>This may be slightly off topic, but perhaps someone can help me. I drive an
 >old Chevy pickup with one of those wire-in-the-windshield antennas. The
 >radio is a real cheapoe.  The reception is so bad that I am thinking of
 >really working on this, possibly even spending some cash.
 >
 >I think an external antenna should be first. Does anyone know if there is
 >any appreciable difference between any of them, say between something I
 >would buy from a junkyard, or buy at radio shack, or perhaps there is a hi-
 >gain model somewhere. Do car antennas break down with age?
Any good whip should offer some improvement over the "windshield wire." Radio 
Shack even makes a nice model the clamps to the car's gutter. This would give 
you the added advantage of having the antenna mounted fairly high on the 
vehicle.
 >
 >Beyond this, do any car radios likely to be found in junkyards have a
 >reputation for quality or should I go buy a new one if the antenna doesn't
 >improve things enough?
As for radios. Not likely you're gonna find anything worth very much in a 
junkyard. The radios are among the first things to get salvaged. And if you 
DO mage to find a car in a junkyard that still has the radio in it, chances 
are corrosions will have already taken its toll. If you're wanting to get out 
cheap, I would recommend trying to find a J.C. Whitney catalog. They sell 
just about everything automotive and they have some very basic AM/FM radios 
real cheap.
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