You guys that already have them. Are you getting as good reception with your XM as with the longer OEM antenna?

 

your XM uses the antenna in the back. so the stubby has nothing to do with it.

so yeah, still getting good reception. don't know about regular radio since i don't listen to it. I can tell you i was not able to get regular radio with the antenna completely off...tried that for the heck of it.

 

Yeah, the "fishing pole" on the front of the car is for AM/FM reception only. I've got a 3" carbon fiber antenna and regular radio reception isn't much different that stock. Areas where I didn't get the best reception are only a little worse with the aftermarket antenna

 

I installed a 3" stubby a couple weeks ago and haven't noticed any difference with my AM/FM radio reception.

Any time I get far enough out of the good reception area for AM/FM I'll just switch over to one of the XM stations.

Also as noted before the stubby antenna is only for AM/FM and has nothing to do with XM reception.

 

I probably should have know that, but my wife's Cadillac has one antenna for XM, OnStar and regular radio. My Avalanche has a antenna for regular radio and one for the XM and ONStar. I should have realized that the HHR was just like the Avalanche. I rarely listen to anything but XM. If I remember right, some earlier GM cars had a regular antenna, a XM antenna and an OnStar antenna. I know my 03 Avalanche did.

 

I have the 3" CF stubby. BUT mine is extendable to either 5" or 8" so I can grow as I need to if reception's not great in an area. Overall, it's pretty much the same reception as stock so get yourself one and get rid of the fishing pole!!!

Later
Allex

 

Got my stubby off fleabay almost 4 years ago. It was listed for a Toyota Matrix, came w/ universal mounting screws. 4 different heights can achieved. Even at the shortest look, there is no noticeable loss of reception.

 

My reception is still good without the am/fm antenna installed up to about a 60 mile radius from Toronto where I assume the signals originate from the 1500 ft. CN Tower.