I ordered some CB equipment for my Suburban and when it came the top 6 inches or so of the antenna was bent almost 90°. The company I bought it from already made it right by sending a new one. Now I've got this bent one and was wondering if there's a way to fix it or if being bent has ruined it. If it can be fixed that'd give me an extra antenna.
I'd leave it bent--it probably wont have much effect on the performance,and may end up that way after hitting a few obstacles anyway.. I'd hook it up and see what you get for an SWR reading.. Being hard steel,probably stainless of some kind,it'll likely break if you try bending it back,it only bends once usually...might be able to heat it up and bend it back,but that may affect its conductivity and tuning..
Add heat and bend to suit. The shape/length will affect SWR, so if you have an SWR meter you can measure how much energy loss that bent section is costing you. It won't be a whole lot, given that your overall length is still close to spec. Being on the short side, you're now tuned for slightly higher frequencies than before...
Save it and keep it handy for when you lock your keys in a vehicle. That stiffer wire would work a lot better than a coat hanger.
