So, I am doing the battle of getting rid of the whip antennas and I have been tossing around the idea of doing a powered one inside the fairing, but with so many mixed reviews I figured I would try something else before dropping the cash. I tried sliding the antennas under the seat along the rails, but I could not pick up any clear, static free stations and I live in the city where you have unlimited variety of stations to choose from. I dealt with that for months, as I have been to lazy to undo it all. So I decided I was just going to put the antennas back how they are supposed to be tonight while I figured out why my bike was popping, welllllll I could not figure out how to use the new brackets that came with the saddlebag support rails. So I decided I would just put the stock whip inside the fairing as I have heard it mentioned on here before. So since I ran the CB on my bike, I knew how to get the wires out. And I knew I would need to remove the tank to get the AM/FM wire out. So I did all that, took the tank off, console off, black plastic cap over the wire loom box off, cut a ton of zip ties only to find out and realize, its danm near impossible to remove the stock AM/FM wire. So I wasted about 45min of my time lol. O well, I learned something today and I will just head to the store today to get an adapter that allows me to hook my antenna into the radio. I have the CB antenna all zip tied and that was a piece of cake. So anybody else thinking of doing this, go to the store and by the necessary adapter and don't be a cheap *** like me and try to undue what was done from the factory, it's a waste of your time. I just hope after doing all this I get good reception. I am adding a tour pack and I like the looks of the antennas on the tour pack, but I would rather them be hidden so when I want to take the tour pack off, I will not have to worry about the antennas needing the be taken off, reattached to the bike and ..........yeahhhh lol.

 

I've been using this one for more than a years and it's works fine for me. It's cheap too so nothing lost if you don't like it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hidden-Anten...53fee2&vxp=mtr

 

Yep, a buddy of mine has that on his bike and he likes it. I just was being cheap and wanted to get it done while I had the bike apart, but didnt get that accoplished. I went and ordered a new AM/FM antenna cable from my harley shop for 10 bucks. If the whip antenna in the fairing dosent work good, I will be trying that ebay antenna next or just saying F^CK it and put em on the tour pack once I get it on the bike. I think that will give the best reception possible.

 

antennas work best mounted vertical.


antennas mounted on the tour pak take advantage of the ground plane- that flat piece of steel in the base of the tourpak

the cb is tricky and requires some thought- the loading of the antenna is crucial, as is the tuned length.

I don't use cb, so not an issue for me.

i do get quite good results with a $12 rubber stubby mounted near vertical inboard of the saddlebag


mike

 

FWIW, I've noticed no loss of reception using the ebay unit versus the stock whip

 

yeah, well see what happens when the cable comes in. Figured I would try, never hurts right. I wont proab do the fairing antenna froom ebay. Ill just put the antennas on the tp and be done with it. I know how I am, once I put the tp on it, I wont be taking it off.

 

The only idea I have is next weekend when you attempt this mod, is to do it sober.
That is all.
;-)

 

I got the ebay one too, but don't listen to the radio.
It seems radio stations aren't about music they're about commercials.
I-pods for tunes 4 me.

 

LOL, I'm not a drinker lol. When I drink I drink till I am buzzed or drunk and then crash.

 

I can't remember the last time I had my radio on. I use the bluetooth headset in my helmet and my phone. The speakers on the bike are too quiet for me to hear crap anyway.

Wait, is this off topic?