Reply to "Antenna question"

Surrounding an antenna with metal does indeed creat a Faraday cage- an effective shield against electromagenetic radiatio (e,g- radio waves). Maybe with a fiberglas rear bumper? Very early radios had horizontal antennas for appearance's sake, I guess. My first car- a 1937 Oldsmobile- had an antenna mounted below the left running board. Problem is, such a position tends to pick up only the horizontal part of the broadcast signal (AM or FM), severely limiting the reception range of even the best radio. If you don't like driving around with a chrome pole sticking out of your vehicle, there are aftermarket glue-on antenna wires for windshields, and windshields that have the wires enbedded. Neither works as well as the old reliable vertical units. I suggest a retractable antenna in back- when you're driving you almost can't see it, and when the ignition shuts off and you get out to admire the machine, the antenna retracts. Also guards against punks in parking lots snapping it off 'cause they don't own a nice car and you do. Personally, we almost never listen to our Pantera's excellent Pioneer AM/FM/CD player w/disappearing antenna. Both Judy & I prefer to listen to the motor-music coming out from behind. To each his own...