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Old 09-23-2010, 05:14 AM   #1
Pingouin
 
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Benefit(s) of bee sting aerial?

Hi all,
Could anyone tell me what are the benefits of a bee sting aerial? the reason I asked is because:
* Cosmetic benefit is really subjective. I don't mind my long aerial, and I think it fits better than a shiny metal sticking out of a black base.
* Since it's made to attract attention, it will also attract thieves (although some have some sort of locking mechanism).
* I heard people routinely stating (incorrectly) that since the shaft is shorter, it will generate less drag. This would be correct if they didn't fail to take into consideration that stock aerials have helical ribs which are aimed at breaking down vortices, and hence reduce drag. Bee sting aerials might be shorter, but since they are are revolution parts (I guess they are typically machined on a lathe?), their round (and thicker?) cross section will inherently generate more vortices, hence more drag. One would then need to calculate whether the short/round/thicker shaft results in less total drag than a longer/ribbed shaft (which honestly I doubt).

Am I missing something or am I right that these things are simply "fashion items" while not offering any real benefits?

Last edited by Pingouin; 09-23-2010 at 05:24 AM.
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Old 09-23-2010, 07:10 AM   #2
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If you are referring to the short stubbies...lol, then there are none in my opinion other than looks. Reception is limited in my case but then I don't listen to the radio or use the cassete(sp) player that much anyway. If I could have I would have gone without the sound system as well as the air...but I was thinking about resale (if and when that happens).
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Old 09-23-2010, 08:15 AM   #3
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If you were referring to a short antenna...

I swapped out the shorter rubberized antenna from a Matrix. I only did it because it looks better to me. I could care less if it creates less drag, as I'm pretty sure that in the grand scheme of things, it's not enough to make any difference.

My best guess is that most people do it because they like the looks.
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Old 09-23-2010, 08:53 AM   #4
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Alright, thanks guys, I had an itch and this confirms it.
And yes, I did mean short antenna, I've seen it called "bee sting" on eBay and thought that was the "official" name.
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Old 09-23-2010, 10:37 AM   #5
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I tried a shorty (sting) antenna and now I have the shark fin style. Both have noticeably lower reception strength outside of the cities even with a signal booster and filter added.

It is mostly for looks, friends referred to it as my RC car with the stock antenna on it.
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Old 09-23-2010, 12:04 PM   #6
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FWIW.....
I tried a few "shorty" anttennas on my Celia including the "Honda S2000"
Non of them equeled the reception of the stock antenna but, I kepted the S2000 on solely because of the looks.

Personally, I kind of like the stock antenna as its get great reception and it is not too long. IMO, it does not look bad at all.
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Old 09-23-2010, 07:42 PM   #7
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I think the OEM Matrix antenna cut off maybe 5 or 10 miles of reception as I drive away from a radio station transmitter.

It's about half the length of a Yaris antenna, about as thick as the base of the Yaris one, and it looks like what would be best described as a rubber coated dry wall screw that doesn't end in a point.

Looks good and doesn't kill reception too bad.
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Old 09-23-2010, 08:08 PM   #8
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I have the OEM Honda S2000 antenna, no complaints and it looks a LOT better!
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Old 09-23-2010, 08:45 PM   #9
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I have a shorty antenna. I think the whip antenna adds to the cheeky look of the car. My problem with the stock antenna is that it clunks when I pull into the garage and again when I back out.. The shorty one doesn't seem to have that problem I guess I will deal with the clunking btw the shorty reception blows :(
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Old 09-24-2010, 01:46 AM   #10
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I actually gained reception with the S2000 antenna compared to the OEM Yaris one.
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Old 09-24-2010, 03:38 AM   #11
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Thanks for the feedback everyone! I'm not a radio guy myself anyway, I always listen to a MP3 CD, but lower reception is indeed a point for stock aerial nonetheless.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2009BBPliftback View Post
My problem with the stock antenna is that it clunks when I pull into the garage and again when I back out..
Ah, good point there. I'm looking into buying a house, possibly with a garage, and I didn't think of that. Hmz, definitely one point for the shorty version.
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Old 09-24-2010, 11:00 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2009BBPliftback View Post
I have a shorty antenna. I think the whip antenna adds to the cheeky look of the car. My problem with the stock antenna is that it clunks when I pull into the garage and again when I back out.. The shorty one doesn't seem to have that problem I guess I will deal with the clunking btw the shorty reception blows :(
+1 Had the same problem with mine hitting the garage door. I have a shorty on there now and while the reception is worse, I have no problem listening to the radio when I want to.
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