That's pretty much the way most vehicular radio antennae are built, so far as I know.  I learned about it like you, by making the same mistake you did.  But now we know.  mcneely

---- Rob <becida@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> I passed under a low branch and my antenna was broken. I ordered a
> new one (just the stock one) from GoWesty and had it here in a couple
> of days (great service). I put it in yesterday. 1984 Westy.
>
> Had to take the instrument cluster out to get my hand back there to
> route the antenna wire and put the new antenna housing up thru the
> hole. During this I found out that the mast screws into the
> housing.... There was no need to open anything up, I could have
> unscrewed the stub of the old mast and screwed in the new one.
>
> I'll remember next time and if anyone searches the archives for
> 'changing an antenna' or 'broken antenna' or 'how do you put the
> antenna in' they'll see this and save half an hours work. Heck they
> might just go down to the FLAPS, buy a mast, change it in the parking
> lot & go on their way with tunes once again!
>
>
>
>
> Rob
>
> becida@comcast.net
> Western Washington State, USA

--
David McNeely