Antenna Body & Cable: Operation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 Jeep Liberty. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The antenna body and cable connects the antenna mast (domestic) or quarter glass integral antenna (export) to the radio. The radio antenna is an electromagnetic circuit component used to capture radio frequency signals that are broadcast by local commercial radio stations in both the Amplitude Modulating (AM) and Frequency Modulating (FM) frequency ranges. These electromagnetic radio frequency signals induce small electrical modulations into the antenna as they move past the mast. The antenna body transfers the weak electromagnetic radio waves induced into the antenna into the center conductor of the flexible primary antenna coaxial cable. The braided outer shield of the antenna coaxial cable is grounded through both the antenna body and the radio chassis, effectively shielding the radio waves as they are conducted to the radio. The radio then tunes and amplifies the weak radio signals into stronger electrical signals in order to operate the audio system speakers.