Some of us have complaint about the FM reception on E for a while. Occassionally, the problem is caused by missing or loose antenna, discussed cable, or other problems, but even with everything properly installed, my E's FM simply sux comparing to my 98 VW Jetta.

Today, I decided to try the Jetta antenna on E. Note, my Jetta has the rooftop antenna. It has a rubber base which flexes. My luck is, the Jetta and E's antenna are totally compatible.

Well, the Jetta's FM reception was noticable worse with E's antenna, and E's FM is perfect with Jetta's antenna.

Unfortunately, the Jetta's antenna is a little too long (around 16 inches). With it installed, it will hit the garage door. It wouldn't be a problem when I enter the garage since it has a flexible base, but I think it will get destroyed when I back out of the garage.

So the search for a better antenna for E continues.

johnqh: Some of us have complaint about the FM reception on E for a while

I havent heard of anyone having trouble with their antenna? have i been sleeping on the keyboard again?

anyways, my antenna seems to be working just fine. Is your car a EX or an LX. Maybe theres a difference in sound quality from the two different head units

Oi! Yeah. I forgot about this. When I was a VW owner, this was a pretty common mod among the Brits, get a S2000 antenna and trim it so it fits the VW. And, if I remember correctly, they said the reception was a little worse, but not so bad as to deter the mod.

Personally, I never have had an antenna on my E and I haven't had any problems with reception, even on road trips!

My reception is fine on FM the 1% of the time i use it......99% XM :-D

johnqh: Some of us have complaint about the FM reception on E for a while

I havent heard of anyone having trouble with their antenna? have i been sleeping on the keyboard again?

anyways, my antenna seems to be working just fine. Is your car a EX or an LX. Maybe theres a difference in sound quality from the two different head units

Time for you to search for "FM reception".

Also, search for "FM reception" in the other E discussion forum.

Yeah, I too gave up on the FM reception and went with XM. Often wonder if the more upright antenna on the 05's is any better.

Are there different antennas you can go with besides the stock antennas?. I was told by honda to replace the antenna would be 25 bucks!!. For a small little thing like that? WOW!!

Chris~

The worst complaints I've heard about the FM reception in an E were when the powered antenna lead wasn't hooked up and somebody was using an after market deck. You do have to amplify the output of the stock antenna.

All that said, a longer, unpowered antenna might well work better, either with an aftermarket or the factory head unit. It's hard to beat the laws of physics.

Mine is fine with the stock antenna, BTW, and I live in a tough area for FM.

Did you check out SamIam's thread (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17885&highlight=antenna) on his Richbrook antenna, johnqh?

my fm sucks compared to my old Volvo. Noticably weak reception.
I would love to try antoher antenna but 16 inches?? Doesnt that hit the hatch when open?

Today, I decided to try the Jetta antenna on E. Note, my Jetta has the rooftop antenna. It has a rubber base which flexes. My luck is, the Jetta and E's antenna are totally compatible.

So the search for a better antenna for E continues.

Ya gotta love the ingenuity of the Element community. How many other "mainstream" vehicle owners are likely to say, "hey, my receptions sucks... I wonder if I can just switch out the antenna with one from my other car."

That's great. Sorry it didn't work for other reasons.

The worst complaints I've heard about the FM reception in an E were when the powered antenna lead wasn't hooked up and somebody was using an after market deck. You do have to amplify the output of the stock antenna.

All that said, a longer, unpowered antenna might well work better, either with an aftermarket or the factory head unit. It's hard to beat the laws of physics.

Mine is fine with the stock antenna, BTW, and I live in a tough area for FM.

Did you check out SamIam's thread (http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17885&highlight=antenna) on his Richbrook antenna, johnqh?

I checked ALL antenna threads.

Please read my experiment. It shows clearly the E's antenna is not as good as Jetta's - and my AM works fine, so the antenna is powered.

The only explanation why some say "my FM is fine" and "my FM sux" is we have different vehicles to compare to. It is possible E's reception is better than some cars (which you compare to) but worse than others (which I compare to).

By the way, the Jetta antenna is powered too.

Either that, or Honda's quality has taken a dive and forget to connect the antenna power cable in a lot of E's.

my fm sucks compared to my old Volvo. Noticably weak reception.
I would love to try antoher antenna but 16 inches?? Doesnt that hit the hatch when open?

I don't know...didn't even try to open the hatch because I already determined it is too long for me.

The jetta antenna also has a swapping angel - it is not centered, but swaps back (it is quite weird to screw it on). So I imagine it will interfere with the hatch.

Please read my experiment. It shows clearly the E's antenna is not as good as Jetta'sObviously, and never my contention any other way. I still wonder if it is a factor of the length. A FM antenna by the book is 33" long. Honda is attempting electrical slight of hand in using a stubby antenna.

In a Sirius thread, MikeQBF outted himself as an antenna designer. Maybe he could step up again and enlighten us all as to what is going on here.

Obviously, and never my contention any other way. I still wonder if it is a factor of the length. An FM antenna by the book is 33" long. Honda is attempting electrical slight of hand in using a stubby antenna.

In an Sirius thread, MikeQFB outted himself as an antenna designer. Maybe he could step up again and enlighten us all as to what is going on here.

By the way, another possibility why some people are happy with the reception but others aren't.

If you live in a city of 20 miles across, and the radio station is located in the center of the city, you are withint 10 miles from the station no matter where you go. In that case, you will get clear signals wherever you go even if the antenna is not optimal.

I am in bay area, CA. The area is 100 miles from the north end to the south end. If the radio station is located in SJ, I am 60 miles from it in SF, with a lot of hills in between. In this case, the weakness of the reception is very apperant, especially when I listen to a minor station.

I was pulling KC radio stations on the other side of Topeka this past summer during a roadtrip, so that blows that theory. Sorry, again, no antenna.

I was pulling KC radio stations on the other side of Topeka this past summer during a roadtrip, so that blows that theory. Sorry, again, no antenna.

So, it still doesn't prove the E's antenna is better than other cars (my Jetta, the other poster's Volvo). A lot depend on the station's power too. A major station can easily reach hundreds of miles in a good day. A minor station can become weak in 20 miles.

Sorry, I am tired and sick of people who find no fault of the E - if your radio works fine for you, so be it. It is not satisfactory for a lot of people. If you cannot help, then don't. Those who aren't happy with the antenna need to discuss the options.

That's why despite so many "FM reception" threads, there is no real solution other than the "check your power connection" thing, because so many people like to jump on and say "there is no problem with mine".

Guess what, I can say that to just about every thread in this board - "My E is noisy" - "My E is the quietest vehicle ever". "My E scratches easily" - "My E is no more scratchable than any other car I owned". "My E's windshiled shattered" - "My E's windshield hasn't cracked yet". "My E needs more power when merging" - "I don't see any problem with the power". "My E is difficult to get into with a baby car seat" - "That's the biggest car door ever!".

Well, it is nice that you are happy with your E. But E is not perfect on every aspect and I really don't care how your reception works. I want to dicuss upgrade options with others who perceived the same problem.

I am in bay area, CA. The area is 100 miles from the north end to the south end. If the radio station is located in SJ, I am 60 miles from it in SF, with a lot of hills in between. In this case, the weakness of the reception is very apperant, especially when I listen to a minor station.A major station can easily reach hundreds of miles in a good day. A minor station can become weak in 20 miles.You are correct about the weak signal but not the strong one. An AM station can broadcast hundreds of miles but not FM. FM is a line of site transmission. You have to see the broadcasting antenna. At 60 miles, due to the curvature of the earth, you are usually at about the limit of FM reception.

A handy reference comes from television. The FM frequencies are between channels 6 and 7, so if you can watch television from that distance, you should be also able to get a strong FM station. If the TV signal is mostly ghosts and noise, FM will be problematic.

I want to dicuss upgrade optionsA possible suggestion would be to add a second antenna in a diversity system. Google "FM diversity antenna" and see what you can find. I did and found this Delphi info (http://www.delphi.com/manufacturers/auto/audio/recept/fmdiversity/) and this equipment (http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-Car-Aerial-TypeR-TV-FM-Car-Diversity-Antenna-F216NR_W0QQitemZ5817857955QQcategoryZ50553QQcmdZVi ewItem) that went begging on eBay. There might well be other, better answers. I didn't look either in depth or further.

As an aside, I love how Delphi calls their system Fuba. Given how iffy FM reception can get, shouldn't that be F.U.B.A.R. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fubar) instead? :grin:

In a diversity system, a microprocessor switches back and forth between two antennas, going to the one with the best signal. Have you ever pulled up to a stoplight and had an FM station drop out, but when you inched a foot forward, it came back? A diversity system does that electrically. It might be interesting to mount another Element antenna on the left side of the vehicle and hook up both antennas into a diversity system.

Just thinking out loud here. :) Other than that, I think you found your solution with your Jetta antenna. You just now need a new garage. :razz:

You are correct about the weak signal but not the strong one. An AM station can broadcast hundreds of miles but not FM. FM is a line of site transmission. You have to see the broadcasting antenna. At 60 miles, due to the curvature of the earth, you are usually at about the limit of FM reception.

A handy reference comes from television. The FM frequencies are between channels 6 and 7, so if you can watch television from that distance, you should be also able to get a strong FM station. If the TV signal is mostly ghosts and noise, FM will be problematic.

A possible suggestion would be to add a second antenna in a diversity system. Google "FM diversity antenna" and see what you can find. I did and found this Delphi info (http://www.delphi.com/manufacturers/auto/audio/recept/fmdiversity/) and this equipment (http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-Car-Aerial-TypeR-TV-FM-Car-Diversity-Antenna-F216NR_W0QQitemZ5817857955QQcategoryZ50553QQcmdZVi ewItem) that went begging on eBay. There might well be other, better answers. I didn't look either in depth or further.

As an aside, I love how Delphi calls their system Fuba. Given how iffy FM reception can get, shouldn't that be F.U.B.A.R. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fubar) instead? :grin:

In a diversity system, a microprocessor switches back and forth between two antennas, going to the one with the best signal. Have you ever pulled up to a stoplight and had an FM station drop out, but when you inched a foot forward, it came back? A diversity system does that electrically. It might be interesting to mount another Element antenna on the left side of the vehicle and hook up both antennas into a diversity system.

Just thinking out loud here. :) Other than that, I think you found your solution with your Jetta antenna. You just now need a new garage. :razz:

In either case, the power of the radio station has a lot to do with the clarity of the signal. I just don't like people say "my FM with one station works great in one trip" and disregard all the other people's complaints.

I do believe I know the solution - getting a new antenna. However, it will take time to find the best one (the length, signal reception, and I want the rubber root).

My angle was that it isn't necessarily a problem with the E as not everyone has it. If we all had it and we all had our antenna on properly, then you could put forward the theory that there is a problem with the antenna on the E. I'll easily say that the reception on my stock E stereo sans antenna is just as good as my 2003 VW Golf was with its antenna, same area with same terrain. That's my experience in the matter, not much point arguing that statement.

You yourself in each of your posts have put forward a theory that places the problem more with location and terrain of the radio stations. I'm sorry if this is making you so angry, I'm just saying that it is not a problem across the board.

My angle was that it isn't necessarily a problem with the E as not everyone has it. If we all had it and we all had our antenna on properly, then you could put forward the theory that there is a problem with the antenna on the E. I'll easily say that the reception on my stock E stereo sans antenna is just as good as my 2003 VW Golf was with its antenna, same area with same terrain. That's my experience in the matter, not much point arguing that statement.

You yourself in each of your posts have put forward a theory that places the problem more with location and terrain of the radio stations. I'm sorry if this is making you so angry, I'm just saying that it is not a problem across the board.

Please read my previous posts. I had 3 theories:
1. We are comparing to different cars. It is quite possible that your E is better than your Golf, but it worse than my Jetta.

Note, the Golf/Jetta has two different style antennas - one is a stick on the side of the hood, one is the rooftop (mine).

2. Honda's quality sucks so the same equipment work differently on different cars.

3. You didn't perceive the problem because the location is different.

Take your pick.

So, it still doesn't prove the E's antenna is better than other cars (my Jetta, the other poster's Volvo). A lot depend on the station's power too. A major station can easily reach hundreds of miles in a good day. A minor station can become weak in 20 miles.

Sorry, I am tired and sick of people who find no fault of the E - if your radio works fine for you, so be it. It is not satisfactory for a lot of people. If you cannot help, then don't. Those who aren't happy with the antenna need to discuss the options.

That's why despite so many "FM reception" threads, there is no real solution other than the "check your power connection" thing, because so many people like to jump on and say "there is no problem with mine".

Guess what, I can say that to just about every thread in this board - "My E is noisy" - "My E is the quietest vehicle ever". "My E scratches easily" - "My E is no more scratchable than any other car I owned". "My E's windshiled shattered" - "My E's windshield hasn't cracked yet". "My E needs more power when merging" - "I don't see any problem with the power". "My E is difficult to get into with a baby car seat" - "That's the biggest car door ever!".

Well, it is nice that you are happy with your E. But E is not perfect on every aspect and I really don't care how your reception works. I want to dicuss upgrade options with others who perceived the same problem.
Testy. Testy. Testy. It's a discussion, John, not an argument. Chill.

Testy. Testy. Testy. It's a discussion, John, not an argument. Chill.

The problem is the discussion is going nowhere because a lot of people on the board refuse to see any fault with the E. Go to the other sections and read a few other threads and you will see what I mean.

The only threads with some good discussion is the ones with "I did this or that to my E, and look how cool it is". All the other ones with "I have a problem..." get threadcrapped.

I find the FM reception on my E worse than some and better than others. As stated earlier, the antenna on the E is very short. This requires that it be loaded. that requires coils of wire to get the effect of a full length one. This works to some extent but is not as good as having the longer antenna. Also the placement of the antenna on the E will cause it to pick up better in one direction.

I for one hope there is a good answer to this. Where I live, I'm right on the boundry of the local PBS stations. I'm about 40 miles from the Chicago transmitter, with possible interfernce from the tall buildings, and 60 milles from the DeKalb (NIU) transmitter. The E definitly does not pick up the signals as well as my Saturn did. I can recieve both signals, but depending on weather and where exactly I am at in the area, the signal fades. Hardly the biggest problem in the world as I mostly listen to AM, still interested if there is a simple soultion.

Please read my previous posts. I had 3 theories:
1. We are comparing to different cars. It is quite possible that your E is better than your Golf, but it worse than my Jetta.

Note, the Golf/Jetta has two different style antennas - one is a stick on the side of the hood, one is the rooftop (mine).

2. Honda's quality sucks so the same equipment work differently on different cars.

3. You didn't perceive the problem because the location is different.

Take your pick.

Ok, here's my picks.
1. The Golf does indeed have the roof mounted antenna and not the stick on the side as you alluded to. In fact, the Jetta and Golf are not nearly as different as you make them sound, the only real difference in the two is the body shape. The VAG, just like every other car company, tries to use as much stuff in common as they can to keep costs down. This especially includes electronics.

2. I won't say Honda is perfect (I never said that anywhere), but they sure beat the pants off VW in every survey I've ever seen. Usually, Honda is in the top ten, lately VW has been at the other end.

3. That point has no logic, please reread and digest again.

Ok, here's my picks.
1. The Golf does indeed have the roof mounted antenna and not the stick on the side as you alluded to. In fact, the Jetta and Golf are not nearly as different as you make them sound, the only real difference in the two is the body shape. The VAG, just like every other car company, tries to use as much stuff in common as they can to keep costs down. This especially includes electronics.

2. I won't say Honda is perfect (I never said that anywhere), but they sure beat the pants off VW in every survey I've ever seen. Usually, Honda is in the top ten, lately VW has been at the other end.

3. That point has no logic, please reread and digest again.

You work for Honda?

Can we please go back to a discussion of the merits of the Element's antenna and not each other?

When you stuck the 16 inch Jetta whip on your E and the reception improved it sounds like you have either a defective antenna, or a line of site problem. If a longer antenna works for you, you've solved your problem. My other suggestion is to try swapping out your stock antenna for another stock antenna just to be scientific about this.

I am under the impression that the stock rubber antenna has a copper wire coiled in it to reach 33". Maybe it doesn't I don't know without cutting mine open. But if that wire is fubar then you will have a bad antenna.

Maybe a longer billet/rubber duck antenna is your next best alternative. I have a longer antenna on my E and it works just as well as stock, which is to say, for me, perfect. Your last option is to install a whip like some Jeeps and Trucks do.

http://www.ccrane.com/library/car-radio-reception.10.28.02.aspx

http://www.ccrane.com/library/car-radio-reception.11.11.02.aspx

http://www.ccrane.com/antennas/fm-antennas/fanfare-fm-antenna.aspx

Can we please go back to a discussion of the merits of the Element's antenna and not each other?

I googled this and found "Lancer Ralliart fans" talking about our antenna:

mitsugirl420
has anyone tried the honda element antenna? does it fit?

xtianLANCER04
stole a honda element antenna just now..fits perfectly...hahhah..

vonzipper
i have the honda element one and it fits fine it is a little fat and the end where it screws on but besides that fits good

PS: stole it from my friends element hahah i dont think he knows the ralliart on his car

AdamRA
I had the honda ant. and it was crap, pure crap got the perrin instead couldn't be happier.

http://forums.evolutionm.net/archive/index.php/t-145267.html

When you stuck the 16 inch Jetta whip on your E and the reception improved it sounds like you have either a defective antenna, or a line of site problem. If a longer antenna works for you, you've solved your problem. My other suggestion is to try swapping out your stock antenna for another stock antenna just to be scientific about this.

I am under the impression that the stock rubber antenna has a copper wire coiled in it to reach 33". Maybe it doesn't I don't know without cutting mine open. But if that wire is fubar then you will have a bad antenna.

Maybe a longer billet/rubber duck antenna is your next best alternative. I have a longer antenna on my E and it works just as well as stock, which is to say, for me, perfect. Your last option is to install a whip like some Jeeps and Trucks do.

http://www.ccrane.com/library/car-radio-reception.10.28.02.aspx

http://www.ccrane.com/library/car-radio-reception.11.11.02.aspx

http://www.ccrane.com/antennas/fm-antennas/fanfare-fm-antenna.aspx

Your theory would be fine if I am the only one with the problem, but if you looked at all the FM reception threads, you will see this is a common problem.

Although I said in my previous post maybe Honda's quality sux so the same equipment are installed differently on different E's, I don't believe that's the case. I simply believe it is a subjective thing - it sounds OK to some, not OK to others. The people who are not satisfied would seek a solution. The people who are happy can stay happy.

And since swapping an antenna is the simpliest solution, I will not check other alternatives for now.

Next step, I will go to Honda dealer and get an Insight antenna, which I read is compatible with E and gives much better reception. I don't know how long it is. I hope it will work out.

Your theory would be fine if I am the only one with the problem, but if you looked at all the FM reception threads, you will see this is a common problem.


I did read the threads that were relevant to your issue. Did you read the links?

I googled this and found "Lancer Ralliart fans" talking about our antenna:Thanks for the research. It's informative to find out that Mitsubishi car owners have the same opinions of our antenna that we do:

AdamRA
I had the honda ant. and it was crap, pure crap got the perrin instead couldn't be happier.

(in response)

ovenmit331
i've never heard that problem from anyone else. i actually get stations that i almost couldn't with my stocker...

Next step, I will go to Honda dealer and get an Insight antenna, which I read is compatible with E and gives much better reception. I don't know how long it is. I hope it will work out.Let us know about its reception or if it's too long.

SamIam, at 60 miles from the station he's trying to receive, johnqh admitted early on that he is listening in a fringe reception area. I obviously can't speak to whether he read your links. I did, and they make the same point. Beyond that, a longer whip antenna simply doesn't work for him.

Maybe I can summarize a conclusion out of this and the Mitsubishi owners discussions. The Element's antenna works well for many people and doesn't for others. If you want the ultimate in FM reception, especially in a fringe area, you may have to go to a better antenna. The trade-off would be that the better antenna might also be longer.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/devil.gif http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/devil.gif http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/devil.gif Anybody want to pick a fight with me? http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/devil.gif http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/devil.gif http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/devil.gif

Just being a goof...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/940070/1417.gif

Let me summerize the thread:

A: the size matters.
B: it doesn't matter.

sorry, cannot help it. ;)

Hey, I have no problems having a small antenna. :roll:

I mean, why do you think I have a big stereo?

:grin:

You can adjust your antenna once, after that, you're just playing with it. :wink:

You can adjust your antenna once, after that, you're just playing with it. :wink:
that's right, and if you do that too much, your headlights will go blind..... :twisted:

We ( my wife and I ) have a CRV and an Element. If they are parked next to each other the CRV gets good FM and the E SUCKS . I have traded spots in the drive to see if that helps. It does not....

If someone finds a fix let mr know !

I agree with John on location being a huge factor in how well/poorly your FM reception is. I live on Long Island which is East of NYC. For about 85-90% of the time I have no issues with my FM reception. But it all depends on the station I am trying to get in.

Here are two examples of what I deal with. I live about 30 miles as the crow flies from the Empire State Building; which is where most NYC stations broadcast from. I listen to a station every day during my commute and the closer I get to work the further I am from NYC. Depending on the weather and traffic and other factors I can lose the station and begin to get crosstalk with an FM Station from Connecticut from across Long Island Sound. The station I listen to is one of the strongest out of NYC and it gets stepped on from around 50-60 miles outside NYC.

The other station I listen to in the morning is a local Long Island FM Station and I don't have any issues picking it up when I am commuting to work, no interference.

I am used to this as it has happened with every single car/truck I have ever owned. I have owned/driven everything from VW, Audi, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Subaru, etc. They all have crappy FM reception on any given day.

I am NOT saying you are wrong and others are right. It absolutely has to do with what you listen to and where you are in relation to the Radio Towers.

As others have pointed out a longer antenna will obviously help and you yourself said this is true. You have obviously read all of the threads on this subject, where do the people with the issues live in relation to the radio towers? Has this factor even been brought up?

The person in KS lives in a completely flat area and FM signal will travel much farther and can't be compares to the SF area where John lives. It isn't a fair comparison. Just as I know there are days where I can easily pick up CT radio stations on clear days because the signal travels much better over water and flat geography. I have picked up FM stations when out on the ocean offshore 50+ miles.

John, I understand your frustrations in this. I went through it with my Audi TT and the various fixes I tried were regrounding the awd system and then replacing my headunit. Both together fixed my FM problem. I am not suggesting you get a new radio... just telling you you're not nuts. :)

Let us know how the Insight works.

You guys should all really take time to leave the coasts and travel the rest of your country. You have no idea, do you? :grin:

You folks in Kansas City use horses to pull your cars, don't you? :grin:

I know you have hills in KC because I've been lost in them looking for great barbeque. :)

I have been to KS a few times, driven cross country a few times as well. KS is flat compared to the SF area and you don't have the same kind of interference as I have on Long Island with 600-1,000+ foot tall building on top of terrain interference and water all around which helps sound travel from other areas...

Topography plays a huge roll in how FM travels.

Salina, KS and Kansas City, MO have different topography. Salina would probably be the flat part you are referring to. And don't worry, I've lived in both California and New Jersey (Also Iowa, Texas, Colorado, as well as out of country), I know what you are talking about. (Although, I would have to say that NYC and a large part of the surrounding area is flatter than KC.)

I have fretted over this a lot since I listen to FM radio while driving around the state (GA). FM reception in 2003 Element is noticeably worse than cheap stereo (long, stock antenna) I had in my toyota truck. My biggest problem is not long range reception while in the boonies but getting static-free reception of lower power FM public radio while in the city (Atlanta). Depending on weather, stations may be completely unlistenable due to static. I bought a longer (16") antenna from AntennaX.com. It provided only marginal improvement. I took the E to dealer for them to check - they claim nothing wrong, reception as good as the 2005 they compared it to. I tried antenna substitutes screwed into or touching the jack - 6" lag bolt, wire coat hanger, shovel, etc. They all work equally well. I suspect the problem is one or more of 3: 1) tuner may not be very good; 2) short antenna in back with long cable run is susceptible to interference; or 3) despite what some other posts claim about distance, there are always problems with FM reception when you are very close to the transmitter, especially with lower power stations, and these are made worse by all the signal bouncing due to concrete and steel buildings in the city (I admit to some problems with FM reception in my home stereo also (I live downtown). Not sure what the solution is, other than goinng to satellite. I plan to experiment with a homemade antenna of greater length.