Most of those short antennas are amplified.
Just about any external antenna is better than in in glass antenna

"Frank" <NOSPAM@NOSPAM.com> wrote in message
news:gN6dncIeiJfjCbneRVn-jw@rogers.com...
>I noticed more and more new cars with small antennas mounted on the roof
>(BMW, Civics, Toyota Matrix, PontiacVibes, etc..). They are perhaps like 20
>inches long or even smaller (some seem as little as perhaps 7 or 10 inches
>long). I was under the impression that car antennas needed to be like 30
>inches or more. Do short antennas work well? Are these for show only? Is
>there another antenna hidden somewhere else?
>
> I am thinking replacing my current (in-glass) antenna with one of these
> (the Civic SI ones are really nice and are perhaps 7 inches long). Do you
> think it is a simple as installing any other aftermarket antennas (drill
> hole, install antenna and connect lead)?
>
> TIA
>