Harley Short Antennas
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Novice
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Santa Fe, Texas
Harley Short Antennas
Is there much difference in the reception of the short antennas and the long stock antennas. I have a broken stock CB antenna and I am thinking about replaceing both antennas with the short ones. I don't want to loose any functions like CB or WB.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 4
From: Long Island,New York
I didn't notice any difference at all
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,697
Likes: 10
From: San Angelo, Texas
YMMV
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,674
Likes: 84
From: New Jersey
You will get slightly worse FM reception with a shorter antenna. The shorter the worse. If you are in an urban area near the station you may not notice. You can go as short as you can tolerate.
CB is a completely different matter. Do not go less than 19". You will not be able to transmit. Also make sure that the antenna you buy is properly loaded to match the stock antenna coil system or you will have to adjust the CB SWR.
I have the SU9-B19H 19" pair from from eglidegoodies.com. They work well.
Last edited by offthewall; Oct 25, 2013 at 07:50 AM.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 73
Likes: 2
From: San Diego, CA
I changed my stock FM antenna on a 2014 SGS to a cheap flexible on from eBay...BIG mistake. Reception went to crap, and I live in an urban area! after a week it broke off when I was trying to re-tighten it. I went to the stealership and paid the $28 (or whatever it was) for the short HD antenna and it's perfect. Not quite as good reception as the longer one, but good enough for me. There is a relation to length and signal, just cant' get around physics on some things. I recommend not going cheap on the antenna if you want good reception. For CB transmission it's critical to have an antenna matched to the transmitter, so I definitely would not play around with that one, go to the dealer and get the proper short one.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 822
From: Nevada
If you travel or ride where radio reception is weak, don't bother with the shorty antennas. They suck. I sold mine and went back to the stock whip.
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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 259
Likes: 3
From: Missouri
I actually went the other way and replaced the antenna on my SG with the Harley Boom antenna inside the fairing (p/n 76000266). Same as the shorty antennas, the reception is only a little worse on FM stations, but I dont have to mess with an antenna when it comes to tour paks and storage covers, and it does clean up the looks of the bike a little. I'm happy with the trade off.