Anyone have a functional Shark Fin Antenna?

Oh good lord. I just about fell off my chair!

 

I have another one I was going to post in place of that one but I couldnt find it. Its an old beat up car with a 2x4 wood!!!!! rear spoiler One of the dumbest funny things I've ever seen.

 

Yep, that paint job is kind of lame, for any amount of money actually. If you go to their website they mention that they send the antennas out to bodyshops to have them painted. My guess is that the bodyshops send them right out to the purchaser after that because I would be surprised if the actual vendor would send that out. Most places with any sort of quality control would reject that as blemished. Functional but blemished and probably discount it. I would definetly ask them to do better.

 

The paint job on mine was just fine (thank goodness) and a perfect match.

I installed the antenna this morning. It took about 5 minutes. I was going to take pix of the install steps I used, but the pix on the companies website demonstrate the process I used. I decided there was no need to do before pix since we all know what it looks like with the regular antenna.

I did this in my garage (about 61 degrees F). I did not use a blow dryer since I figured it was close enough to "room temperature." I did not use the process one is to use if the roof is curved... it appeared to sit flat on the roof during the test fit.

I have never posted pictures before sooo...here are after pix from a couple of angles. In some shots, it looks as though the adhesive rubber is white, it is not. It is black. I am a terrible photographer, so please excuse the quality.

The before/after reception in my garage is only slightly reduced. The strong stations are fine--no discernable difference to my aging ears. The weak stations --especially a.m. -- are "scratchier." When I take the car out of the garage later today, I will listen again.

All in all, I am satisfied.

I hope the picture thing works.

Rick

 

When I click on a picture, let it open, then hover the mouse pointer over the picture, I get an icon in the right lower corner of the pic. When I click on that it magnifies the picture quite a bit. I was thinking that everyone had that capability.

 

I took some outdoor pictures, but they do not seem to be posting. I'll try later.

 

Rick - different animals. The macro setting on your camera will allow you to take shots closer - and in focus - which tend to make BETTER detail shots. Yes, we can zoom, but we can only make things bigger - not better! Those are good enough shots - thanks for posting them. Your paint looks WAY better than my paint!

Arthur responded quickly, and is concerned how it got through their QA, and spoke of the pro paint shop that they use. He wants me to send it back to be repained, but I'm not sure I want to wait for all the time that will take! I think I'll just order another and return this one. Does kinda suck at the return postage will still be on me, though this thing should never have been sent out in the first place.

 

Uh... I hate to say this, but that ain't no "fractal antenna" folks. I think their marketing department went into total overdrive on THAT description. I hope it doesn't suck at receiving stations.

I'll know when I take it to Sacramento. The news station in S.F. gets real weak when I drive up there, so I'll find out if this Sharktenna has the goods on the receiving end...

I wonder if there is a less permanent mounting solution in case I want to replace the antenna element with a better one down the road?

 

Yeah, that is kinda important.

Back in 1957 Mad Magazine printed an article by Jean Shepard about something he called Creeping Meatballism. There's the part that applies here...

THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION about what is progress. I think one of the fine examples between "Night People" and "Day People" can be observed when they both watch Betty Furness do a commercial for Westinghouse. You know the one where she says "Another new miracle has been wrought! Mankind once again progresses! The new Westinghouse refrigerator for 1957 opens from both sides!" Well, a "Day People" sitting there says, "By George, we really are getting ahead!" And he feels great. He can see Mankind taking another significant step up that great pyramid of civilization. But a "Night People" watching this thing can't quite figure out what's the advantage of a refrigerator which opens from both sides. All he wants to know is, "Does it keep the stuff cold?"

He's not quite sure there's been any great mark of progress, while there's still wars and stuff going on!


If it looks good, but the reception is bad, then it ain't good. And to pay $62 for that privilage to boot. But if it works, then that may be my next mod.

 

I put the fin lead on finger-tight while parked to check out the reception, and it wasn't as good as the original antenna. My favorite station 102.3, not very far away since it's in a Columbia suburb somewhere, wasn't stopped on when I did a Seek, but when I reattached the original antenna Seek did stop. Once located, however, it seemed as good as I'd expect.

I guess this is why I thought a powered amplifier would be better, even if a huge hassle...

 

I am happy with the reception I get with this antenna. Besides, I listen to XM 90% of the time :lol:

Rick

 

OK... who's got a good link to "fractal antennas" again? I haven't a clue what that might mean... but I agree that this is just the proper lengh of lead just forned into a maze on the back of that tape.

I'm personally ONLY doing this for clearance for my cargo box. I can't use the factory antenna, and I KNOW that the stubby ones suck. I exepct this to be at least as good as a stubby.

As for as "permanent" - I don't worry about that at all. It is 3M tape. Same as all the Toyota emblems which I've already removed. Ain't nothing permanent about this thing!

I did want to mention that Arthur at Virtual Garage is having another one painted for me now, and we'll be swapping them soon. The customer service is certainly great. I did wish for a bit more on the product side, however!

 

update on the fractal part...

I just googled, and found this image:
http://www.bu.edu/bridge/archive/1998/12-1...os/antenna.jpeg

From this article:
http://www.bu.edu/bridge/archive/1998/12-11/features3.html

And that image is a dead-ringer for the circuit board that is found at the very BACK of the antenna. The blue coiled cord is attached to that board, and then the stick-on antenna part that you see is attached to the board as well. You can just see the green edge of the board in my picture of the inside of the antenna - on the right side where the blue coiled cord is.

Does THAT make it fractal?

 

It's only fractal when you take a picture of it and update your web site!
Until then, it's just a falling tree in the forest...

 

The things that I do at 1am to make people like me...
http://www.darelldd.com/ev/images/prius/an...shark_fin04.jpg

NOW is it a fractal antenna that I should be proud to attach to my roof (once the paint looks good?)

 

Here is an outdoor shot.

 

It looks nice. Is the whole process reversible? ie. If I don't like it, is it easy to put the old one back?

 

TOTALLY easy to put the old one back on. A bit harder to get the new one off. Just some heat and a plastic or wooden spatula will take the tape of the new one right off. It really isn't a big deal. As I said earlier in the thread - I've taken all my emblems off that are held on the same way.

 

You can use waxed dental floss to cut through tape and a little Goo Gone to remove the residue.