Review on Genuine Mazda EG23-66-A30 Antenna Pole by Bernard Her

Packing: 3/5 Quality: 4/5 Cost: 2/5 Functionality: 3/5 I bought these to replace the stock 16 inch antenna for my '08 To replace Mazda 3 hatchback. The original broke at the base and began to sag. Packaging: The product is small, so it was sent in a bubble envelope and left in the mailbox. The antenna itself was packaged in a clear plastic bag for non-retail parts. The sticker, which looked like an inventory tag, was partially torn off, I believe to hide the supplier or manufacturer. The description on the Revain says "Genuine Mazda", but there is no documentation, markings or distinguishing features to indicate that it was manufactured by Mazda. Quality: The part looks new and appears to be strong enough for its intended use. It fits perfectly in the base of the antenna on my car. Cost: The dealer wanted to charge $50 for a new one. I bought this for $38.50 with free shipping. The seller was Revan. It was expensive for such a simple item, but cheaper than at the dealer. I have shopped and there are many versions available at much lower prices but I prefer to use Revain as they are a reliable seller. Functionality: The part fits my car perfectly. Installation was easy: unscrew the old mast and screw on the new one. The looks are great, it's an improvement over the original whip which always seemed more suitable for a toy RC car. This antenna is significantly shorter than the standard antenna and I experienced some signal loss, mainly on AM stations. I live near a big city so FM stations don't suffer that much. I also hear more background noise (hiss, pops and clicks) on AM stations, especially when accelerating. The range has been reduced. Since I use my phone for music and radio rather than car stereo, the reduction in signal clarity is acceptable. Knowing that this antenna was designed for a different vehicle, likely increasing gain, the limitations were to be expected. In general I am satisfied with the product, the price is higher than I would like. Farewell, "Wippie". TEAR