I'm working on a 72 Duster project. The owner and I decided to shave the side marker holes along with the trunk lock. We're also adding in a flip top gas cap, set in to sit nearly flush. Now I'm considering filling in the stock antenna hole in the right fender. IF I do this, what are the options for an alternate antenna? GM cars used windshield antennas for years, which got me wondering if there were other places to hide one. Can one be fashioned BEHIND the windshield trim and still be functional? What about behind the grille? I'm looking for a way to have it hidden yet still provide decent reception.
Ideas, anyone?

Unless designed specifically without one, the antenna needs a ground plane to get good reception. Tim

Hey, I spell well but I certainly can't claim to understand everything! Care to explain what "Ground plane" means!!?

Cut & paste..

A Ground Plane is a flat surface of ferrous metal (galvanized, steel, etc) that a Magnet Mount or Body Mount antenna uses as an integrated part of it. For a Body mount antenna other metals may be used as it does not have a magnet that needs to stick to it.

A Metal Car Body is a ground plane.

The metal top of a refrigerator is a ground plane.

A filing cabinet is a good ground plane.

A tin roof is a Ground Plane.

A ground plane can be a cookie sheet!

A ground plane is NOT a metal roof gutter, a window frame, a downspout or any other piece of metal that is long and thin.

A ground plane MUST satisfy BOTH length and width dimensions outlined below. Antenna gains are calculated with an infinite ground plane. Performance can be achieved with the minimums outlined below.

Just as long as it is big enough:

for Dual Band/800 MHz/Nextel = 14" x 14" Minimum (28" x 28" recommended)

for 1900 MHz only = 6" x 6" minimum (12" x 12" recommended)

A Ground Plane does not need to be electrically grounded. It simply needs to be a plane of metal.

Your local hardware store sells galvanized roof flashing for cheap that can be used as a ground plane.

Please note, the antenna should be mounted in the CENTER of the ground plane for a circular pattern.




I've talked to many street rod owners with hidden antennas & none of them rave about the reception, they work but not very well... The ones that mount behind the windshield rather than in the headliner get better reception & the Hirschmann seems to be the best.... I wound up putting an amplified short (16" Hirschman Fuba) in the roof of my Falcon wagon since there was already a hole there from a CB antenna..

Grove Enterprises in Brasstown NC used to manufacture and sell an antenna that was embedded in a clear length of tape and could be attached to either front or back window,
but I just checked their online catalog and it is no longer there.
They might make one on special request:

http://www.grove-ent.com/widefrequencycoverageantennas.html

to avoid the ground plane requirement
you could make a simple FM band
'coaxial dipole'
antenna at the end of a length of coax and mount that
behind the grille,
at the top back window,
or below the rear bumper.
This would still pick up reasonably good AM band, maybe better than an standard 28 inch quarter wave 'Marconi' antenna.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_antenna

my experience with alternative hidden vehicle antennas
was with a wide band antenna hidden underneath a ARE fiberglass tonneau bed cover on a Ram pickup... which worked great over a wide spread of frequencies.

The official FCC cars hunting un-licensed radio transmitters (Pirate FM) have four hidden antennas that are still very effective.

Years ago we had an antenna under a car; it ran lengthways, secured at its base and with a small clamp at its end to keep it tucked up. Reception was OK for the stronger stations but not as good as OEM.
The easy way out for you might be a power-retracting antenna, especially if it could be hidden in a body gap so that when it's retracted it disappears...

Wow, thats a lot of smarts jammed into a short post. After reading these posts I feel like I just looked inside the human brain! I feel dumber than when I started!

Screw all that techno mumble-jumble, just buy one of these:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_12044UA20/Universal-Antenna.html?search=antenna&tp=3449

I've heard of a trunk lid being used as an antenna. No ideas on the technical aspects of how it can be done. I'm not positive, but I think the Japanese built Dodge Challengers of the late 1970's had these from the factory. I have NO idea how well this worked.

The reviews of
"Universal Antenna Hideaway'
by previous buyers are not encouraging:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_12044UA20/U...mp;rvm=ShowAllt

Electrically isolating a metal body part
like the trunk lid
can can work about as well as a 28 inch whip on the AM band,
but it won't be anywhere near 'resonance' for the FM band, although you still may be able to pick up the stronger stations.

Another replacement antenna with slightly better reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-Windshield...howViewpoints=1

Quote:

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The reviews of
"Universal Antenna Hideaway'
by previous buyers are not encouraging:

---

Maybe you should have read more than just the first two !!!

There will always be whiners. Look at it this way, if you want to elininate the mast then your options are limited and you should be prepared to give up something in return.

Can't you find an old magnetic mast and stick it sideways in the trunk beneath the back glass?

Hey, I'll consider all ideas. Thanks for everything guys.

Similar subject came up awhile back. Check out this thread:

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6752745&Main=6752462

What about a hidden power antenna? I've seen them on Street Rods but have no idea how well they work. When down, you would only see the small tip of the antenna. File it to match the contour of the fender and paint it body color and it will pretty much disappear to the casual observer. All mounting hardware is under the fender.

I couldn't find a picture of it on a Street Rod, but, did find a kit: antenna .

I think I just read in car craft or hotrod that some new special edition camaro has the antenna inside the rear spoiler...if the duster doesn't have a rear spoiler, that might be a problem.

We have no plans to install a rear spoiler, though that is a great idea.

I've been a radio guy for most of my life. For the best performance you need the antenna out in the clear as far away from metal as you can get. All the hidden antennas are a poor compromise to the stock fender mounted antenna. The hidden power antenna is a good way to go.

Slightly off topic:
You wouldn't think that the aerodynamic drag of a conventional antenna would amount to much,
but back in the 1990s the chief engineer on the GM EV1 project came back to Duke Engineering school where he had previously gotten a Masters degree and gave a talk about that unique electric car and the good and bad things that occurred during its development.
He remarked in the talk that the original conventional upright antenna reduced the range of the car by 3 miles so they hid it.

Several cars now put shortened and leaning back antenna at the top rear center of the roof above the rear window,
and I have wondered if that position actually is a trick to improve the aerodynamic flow over the sloping rear, kinda like a vortex generator.

My 1995 Ram had a black smooth flexible rubber 'damper' overtop the metal whip to reduce,
but not totally get rid of,
the wiggle oscillations at certain wind speeds.

In later years the Chrysler antennas all got welded-on 'climbing vine' spines that totally eliminated the oscillations.