At least one reader wonders why radio antennas still are visible on many of today’s cars.
Can’t technology get rid of the antennas so they no longer detract from how vehicles look and save drivers from fretting over possible antenna damage in the car wash?
Yes and no.
Technology already has helped reduce the prevalence of the old-style stalk antenna, which provided AM/FM reception via a bare metal pole and was located in various spots on cars, such as a fender or a windshield pillar. Over the years, many vehicles have moved from this kind of antenna to antennas that are embedded into window glass.
But getting an antenna into the windshield, for example, can add cost to a vehicle vis-a-vis just using a stalk, so many autos, especially in the lower price range, still have stalks.
In addition, in some cases, consumers have complained that the AM/FM reception and signal quality that they get from an antenna in the window aren’t quite as good as they had in previous vehicles that had the free-standing stalk.
At the same time, automakers have been working to improve the reception, looks and durability of visible radio antennas. For example, the re-engineered 2006 Kia Rio sedan has a stubby black antenna at the back of its roof, just above the rear window glass. This compact, “micro” antenna looks cleaner than an old stalk style, detracts less from the car’s design and promises improved durability because of its smaller size and packaging.
How to spot a Civic Hybrid
Automotive engineers have another concern when they position AM/FM radio antennas: potential electrical interference. This is why the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid wears a stubby black micro antenna on its roof, while the antenna on its gasoline-powered sedan counterpart, the 2006 Civic sedan, is not visible.
Indeed, I’ve found the presence or absence of this antenna is the easiest way to pick out a new Civic Hybrid from a regular Civic sedan on the street.
Simply, Honda engineers wanted to be sure the workings of the hybrid car’s on-board electric motor don’t interfere with radio reception, so they chose to put the antenna atop the car.
Satellite radio
In recent years, more vehicles offer a new kind of radio feature: satellite radio. The big names are XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Both provide digital programming delivered by overhead satellite rather than over-the-air technology.
XM and Sirius also provide different programming, much of it tailored to specific audiences. For example, they offer comedy channels, children’s channels and channels that play music from certain eras, such as the 1950s.
But unlike over-the-air radio stations, satellite radio requires subscription fees that these days can range from $9.99 to $13 a month for one vehicle.
One advantage: These satellite stations are available all across the country. There’s no lost reception if you go from, say, New Jersey to Florida or even California.
But satellite radio requires an antenna of its own. It doesn’t necessarily look like an antenna. Typically, it’s a squat, plastic “pod” atop the roof of a car. Sometimes it’s black; sometimes it’s the same color as the car’s exterior paint.
But there it is, another antenna to mar the styling of a new car. To be sure, engineers have worked to reduce the size of the satellite antenna pod. It’s down to about the size of a fist on some vehicles.
And now there’s a breakthrough that takes the pod off completely from at least one new car. In an announcement last month, Cadillac said its 2006 XLR no longer needs to wear a satellite radio pod. In an industry first, the XLR, which comes with standard XM Satellite Radio hardware, has a “stealth” XM antenna that’s embedded in the car’s two outside rear-view mirrors.
“We have been striving for a few years now to shrink, conceal or completely hide these antennas for XM,” said Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell.
“A complete lack of any external antenna was the original goal of the design team for this car,” he said. “It makes for a clean, modern and uninterrupted look.”
The XM antenna was the last antenna to be hidden in the striking XLR. The AM/FM antenna already isn’t visible, and the antenna pod used by the XLR’s on-board OnStar emergency notification system also is hidden beneath the car’s body panels.
This could be accomplished on the XLR because the car uses composite in its structure, which is easier than traditional steel body parts for an antenna to “see through,” Caldwell said.
Consumers can expect to see the satellite radio pods disappear from other vehicles down the road. In the auto business, innovation typically starts with the pricier cars before trickling down to others. The XLR has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $77,295.
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