The antenna on the Treo is a distinguishing feature with many benefits. It can help you identify other Treo users from a distance. It can be used as a handle to pull your Treo out of its case. However, if you are like me, you wish your Treo’s antenna was either shorter or not protruding at all. Thanks to a new accessory available from mytreo.net/store, you can replace the existing antenna on your Treo 650 or Treo 700 with one that’s so short it’s like having no antenna at all!

Small Antenna is Big News

Ever since the Treo was first introduced, the community has been exressing the desire for a model similar to the 700 line without such a large protruding external antenna. It was all just talk until one Treo owner (known as Zoti in the mytreo.net/forum) decided to do something about it. Motivated by his strong dislike (”hatred” was the word he used) of the long antenna on his Treo 650, he decided he could build something better.

Zoti’s real name is Tomer Litvin. He decided to not only create a shorter antenna for his Treo, but also to get the antennas manufactured in quantity and make them available to all Treo users. Ever since his first prototype pictures were posted in the forums, community interest has been high to say the least.

I recently had the opportunity to evaluate the new Treo 680. While I’m quite happy with my Treo 700p, I couldn’t help but wish my Treo 700p was as sleek and small as the Treo 680 with its internal antenna. So as soon as I heard that Tomer’s short antennas were available, I knew that I had to get one for my Treo 700p and for my wife’s Treo 650.

Pick Your Color

The short antenna comes in three colors (shown to the right): gray, blue and black. The names are a bit misleading because the gray version is a light to medium shade of gray, while the blue version is between a dark gray and black color, with just a hint of blue. But as expected, the black version is black.

When ordering the antenna, you need to choose the color and whether you want the antenna for the Treo 650 or the Treo 700. The only difference is that the version for the Treo 700 has an extra notch that allows it to fit both the Treo 700 and the Treo 650, while the antenna for the Treo 650 will only work with the 650.

You can also order the antenna with or without the Torx #5 driver, which you will need to remove and replace the screw that holds the antenna in place. Unless you are positive that you have a Torx #5 driver, I recommend ordering a driver at the same time you order the antenna because it will allow you to replace your antenna immediately when it arrives.

I went with Tomer’s recommendation and ordered the blue version for my Sprint Treo 700p. But since I wanted to check out the gray version, I chose gray for my wife’s Sprint Treo 650.

Installation

The instructions for replacing the stock antenna with the shorter antenna looked easy enough, but I was still surprised at just how quick and easy the process was. The full step-by-step instructions are as follows (with the time it took me to perform them):

1) Use a pin to pop off the small rubber cap covering the Torx screw (3 seconds)
2) Remove the antenna screw (5 seconds)
3) Remove the warranty sticker (5 seconds)
4) Pull out the original antenna (2 seconds for the 650 and maybe 10 seconds for the 700 since you may have to pry apart the case slightly)
5) Insert the new antenna (2 to 5 seconds)
6) Replace and tighten the antenna screw (5 to 10 seconds since you may need to push in on the antenna while tightening the screw to eliminate any gaps between the antenna and the case)
7) Replace the warranty sticker (0 seconds since I just stuck it to my original antenna)
8) Replace small rubber cap (2 seconds)
9) Enjoy your new short Treo antenna!

Total time: About 30 seconds, maybe 60 seconds if you really take your time.

To the right is a picture of my Treo 650 with the original antenna removed and the new short gray antenna ready to insert into the vacated antenna hole. On the right is the Torx #5 screw, the rubber plug, and the pink dot near the bottom right is the warranty sticker.

Replacing the antenna on my Treo 700p took a little longer than the 650 because I had to pry apart the case slightly in order to get the original antenna out (something that is documented in the instructions). Inserting the new antenna was very easy, but I did have to squeeze the case together and push down on the antenna so it would fit over the rim of the antenna socket. Overall the process was smooth and uncomplicated.

Replacing the antenna on the Treo 650 was even easier. After removing the Torx screw, the original antenna easily slid out of the hole and the new antenna slid right in.

Fit and Finish

In the following pictures you can see, from left to right, the Sprint Treo 650 with the short gray antenna, the Sprint Treo 700p with the short blue antenna, and the Cingular Treo 680.

While the antenna isn’t completely gone, it feels like I have a new Treo because the remaining bump of an antenna is only about 2mm higher than the top of the Treo. It is so small it is hardly noticeable. Another benefit is that the antenna no longer snags when I insert or remove the Treo from my pocket.

Both of the antennas were a near perfect fit with little or no gap between the bottom edge of the antenna and the Treo case. Whatever gap there may be is smaller than I had with the original antenna. I did notice that the cap of the blue antenna on my Treo 700p was ever so slightly off center so that the front edge was just barely inset (maybe 0.25 to 0.5 mm) from the edge of the edge of the case while the back edge overlapped the case by the same amount. But the gray antenna I put on the Treo 650 was perfectly centered. I’m still very satisfied with how the antenna fits.

Antenna Comparisons – “Tre-evolution”

The picture below shows, from left to right, a Sprint Treo 650 with a standard antenna, a Sprint Treo 700p with the blue version of the short antenna and a Cingular Treo 680 on the far right.

In my opinion, there is very little difference between a Treo with the short antenna and the Treo 680. However, when I look at the full-sized antenna, I’m amazed at just how long it looks when compared to the other two Treos. Now that I have a short antenna on my Treo I don’t think I’ll ever put the original antenna back unless I have to send it back for repairs.

Performance

The short Treo antenna was designed to provide the same reception performance as the original antenna and most of the reports from people that have installed the short antenna have confirmed that this is the case. Using a program called SignalMeter to measure the signal to noise ratio, most people are reporting that the numbers are either the same or are only very slightly lower compared to the stock antenna.

From my own experience with my CDMA-based Sprint Treo 650 and 700p, the SignalMeter numbers were almost exactly the same (they varied within a range of +/- 2 both before and after installing the short antenna) and I haven’t noticed any real difference in signal quality since I’ve installed the short antenna. If there is a difference, it is probably so small that most people will probably never notice. Since I don’t have a GSM-based Treo I was unable to determine if there is any difference in performance compared to CDMA-based Treo’s, but many people that are using the short antenna on their GSM Treo’s have reported that it is working great.

Product Support

One thing worth noting is that the short Treo antenna is a niche product created by one person on a mission to make a short antenna for his own Treo. He then decided to share his creation with the rest of our Treo community. So when you buy an antenna, you aren’t buying a product from some big faceless company. You are buying the antenna directly from the guy that created it, and he stands behind what he sells. He is so convinced that you will like his antenna that he offers an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee, no questions asked. And if you buy the antenna in one color and then change your mind, he will happily exchange the antenna for the color of your choice.

He even tests all antennas before he ships them to make sure they work correctly. However, in spite of his best efforts, a small percentage of the first group of antennas that were shipped had some manufacturing problems that resulted in the top part of the antenna either coming off during shipping or being slightly misaligned so that it left a slight gap between the top of the antenna and the case when installed. While having some problems in the first manufacturing run of any product isn’t that unusual, what was unusual was Zoti’s response. When reports of these problems first started to appear, he immediately offered to replace the antenna for anyone that wasn’t satisfied or return their money if they didn’t want a replacement. He also halted shipments for a couple of days so he could go through his entire inventory, identify the problem, and fix all of the affected antennas before resuming shipments. He even posted instructions on how people could do the repair themselves if they didn’t want to wait for the replacement antenna. It is one thing to say “satisfaction guaranteed”, but it’s another thing to see this level of commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

I think there are three groups of Treo users: those that want a shorter antenna on their Treo, those that don’t care about the antenna length, and those that actually like the longer antenna because it gives them a handle. If you fall into the first group and like the idea of a shorter antenna, then I’m pretty sure you are going to love the short antenna. It looks great, it doesn’t have a noticeable impact on reception, and it is incredibly easy to install.

After getting a chance to spend some time with a Treo 680 I was really envious of the more streamlined shape it had without the antenna. Now that I have a short antenna on my Treo 700p, the biggest advantage the Treo 680 had over my 700p is gone. I really can’t imagine going back to the long stock antenna, and when I look at the “before” pictures of my Treo I can’t help but wonder “What were they thinking?!!”

The only downside I can think of regarding the shorter antenna is that replacing it could possibly void your Treo’s warranty since it is an unauthorized modification that requires the removal of the warranty sticker that covers the antenna screw. However, if you ever need to send your Treo back in for repairs it should be very easy to swap it with the original antenna and replace the warranty sticker, restoring it to factory condition.

Pros

• Great looking shorter antenna for your Treo 650 or 700 with little or no negative impact on reception

• Very quick and easy to install. Takes under 5 minutes
• Works with Treo 650, 700p, 700w, 700wx
• Available in Blue, Gray and Black to match your Treo or personal preference
• 100% satisfaction guaranty. Return the antenna for a refund within 30 days for whatever reason, no questions asked. They will also allow you to change colors within 30 days if you change your mind.

Cons

• Will most likely require you to restore your original antenna if you need to take your Treo in for servicing since this is not a manufacturer approved modification.

Tested using a Sprint Treo 650 and Sprint Treo 700p.

Related Links

Purchase a Short Treo Antenna

Discuss the Short Antenna for the Treo 700 on mytreo.net

Discuss the Short Antenna for the Treo 650 on mytreo.net

Instructions on How to Replace Your Treo Antenna

Filed under: Accessory reviews