I'm trying to remember my physics right now but doesn't the length of an antenna have something to do with the wavelength of the signal band it is intended to recieve? If so, you probably shouldn't create your own antenna length 
Factory radio antenna too long?
Factory radio antenna too long? (PICS ADDED)
I normally park my new Tundra in a carport or garage. While pulling into either parking spot the tip of the radio antenna always hits the top of the door or roof support, then bends a bit, then springs back forcefully when I pull all the way in. This made me curious: is the truck just higher than normal, or is the antenna longer than normal, or is this normal behavior for most larger pickup trucks? I have driven several other rental trucks and had a number of service contractors on site but don't recall those antennas hitting like this.
Personally I find it very irritating since the antenna scratches the stuff that it hits and after several bumps the antenna wiggles loose and has to be tightened again. I figured it would eventually loosen up the antenna mount in the right front fender so I went to the parts store looking for a shorter replacement antenna. The only short radio antennas that all the stores had were the flexible rubber whips or the flimsy coiled metal jobs which are supposed to look like the old car phone antennas. Sure, I could install a power antenna but then some idiot will bend it or break it and I will have an expensive repair. No thanks.
I ended up buying a black coated stainless metal antenna that is just like the factory unit, but then I cut it in half with a hacksaw and replaced the round tip with a small battery-powered blue LED that lights up at night only when the truck is in motion. The resulting antenna is about 40% shorter than the factory whip, stronger, and barely moves even when cruising down the highway above 70. Radio reception is pretty decent with almost no noticeable change except for the weaker stations that I wouldn't listen to anyway. Click here to see the photos including my new custom XM installation.
So this has me wondering: why is the factory whip so long? Is it deliberately taller than the truck so you can use it as a height gauge before tearing your cab roof off? If not then I don't understand why they didn't make it a bit shorter and stronger. Sure, some people live in the middle of nowhere and might need the extra reception but let's face it: most of us live well within broadcast range and the majority aren't going to be listening to AM/FM very often when we have XM, CD, MP3, DVD, and bluetooth cell phones to listen to...
I normally park my new Tundra in a carport or garage. While pulling into either parking spot the tip of the radio antenna always hits the top of the door or roof support, then bends a bit, then springs back forcefully when I pull all the way in. This made me curious: is the truck just higher than normal, or is the antenna longer than normal, or is this normal behavior for most larger pickup trucks? I have driven several other rental trucks and had a number of service contractors on site but don't recall those antennas hitting like this.
Personally I find it very irritating since the antenna scratches the stuff that it hits and after several bumps the antenna wiggles loose and has to be tightened again. I figured it would eventually loosen up the antenna mount in the right front fender so I went to the parts store looking for a shorter replacement antenna. The only short radio antennas that all the stores had were the flexible rubber whips or the flimsy coiled metal jobs which are supposed to look like the old car phone antennas. Sure, I could install a power antenna but then some idiot will bend it or break it and I will have an expensive repair. No thanks.
I ended up buying a black coated stainless metal antenna that is just like the factory unit, but then I cut it in half with a hacksaw and replaced the round tip with a small battery-powered blue LED that lights up at night only when the truck is in motion. The resulting antenna is about 40% shorter than the factory whip, stronger, and barely moves even when cruising down the highway above 70. Radio reception is pretty decent with almost no noticeable change except for the weaker stations that I wouldn't listen to anyway. Click here to see the photos including my new custom XM installation.
So this has me wondering: why is the factory whip so long? Is it deliberately taller than the truck so you can use it as a height gauge before tearing your cab roof off? If not then I don't understand why they didn't make it a bit shorter and stronger. Sure, some people live in the middle of nowhere and might need the extra reception but let's face it: most of us live well within broadcast range and the majority aren't going to be listening to AM/FM very often when we have XM, CD, MP3, DVD, and bluetooth cell phones to listen to...
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In theory this is perfectly true, however there are many variants of antennas including full wave, half wave, 1/4 wave, etc. and each of these can receive just fine. The length is normally only critical when transmitting, which I don't plan to do from the Tundra any time soon. The reality is that most AM / FM stations can be received with just about anything including foil, a coat hanger, a metal tooth filling, or even a single strand of copper wire.I'm trying to remember my physics right now but doesn't the length of an antenna have something to do with the wavelength of the signal band it is intended to recieve? If so, you probably shouldn't create your own antenna length
When removing my XM radio from my totaled Tacoma a few months ago, I noticed that the XM antenna wire had been cut almost completely in half inside of the dash and then again when it ran outside under the door seal, yet the XM radio continued to work fine in every condition except for tunnels or bad rain storms. I tried to reuse that same antenna in the Tundra but the wire broke in two more places during the install so I had to finally lay it to rest and pull out a spare.
I think it is a fairly safe gamble considering that most buildings don't change their height very often
and most posted height markings usually include a few inches of extra space for people that push it to the max. In cases where the building is sloppy or run down or the height is set by a flimsy chain or something dirty hanging from the ceiling, I wouldn't take a chance anyway. Even if you cleared the initial hurdle you could always get stuck inside. Also, in most cases you are going to be driving fast enough that the antenna won't warn you in time to take corrective action. Can't hurt to leave your factory antenna on as long as you don't hit it too often. I had to change mine though since it was hitting nearly 2-3 times every day.
Buiildings are not usually a problem. However, I hate it when car washes have a sign that is basically a disclaimer that says it's your fault if your truck is too tall. You have to figure that there are a ton of trucks and SUV's that are going through there every day but you still have to keep your fingers crossed.
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