# Get a Stubby Antenna...from McDonald's?!

**URL:** <https://forum.gbfans.com/t/get-a-stubby-antenna-from-mcdonalds/15201>\
**Category:** Other Props\
**Created:** [October 4, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/get-a-stubby-antenna-from-mcdonalds/15201 "2011-10-04T21:29:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![apogue87](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@apogue87](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/apogue87)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/get-a-stubby-antenna-from-mcdonalds/15201/1 "2011-10-04T21:29:52Z")

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If you’re having trouble finding a decent stubby antenna for your walkie talkie, you can make a cheap version with a trimmed McDonald’s Straw and some electric tape.

1. Trim the straw to the desired length

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00110.jpg)

1. Wrap the straw with electric tape from left to right, cutting pieces of tape as you go, or wrap the straw longways (top to bottom). When wrapping longways, put the straw in the middle of the tape, then just roll it back and forth to get the tape on evenly.

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00113.jpg)

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00114.jpg)

1. Wrap the straw at the top a couple of times to get the tip just right.

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00115.jpg)

1. That’s it! For a better fit, leave the straw exposed at the bottom because the tape makes it too wide to fit properly. I left the top open because when I tried to close up the hole with more tape, it didn’t look too good. Hope this helps anybody and everybody that went through the same hours of eBay searches trying to find the right reproduction models, or the close enough ones, like I did. Good luck, and Happy Pre-Halloween everybody!

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00116.jpg)

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00118.jpg)

Mine are model HT220, I got two of them off of eBay for $20 that were decommissioned from New York Police Departments. Their original color is the green one, but I spray painted the other one black. That made it very sticky, but covered up the writing they put on the front.

![image]([http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby](http://www.gbfans.com/images/pb/apogue87/Stubby) Antenna\_DSC00119.jpg)

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**Author:** ![DarkSpectre](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@DarkSpectre](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/DarkSpectre)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/get-a-stubby-antenna-from-mcdonalds/15201/2 "2011-10-04T22:46:23Z")

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I did something similar but I used a bic pen. Definately works in a pinch