Batboard

Hi, tried the searches but could not find anything...

Has anyone installed any of the license plate or inside bumper concealed covert antennas? Can you comment on how well they work? I am looking for options for the 450 MHz range for cars that can not be drilled in to and must appear completely factory.

http://www.licenseplateantenna.com/

Any comments on how well they work?

Thanks

You will probably get the same answer on all the forums you ask this question.

Just about every 100% covert antenna sucks donkey. No one on the other forums are feeding you crap- they simply don't work well. Even puck antennas suffer quite a bit unless you have a really good repeated network to "play on".

Just so others know- the OP needs this antenna to "provide coverage" for an area totaling approx 7,124 km2 (2,750 sq mi)- mostly dense urban and dense suburbs. The OP never could tell me if the system to be used was on a repeated system or not..

Again, as the other forums suggested- you may want to look into a "OEM like" antenna, or a Fake am/fm broadcast whip. More so if you are on a crappy repeated network, or no repeated network at all. If you are worried about voiding a factory warranty/lease- your best bet would be a "OEM like" XM or sirius antenna.

unless, this is all simply to "talk back and forth" between two cars rather close to one another...?

Strange, tried posting a reply twice but the mods rejected?

Unlisted, I didn't give a full reply to your pm as I didn't fully read them. Not looking for anything for trunked or repeated, just good or decent simplex performance (that's where one car talks back and forth to the other, right? ).

I actually posted hoping someone that has actually used them can let me know about their experiences, I have a few scenario based questions on installing and their performance.

unlisted wrote:You will probably get the same answer on all the forums you ask this question.

Just about every 100% covert antenna sucks donkey. No one on the other forums are feeding you crap- they simply don't work well. Even puck antennas suffer quite a bit unless you have a really good repeated network to "play on".

Just so others know- the OP needs this antenna to "provide coverage" for an area totaling approx 7,124 km2 (2,750 sq mi)- mostly dense urban and dense suburbs. The OP never could tell me if the system to be used was on a repeated system or not..

Again, as the other forums suggested- you may want to look into a "OEM like" antenna, or a Fake am/fm broadcast whip. More so if you are on a crappy repeated network, or no repeated network at all. If you are worried about voiding a factory warranty/lease- your best bet would be a "OEM like" XM or sirius antenna.

unless, this is all simply to "talk back and forth" between two cars rather close to one another...?

We used these antennas in a lot of our undercover vehicles. There is definitely a degredation in signal reception/clarity and transmit audio clarity. Unfortunately with vehicles today that have no visible antenna there aren't many choices. If you find a better solution let me know on this post.

What kind of vehicle and which band? Sti-co makes some excellent antennas. We have great luck with them.

You can make a decent antenna from alarm tape, if you do not run really high power, or transmit for extended periods.
Covert antennas can be fabricated from many things, including copper foil froma stained glass store.
Matching such things of course, is the problem.

Copper foil from stained glass shops will work, and a side benefit is that one side of the foil tape has adhesive, and you can make it look like defroster tape if used on the rear window.

Let's face it, who REALLY checks the back window if theft is on your mind?

Back when sedans had a rear window deck, we would mount UHF quarter waves inside disguised with stuffed animals. As rear window decks disappeared, I learned the find art of slot antennas. Those require the talents of a good paint and body shop to finish

All disguised antenna's are a compromise, I used to install VHF mirror antennas for a department, or the curb feeler type. I second the rear deck antenna, we would just put a Kleenex box over it. On some cars you can get away with inside the rear decks, I run a base loaded low band on the inside of the rear window of my 09 Charger.