flyin51

iTrader: (1)

Really thinkin I would like the look of a stubby antenna over the truly long factory one.


Questions:


Which brand is best?
Will reception suffer horribly? (not too worried bout Sirius, mostly FM)
Are certain lengths better for reception/looks?


Would really appreciate firsthand accounts AND DEFINITELY PICS!


Thanks guys in advance!!!

torinalth

depends on how short you want to go. I've done 3 of them and they all look really bad on the truck (in my opinion) I settled on a CB style antenna that is like 5" shorter than stock but fatter and manly looking. it fits the truck. but does have some wind noise issues with it. and yes FM will suffer if you change. how much depends on both antenna and your location to the signals. sirius will no be affected, different antenna

RES4CUE

I have the craven speed stubby. It's been on for a couple years and still looks new. It's aluminum with a textured coating.

I did lose a good amount of reception unless close to towers but I use iPod way more so it wasn't an issue to me. Way better than stock look.

FL5OVE

Your radio antenna will not affect Sirius. I have the CravenSpeed Bullet style stubby. I have noticed a little dip (not that bad) in reception but one trip to the bathroom is probably longer than the amount of time I've used FM in 1 year of ownership lol.

srg963

Can't beat $6 for a color matching stubby

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Like RES4CUE, I've have a Craven on my truck. After a year and a half it looks great and works great as well.


However, in Central Florida there's no problem with FM reception because the whole area is populated.


I travel a lot, but am almost always listening to XM or my iPhone when towing my trailer, so can't really comment on reception way out in rural areas. The XM antenna is on top of the truck, so my Craven doesn't affect XM reception at all.







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flyin51

iTrader: (1)

I dunno why I didn't realize/think bout the Sirius having its own antenna! I tried the Autozone stubby other guys were using, but it wont work on my truck? Threads provided aren't even close to my factory threads. I'll be lookin into Cravenspeed it seems!

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Yes - you can see the Sirius antenna in the picture in my previous post. It's on the top of the cab on the passenger side. It's the little bump on the top of the truck.
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BoostedBRC

I have a craven as well and no complaints. I barely listen to the radio anyways but the radio signal did decrease some but not much. I have seen some people even custom engrave the craven stubby.

Wiggum

I'm not a fan of the truly "stubby" antennas ... I prefer the type that is made just like the OEM, but is only about 14" tall instead of about 30" tall (or whatever the OEM height is). See pic below. It's steel with a ball on top ... hides very well since it's so thin ... still gets great reception, and is very durable ... been through many a car wash and it flexes all around while being washed, but never actually bends out of shape. Can't recall exact cost, but it was about $20 ... I'm very happy with it.