once....but that thing whistled so much I took it back off....I kept thinkin there was jet fighter on my tail.... :smilie_happy: