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Thread: From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.

  1. #1

    From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.

    A. F. Experimental1,2*, N. A. Realdude2 & S. W. M. B. Obeid1

    1. Shoko-Leibnitz Institut for Driveway Research
    2. Netflixorstan Institute of Upward Studies
      * corresponding author. PMs with subject: "Thienth"


    ABSTRACT
    Several popular configurations of roof-mounted terrestrial radio antennas were investigated for relative performance in signal reception. Factory-standard style whip antennas were found to outperform both aftermarket mega-rad "stubby" antennas by as much as 13dB and the also-popular "shaved look" or "just leaving it off" by All Of The dBs. Limitations of this study are discussed.

    INTRODUCTION
    Many considerations may lead vehicle owners to exchange one type of radio antenna (or 'aerial') for another, without otherwise modifying or improving the installed radio receiver to accommodate a different antenna design. Aesthetic preference is just one of these, and while practical considerations such as fitting roof pods above roof mounted antennae or similar are sometimes cited[1], the majority of antennas are exchanged because they "look ****"[2]. The preferred aesthetic replacement is often highly specific to the subculture to which the owner/driver or (usually) the vehicle belongs, with e.g. large multi-element dipole arrays preferred by some[3] whereas others specifically seek to avoid any extensive protrusion from the vehicle wherever possible[4]. In all cases functional performance, especially as measured in signal strength delivered to the receiver is of secondary, if not tertiary^ consideration[5][6].
    However, in instances where a replacement antenna is mandated by practical concerns such as [1] or having parked in the sun for 15 years and then snapped the bastard off trying to flick the hose over the car instead of walking around, performance may still be of interest. The present study aimed to assess an aftermarket replacement antenna suitable and popular for the vehicle, a near-identical replacement of the factory standard model and no antenna at all (as control).

    METHOD
    The test vehicle is a 2007 Mk5 VW Golf GTI (chassis type 1K0) fitted with an OEM+ audio system [7], widely known as an "RCD330". This vehicle features dual FAKRA antenna connectors but the RCD330 only has one FAKRA receptacle, which typically necessitates an intermediate "dual FAKRA adapter" [9]. This would obviously influence the results of such a study if it were used but in this instance no such "dual FAKRA" had been ordered, so when installing the authors decided to connect only the white FAKRA, leaving the remaining not-so-white FAKRA to just FAKRaightoff and hang loose gathering cockroach eggs in the HVAC system, which probably improves antenna performance immensely.
    Testing was carried out at the Shoko-Leibnitz Institut fuer Einfartforschung (Driveway Research) in suburban Sydney. Each antenna was fitted in turn and the 15 preset radio stations present in the receiver, spanning most of the FM band in Sydney, were selected for approximately 1s each. VCDS[8] was used to log Group8, Field1 ("Signal Strength - Tuner 1") to a comma-separated value (CSV) file. Values were graphed and averaged in MS Excel.
    The antennas tested were: a longish stubby fitted by Old Mate, The Previous Owner (who liked it much better than the stock one), see Figure 1.; an even longerish helical-wrap whip antenna visually identical to the original (which I like much better than Old Mate's and got off eBay for cheap because it was the last one even though they seem to have a lot more last ones left now), see Figure 2.; and the bare antenna stump or "No Antenna", see Figure 3.

    From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.-img_20220531_093049_hdr-jpg
    Figure 1. Stubby.

    From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.-img_20220531_093506_hdr-jpg
    Figure 2. Standard.

    From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.-img_20220531_093358_hdr-jpg
    Figure 3. Narp.

    RESULTS
    Average receiver signals were: Stubby 48.007dBuV (min 29, max 58 ), Standard 53.364dBuV (min 31, max 65) and No Antenna 16.884dBuV (min 0, max 33). Antenna selection had varying influence on signal strength for different radio stations: for some the difference was less than the average reported, for others much more. Full data set available on request.
    From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.-antennas-png
    Figure 4. Data traces. First 5 stations are easily identified in each trace.

    DISCUSSION
    Antenna choice had a clear impact on signal strength delivered to the radio receiver. No antenna (which really means "only the wire to the mount as the antenna", i.e. no antenna extension) did actually result in at least one station being unreceivable. Powerful transmitters mitigated the effect of antenna selection somewhat, with both Austereo's 2MMM (104.9MHz) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's 2JJJ (105.7Mhz) least affected by selecting the factory Standard whip or aftermarket Stubby antenna. However one of the community stations could be received with a relative signal strength of 45dBuV on the Standard vs 35dBuV on the Stubby, a more than 8 times stronger signal.
    Anecdotal evidence often suggests one antenna may be "just as good" as another, or the original equipped by the factory[10]. Once the performance of modern audio hardware and digital signal processing software is taken into account, this data strongly suggests that, in reality, a Stubby or similar low-profile aftermarket antenna is actually simply making the radio receiver work harder to deliver the same performance. Users may not realise that they are driving the amplifiers in their stereo system harder, with all the heat dissipation, power consumption and component life degradation that entails to compensate for a poorer-performing antenna.
    In any case, the authors prefer the "glorified RC car" aesthetic lent by the Standard whip antenna fitted to the test vehicle, and can now smugly point to this research whenever ridiculed by someone with a metallic-wrapped sharkfin on their 400hp shopping trolley in the Oporto carpark.

    REFERENCES
    1. Some guy. VWVortex.
    2. Half of them. mk5gtibutonlytheblueones.co.uk.ok
    3. The World's Best 4WD Channel. MCM TV2 - YouTube
    4. Like Subarus. Your local vape shop.
    5. "I listen to spotify on my wifi in my driveway only anyway". That guy
    6. "The engine note is all I need to hear, man". Some tosspot thinkseowns a Ferrari
    7. 6RF 035 187E. eBay.com.au
    8. Ross-Tech LLC. Ross-Tech: Home
    9. Reddit, mostly. Butalso YouTube.
    10. All the stubby holders. Any time someone asks


    NOTES
    ^Look where a tertiary education got me! Srsly though I've 3 degrees and two of them are even real and I'm logging signal strength when I play with my car. Get a life bro.

    APPENDIX A.
    From whip to stubby: Aesthetic-driven antenna selection and performance.-img_20220531_141238-jpg
    Figure 5. How to do this research yourself without a laptop, VCDS or the 2 hours in a lab this took me to write. If you still think your thumbtenna is as good as the stocko bear in mind this photo was taken in the 2nd basement carpark of my work, under all of Cochlear's fancy noggin-scanning and computer hardware.
    Last edited by ProfessorExperimental; 31-05-2022 at 09:01 PM. Reason: revise and resubmit
    GTI V. Saving for wavetrac

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Pacific Paradise QLD
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    And all this means????????????????????????????????????????????? ???

    Leave your stock aerial alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    2021 Kamiq LE 110 , Moon White, BV cameras F & B
    Mamba Ebike to replace Tiguan

  3. #3
    Or stick whatever you like up there, but basic antenna theory dictates the right antenna for a given signal (and antenna type), anything else is a compromise and if you find that compromise tolerable, jolly good.

    But not "just as good" ;P
    GTI V. Saving for wavetrac

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    UMG Brisbane
    Posts
    507

    Full credit Professor... I have observed the same on my ranger (before I got rid of the PoS). I had to remove the aerial for the work car park, and some stations that were fine with no aerial didn't hold for long once I put a stubby in, others better with the stubby than with no aerial (but it was better than ringing every sprinkler pipe in the car park)
    2013 MY13.5 Passat V6 Highline Wagon. Watch this space
    GONE:2017 MY18 Skoda RS169 Wagon w/ Tech & Lux, 2007 VW MKV Golf GTi

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