Is there a better AM/FM antenna available?

Most of us are familiar with the old, whip-style antennas that were used on older model vehicles. Those vehicles were usually equipped with radios that could really "pull in the signal", even when driving in the boonies.

Newer vehicles were equipped with "on glass" antennas, that looked something like a printed circuit, embedded in one of the windows. The length of the antenna was pretty decent, but listeners would note they were somewhat directional (more / less sensitive, depending on the orientation of the vehicle with the location of the transmitting antenna).

Then, as time progressed, shorter became better. Stubby antennas were mounted on roof tops, but the short antenna + cheaper(?) radios were not quite as good in receiving AM/FM stations when the vehicle was some distance from the transmitting antenna.

Our Tacomas are equipped with a "shark fin" antenna, that seems to combine the satellite antenna required for Sirius/XM reception, with something that also works for AM and FM. Unfortunately, there seem to be some compromises made, in either the radio, the antenna, or both. For example, a couple of local AM stations are well into the "noise", when I pull my truck into my garage. The sensitivity of the antenna (or the AM/FM radio) seems a lot worse than the equivalent in my older vehicle. Sirius, however, has a decent signal!

Have any of you found a mod or a better AM/FM antenna installation?
Or, do you think the impaired AM/FM reception is an effort to encourage Tacoma owners to subscribe to Sirius/XM?

 

no its a cost cutting measure. 90% + owners don't even use am/fm anymore, they use either XM / Entune / Steam BT from phone. I only use XM/FM during xmas season for the holly channel on XM and when one of our clear channel stations goes full 24/7 xmas mode. rest of the time I just entune Pandora or play mp3 music from my phone. be better if they just go rid of the shark fin imo.

personally I could care less about the shark fin since we have a 40gb family plan between 4 of us

 

Count me in the 10%, have several FM HD stations to choose from and listen to them frequently. Not aware of any antenna replacement, reception is pretty good in the desert, not much around to block reception.

 

I wouldn't say 90% of people don't use AM/FM anymore. Less than 20 years ago but most people do not opt for satellite radio.

 

Word.

Had Sirius on my 2006 for 2 years or so, then no more. Lot of variety in channels but if you're actually listening to music and not Howard (and even then) the music library is short, I was hearing the same stuff every 2 days.

I'd rather have more variety and more commercials with FM than listen to music that essentially compares to my iPod library.

 

only problem with fm channels, the rotation sucks worse now that clear channel has taken over most of the stations. every hour I hear the same select song(s) depending on popularity. with my 3500+ mp3's on the phone and Pandora, only time I tune into a HD channel is to update the weather app on the head unit since it requires access to a clear channel station to update the weather maps.