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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Cars / April 2008

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Telescopic antenna replacement?

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Robert Blass - 24 Apr 2008 14:35 GMT
2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
telescopic antenna for this car? Is it difficult to replace it?

I wanted to be able to send it through one of those automatic car
washes and also use a car cover for it in the future.

Thanks guys.
Jeff - 24 Apr 2008 18:20 GMT
> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Thanks guys.

My dad put one in his car. It was not reliable.

Jeff
Robert Blass - 24 Apr 2008 18:35 GMT
>> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
>> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>Jeff

Eh, thanks for the reply.
Shawn - 24 Apr 2008 23:52 GMT
> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Thanks guys.

Most whip antennas just screw off at the base.
Ted Mittelstaedt - 25 Apr 2008 07:24 GMT
> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
> telescopic antenna for this car? Is it difficult to replace it?

They are made with a long thin fiberglass rod that is rolled up
and down by the motor at the bottom, the top of the rod
is covered by the metal antenna.  After a period of time the
rod snaps off at the transition from rod to metal-covered rod.
The assembly itself is very expensive and you don't get more than
3-5 years out of it.

Ted
Robert Blass - 25 Apr 2008 16:20 GMT
>> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
>> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>Ted

Ted mine 'appears' to be a standard whip antenna with no motor.
I was wanting to replace it with an after market telescopic antenna
and was wondering how difficult that would be to do.

thanks.
SC Tom - 25 Apr 2008 21:27 GMT
>>> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
>>> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> thanks.

Robert,
Are you looking for a simple telescoping antenna like the older cars used to
have, or a motorized "hidden" antenna as a replacement for your current
whip?
The motorized ones can be had from just about anywhere such as J.C.Whitney,
are (well, used to be) relatively cheap, and as an install in a car that
didn't have one before, not that easy to install. Tried to put one on an old
Chevy Nova I had and couldn't keep it from binding for more than a couple of
weeks. Plus the radio I had in it didn't have the antenna control wire so I
wired it to an ignition-switched lead. (The radios with the antenna control
extend it when the radio is turned on and retract it when off.)
I also replaced the existing one in a Ford Probe I had, and, like Ted said,
it lasted about 3 1/2 years before the inner rod broke. I put a solid whip
on it then.

Either way, good luck with your endeavor.
SC Tom
Robert Blass - 25 Apr 2008 22:09 GMT
>Robert,
>Are you looking for a simple telescoping antenna like the older cars used to
>have, or a motorized "hidden" antenna as a replacement for your current
>whip?

No I wanted a simple manual telescopic antenna as a replacement to the
stationary whip antenna.
Rodan - 25 Apr 2008 21:44 GMT
"Robert Blass" wrote:            (  2002 Taurus )

Can my whip antenna be replaced with a telescoping
antenna?   Is it difficult to install a telescoping antenna?
______________________________________________

Most auto parts stores have a good selection of antennas.
Or you can find antennas and accessories online.  Example:

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Category/GroupMenu.aspx?search=auto+anten
na&skipvs=T&g=232650&acconly=1


A simple antenna which can be manually collapsed to a
shorter projected length is easy to install.   The base of
the antenna is essentially a threaded tube with a nut on
each side of the body panel.    Installation steps are the
reverse of the old antenna's removal steps.

If you want a powered antenna which completely retracts
out of sight, installation is more difficult.    There must
be suffient inside clearance for its motor and sufficient
depth clearance for the antenna parts to extend below
the body.    In addition, an electrical power connection
must be made from the radio to the antenna.

Good luck.

Rodan.
Ted Mittelstaedt - 29 Apr 2008 15:25 GMT
> >> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
> >> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> I was wanting to replace it with an after market telescopic antenna
> and was wondering how difficult that would be to do.

As long as it's not a motorized aftermarket, it is very easy to do, I've
done it myself on my old 68 Torino when the factory antenna broke
off.  The aftermarket telescoping are stronger than the old factory
telescoping.  You also can find aftermarket telescoping with a spring
in the bottom that helps a lot to keep them from getting damaged.

Ted
Don Byrer - 26 Apr 2008 00:37 GMT
>2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
>replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
>telescopic antenna for this car? Is it difficult to replace it?
>
>I wanted to be able to send it through one of those automatic car
>washes and also use a car cover for it in the future.

I would save myself a lot of headache and just unscrew the existing
whip for the car wash or car cover...that's what I do on my 99
Taurus...

In my experience, the factory ford whip antennas are WAY more durable
than most aftermarket telescoping ones.

Don Byrer KJ5KB
Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy
Glider & CFI wannabe
kj5kb-at-hotmail.com

"I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..."
"Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>"
ScottM - 26 Apr 2008 05:28 GMT
> 2002 Taurus of mine has a whip antenna. I was wondering if it can be
> replaced with a Telescopic antenna? Is it difficult to find a
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Thanks guys.

On a Taurus isn't the antenna in the back? If it is and you can see the
underside of it in the trunk AND it looks like there is enough room for the
"guts" of the new one it would be pretty easy to install(because its right
there in the trunk). You do need a power wire for the thing and wire that
tells it when your radio is on/or one on a swith so you can raise/lower it.
I would try to find a cheap one like online or ebay or something first
though. What if that $200 one didnt fit? You know? I would think that a
cheap aftermarket one would come with an assortment of mounting stuff it
would need for different cars or tell the supplier what car it is so you can
get the right one. Also, crutchfield is good about telling you what will fit
your car and you can look online or call them.
 
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