antenna
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 4
From: London, Canada
RE: antenna
Are you talking about the long whip antenna? I bend mine down and forward to a clip which holds the little ball end. One of my friends has made a wire antenna inside the fairing which works OK. The optimum length for FM is 31 inches which is what most car antennas are.
Hope this helps.
Rick
Hope this helps.
Rick
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 51
Likes: 1
From:
RE: antenna
I went thru all the radio stations before cutting mine down to see how it would effect the reception. I wrote down the number of stations that came in. I then cut it from 47" down to 36". There was no difference in recption. I then took it down to 30" and found I only lost about 4 stations. So I left it there.
I also tried the 13" piece that I cut just to see how it would come in. It was bad! Didn' t get much reception at all.
I also tried the 13" piece that I cut just to see how it would come in. It was bad! Didn' t get much reception at all.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 5
From: NEW LENOX, IL
RE: antenna
Some guys are going with this and have said they work great. I will be doing this soon.
http://www.ecshylites.com/catalog/it...191/721930.htm
http://www.ecshylites.com/catalog/it...191/721930.htm
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
From:
RE: antenna
knowing very little about wave propagation and the ideal antenna length for varying frequencies, I googled it. So here's the FCC's version of an answer on "ideal antenna length for FM transmission":
A quarter-wave whip is not a compact antenna. At 1 Mhz, in the AM Broadcast band, one quarter of the wavelength is about 246 feet, or 75 meters. At 100 Mhz, in the FM Broadcast Band, it is nearly 30 inches
(75 cm). This dimension continues to shrink at higher frequencies, being nearly 3 inches (7.5 cm) at 1000
Mhz. A simple formula for the quarter-wave (in cm) is: 7500 divided by the freq. (in Mhz), or for inches:
2952 / freq. (in Mhz). This formula is only a starting point since the length may actually be shorter if: the
whip is overly thick or wide, has any kind of coating, or is not fed close to ground.
A quarter-wave whip is not a compact antenna. At 1 Mhz, in the AM Broadcast band, one quarter of the wavelength is about 246 feet, or 75 meters. At 100 Mhz, in the FM Broadcast Band, it is nearly 30 inches
(75 cm). This dimension continues to shrink at higher frequencies, being nearly 3 inches (7.5 cm) at 1000
Mhz. A simple formula for the quarter-wave (in cm) is: 7500 divided by the freq. (in Mhz), or for inches:
2952 / freq. (in Mhz). This formula is only a starting point since the length may actually be shorter if: the
whip is overly thick or wide, has any kind of coating, or is not fed close to ground.
Banned
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 2
From:
RE: antenna
I use one of the stubby ones from Auto zone. It works as good as the whip and looks much better...no more pokes in the eye!
nogood o~`o
nogood o~`o
Trending Topics
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 865
Likes: 0
From:
RE: antenna
I have been using two of the rubber whips from the local auto parts store, one for the CB and the other for FM, when the tour pak is on. I have cut the original wire antenna down and use it when the tour pak is off.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
