Radio antennas another dollar store money saver.

[Mike C.]

I've been using sewing needles for radio antennas for years now. Should have posted this long ago. another thing you can get at the dollar store. They come in a pack of 20 or so for a dollar. Because they are so cheap, they are usually pretty thin and only cost you a buck. You find a tiny drill bit I use a Dremel and trim the needle with some wire cutters then glue.

[Bills72sj]

Stainless steel and in scale. Nice tip.

[Jantrix]

I used an electric guitar string. Looks terrific. I'd like to see an example of your needle idea.

[GLMFAA1]

I found seaming pins at Walmart (sewing aisle) that have a flat head on them and can be cut to preferred length, bendable and not too expensive. 

greg

[Mike C.]

8 hours ago, Jantrix said:

I used an electric guitar string. Looks terrific. I'd like to see an example of your needle idea.

I've done that. Usually from the extra string that you snip off after you put the new strings on the guitar but not everybody has extra string laying around. I have also used the round string as CB mic cord. just paint it black. I even used the round wound string as CB whip antenna They used to make them years ago out of a fiberglass mast wrapped in wire and covered in vinyl tubing. This will sort of mimic that look after you paint it.

[Mike C.]

7 hours ago, GLMFAA1 said:

I found seaming pins at Walmart (sewing aisle) that have a flat head on them and can be cut to preferred length, bendable and not too expensive. 

greg

Nice

[customline]

And then there's the ones that come with plastic balls for heads that you can detail to look like the smile face ones people (not me, of course 🤓) used to find their car in a big parking lot. Usually, they were florescent chartreuse. 

[Mike C.]

Oh. I remember those. Good idea

[customline]

9 hours ago, Mike C. said:

Oh. I remember those. Good idea

I think one of the gas ⛽ station brands gave 'em to customers. 

[Rodent]

This is what I remember. They were quite popular with the Class of 1976 in High School.

[customline]

51 minutes ago, Rodent said:

This is what I remember. They were quite popular with the Class of 1976 in High School.

Wow! (And I was afraid it might have been a false memory 🤪)

[Mike C.]

Urge Overkill copied those and they used to throw them out to the crowd at their shows back in the early 90s. Probably quite rare today. Saw them 3 times never got one.

 

 

[iamsuperdan]

On 3/25/2022 at 9:17 PM, Jantrix said:

I used an electric guitar string. Looks terrific. I'd like to see an example of your needle idea.

Yup. I use the ends from new strings, and save my old strings. Sometimes, the string will even have the wound part, which does a fairly accurate representation of the springs found on antennas on older cars.

[Zippi]

Lot of good ideas for antenna's fellows.  

[Jonathan]

Some cool stuff in this thread!

[thatz4u]

On 3/26/2022 at 2:13 PM, Mike C. said:

Oh. I remember those. Good idea

that was the idea behind this one.....

[peteski]

If there us a cat in your household, you will likely find whiskers it sheds. Those can make good antennas as they have a taper similar to the taper of some of the antennas (sewing needles don't look quite right to me).  Trim the thinnest end of the whisker, paint it silver and install it in the fender.  Job done! And a whisker is also flexible like a real antenna).

[Bainford]

12 hours ago, peteski said:

If there us a cat in your household, you will likely find whiskers it sheds. Those can make good antennas as they have a taper similar to the taper of some of the antennas (sewing needles don't look quite right to me).  Trim the thinnest end of the whisker, paint it silver and install it in the fender.  Job done! And a whisker is also flexible like a real antenna).

I wondered if anyone else used cat wickers in building. I haven't used them for antennas, but I have found other uses. I use the very end as speedometer and tach needles.

[customline]

12 hours ago, Bainford said:

I wondered if anyone else used cat wickers in building. I haven't used them for antennas, but I have found other uses. I use the very end as speedometer and tach needles.

.....and that's in what scale Trevor? Good gracious 😳......although I think I have tweezers that could possibly handle that.  No, really.....☺️

[customline]

By the way, folks, remember the aerials that weren't  telescopic? I remember because I worked in a car wash. 😓 I consider myself an expert on the subject. I put one through my right hand (the little ball was missing.)  Had to shift my 4-speed with my left while driving myself to the emergency room. Yup.🥺

[Rick L]

On 3/30/2022 at 8:41 PM, peteski said:

If there us a cat in your household, you will likely find whiskers it sheds. Those can make good antennas as they have a taper similar to the taper of some of the antennas (sewing needles don't look quite right to me).  Trim the thinnest end of the whisker, paint it silver and install it in the fender.  Job done! And a whisker is also flexible like a real antenna).

Ok I’ve got the pliers. Where is my cat anyway?

[Mike C.]

You have to snip off the eye portion of the needle. I started to do this on my 1/18 diecasts. Much harder to drill into that stuff without breaking those tiny bits. If you are looking for flexible, were back to the guitar string. Have you seen the antennas that come with some kits. They look like chromed tie rods in 1/25 scale.

[peteski]

5 hours ago, Mike C. said:

You have to snip off the eye portion of the needle. I started to do this on my 1/18 diecasts. Much harder to drill into that stuff without breaking those tiny bits. If you are looking for flexible, were back to the guitar string. Have you seen the antennas that come with some kits. They look like chromed tie rods in 1/25 scale.

Yes, kit's molded antennas are way out of scale, but sewing needles just don't look right to me. They have a unrealistic taper to them.  For non-retractable antennas I use stainless steel wire (thickness dpeents on scale of the model), and make a tip from a tiny piece of hypodermic tube.

For retractable antennas I use telescopic sizes of hypodermic tubing with the last segment out of stainless steel wire.  I get the tubing and wire from https://componentsupplycompany.com/

This is a 1:32 scale model with a telescopic antenna.

[Mike C.]

Now that looks right. 

[NOBLNG]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

This is a 1:32 scale model with a telescopic antenna.

That’s nice! Do you have a build thread on it?