Radio Antenna Recommendations

Rick Starkweather

Well-known member
Finally springing for a radio system for the race car. Looking at buying a wire whip or a shark fin style antenna. Recommendations or good or bad experiences with either?

Rick
 
If I was going to buy a new one I will buy the shark fin style just because I don't have to keep removing the wire whip old one every night before I put the cover on the car at the track.
 
Just cut a hole in the cover to allow the whip to stick through. Or put a milk carton over it. That's what the fab shop had to do, when I forgot to remove it one time.
 
racer_tim":13krbxtd said:
Just cut a hole in the cover to allow the whip to stick through. Or put a milk carton over it. That's what the fab shop had to do, when I forgot to remove it one time.


Great idea, thank you Tim.
 
I got the shark fin one from Sampson Radios. Installed very easily and seems to be built very well. Reception is vastly improved over my previous whip antenna.
 
You could go into full nerd mode like I did and sew in a custom extension for your antenna (shark fin) and wing. :roll: :jump: :bananahead:
 
I prefer the shark fin, slightly better results and more stable than the wire type. The wire type always seems to be a concern when working around them because they are visually so frail looking. (Maybe I bent too many car antennas as a child...)

Talk to your radio supplier about insuring you have very good antenna ground plane. Don't know if you are mounting it to fiberglass or metal. Place the antenna as high as practical.

Simplest cover protection is to put a little red cup over the antenna to protect the car cover. Or, any other small container, empty plastic Coke bottle

If you cut a hole in the cover, reinforce it with an iron on patch. I used a denim "iron on" patch for durability.
 
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