Other: Hidden Antenna

[drnittler]

I am going to put an original radio in my 61 Lark. It did not come with a radio. I need to put an antenna in the car but I do not want to drill a hole in the fender for a regular antenna. Any ideas how I can hide a working antenna in the car, or use a modern electronic invention, what even that is, as an antenna? Thanks for the help.

[Gunslinger]

Try this...

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_068HPA1/RetroSound-HPA-1-antenna.html

[Swifster]

Dakota Digital sells a 'hidden' antenna.

[StudeRich]

Yeah but, what is a Classic Car without a Radio Antenna?

[Dick Steinkamp]

I did an amplified hidden antenna like the Crutchfield or Dakota Digital ones in my '63 GT. The car did not come originally with a radio, but the first owner added one, then put the antenna in a non original location. I kept the radio, but filled the antenna hole when I painted the car.

The car had an AM only radio. The amplified hidden antenna only works marginally with an AM radio...it works fine with FM (or so I've been told). If you have a good strong local AM station you listen to, you'll be fine. If you want AM reception like you'd get with an external antenna, you'll be disappointed.

[Gunslinger]

The differences lie in what's best for AM and what's best for FM. AM requires a lot of antenna plus a ground plane. The taller the antenna the better. FM is most efficient at specific antenna lengths...something like 29"-31" in length plus a ground plane...the length of a FM carrier half-wave...or a multiple of that. The hidden antennas are optimized for FM, not AM. Without a decent ground plane and antenna length, AM reception will suffer.

For AM, size matters...for FM, it's performance that matters.

[rockne10]

Folks seldom listen to much AM anymore. I think part of the nostalgia of driving an old car is to be out at night with the antenna fully extended, tube radio ahumm to zydeco broadcast from 1600 miles away. Miss the days of Cousin Brucie from WOWO in Fort Wayne. Anyone here remember driving through a tunnel and NOT losing the signal? AM waves penetrate mountains.

[Swifster]

Now you need a satellite antenna to listen to Uncle Brucie...

[Gunslinger]

I remember listening to WOWO at night due to skip (as it was called)...I'm on the east coast and it came in quite clear.

[jclary]

Kinda odd you use an "original" radio, but want to operate it in an "unoriginal" manner. Back in the day, that car would have had one of those tall AM antennas as part of the original radio installation. In the very early days of car radios, there were some hidden antenna experiments, like under running boards. But, in the end, the tall style won out.

I fully understand your angst about putting a hole in your fender. Crazy things go through your mind...like "what if the drill slips?" Or if you use a center punch you might crack a half inch piece of bondo! Hopefully, the bondo comment don't apply to your vehicle. Back in the 1970's and '80's I recall seeing some kind of wire tape type inside the windshield antenna you could buy. However, I think those were targeted for FM radios and probably wouldn't work well for an AM.

I have a Lark in my man cave that has an odd configuration. It is a combination AM, FM, CB antenna. I have a stock AM radio in its proper place, an old 23 channel CB and an FM converter radio in the glove compartment. It all worked well back in the late '80's and mid '90's when I had the car on the road.

I think someone has templates for where to locate the hole for original installation. I don't know if they are on line anywhere, but I think someone was collecting templates for installing things like mirrors, antennas, spotlights, etc. If so, that would be worth finding if you really want it to be original. However, since lots of this stuff was dealer installed, you see variations. It would be interesting if you could find one of those stick on inside the windshield types. Good luck with what ever you decide.

[rockne10]

I think someone has templates for where to locate the hole for original installation.

As part of the services provided by SDC, the templates are available here, on our very own web site through the "Tech tips, specs and data" page. The SDC web site home, of which this forum is a part, should be visited from time to time; financially supported solely be membership in the Studebaker Drivers Club. http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/index.asp
Non-members should consider the benefits of joining.

Here's a direct link to template availability.

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/Studebakertemplates.htm

[sweetolbob]

Folks seldom listen to much AM anymore. I think part of the nostalgia of driving an old car is to be out at night with the antenna fully extended, tube radio ahumm to zydeco broadcast from 1600 miles away. Miss the days of Cousin Brucie from WOWO in Fort Wayne. Anyone here remember driving through a tunnel and NOT losing the signal? AM waves penetrate mountains.

Up here we much preferred Dick Biondi WLS but if you like Cousin Brucie, he's the regular DJ on Sirius 60's channel currently.

[stude1964]

Wasn't Cousin Brucie on WABC in NYC back in the 70's?
Rob in PA.

[Dick Steinkamp]

On the West Coast it was Wolf Man Jack and XERB...THE BIG X OVER LOS ANGELES. (actually broadcasting from Tijuana, Mexico)

I also had one of those hidden amplified antennas in my '54 Starliner hot rod. It did work well on FM.

[jackb]

I am going to continue to use the original AM radio in my 62' which came with no antenna (PO)....I will be installing an original Stude antenna with the top section lost, but replaced with a 4 ft long metal coat hanger....really gives that "poor boy" Stude look that some of us like to see at the car shows...and great reception.....