Will this shark fin antenna help?

[Arragonis]

So when are the pics if your grill block going to be uploaded ?

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by freebeard

The shape is wrong, it has a blunt trailing edge and would require extensive boattailing

I'm not so sure about this assertion. Look at BMW's antenna designs:







Very similar to those in the OP's link. If BMW could have made them lower drag (which was the whole point of the fin design, after all) for the same cost, I like to think they would have.

Or, consider this: The 2014 Scion FR-S had a short whip antenna.



For 2015, Toyota switched to a shark fin design:



And claimed in their press release:

"On the exterior, a shark-fin antenna has been adopted to improve both looks and aerodynamics" (emphasis added).

They're the ones with the million-dollar wind tunnels, and unfortunately there's a paucity of drag information on shark fin antennae out there otherwise, so for now the best we can do is infer from the OEMs' actions. At this point, I have to conclude that replacing a wire or whip antenna with a shark fin will be beneficial, even if it's not measurable by us laypersons.

[freebeard]

Those are good counterexamples. Maybe the deal is that they work as a vortex generator.

[RedDevil]

I think the main point is that the base is close to the roof, where the air is not moving that fast (compared to the car) anyway so it does not cause a lot of drag.
The part that is further out than an inch is very narrow, and way shorter than an aerial.

[digital rules]

Originally Posted by 2009Toyotoad

Certainly won't help radio reception unless it actually has the fractal antenna wire inside.

Agree, reception will more than likely suffer with the shark fin antenna, especially AM.

[Arragonis]

Both our cars have them and AM is just fine including Medium Wave and Long Wave (198 Metres) - we can get BBC world service on them, which is a proof positive indication that civilisation is still functioning when all else fails.

[SwiftAnon]

I don't care that much about the radio because most radios here are crap. at the moment i have taken the antenna of but the base is still there it looks like

[RedDevil]

[2009Toyotoad]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

Shamoo one, or free Willie 3? Either way funny as hell!

[Arragonis]

I doubt very much removing the radio mast will make much of a difference unless lots of other changes have already been done ?