# Can a car antenna be painted, without reception issues? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503 "2017-03-05T23:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/1 "2017-03-05T23:42:14Z")
I bought a new, White Kia Rio, with a satellite radio antenna. I use the AM/FM, & don’t care to pay for the satellite channels. I has wanted to put a little Dayglo Green paint on the antenna, so I could find it in the parking lots easier. Will this futz-up reception? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/2 "2017-03-05T23:46:21Z")
As long as the dry paint has no metallic content and is not conductive it should have no effect. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/3 "2017-03-06T01:15:44Z")
Okay…anybody done this? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/4 "2017-03-06T01:51:58Z")
Whatever you do take it off first before painting. Assuming it’s a springy stainless steel whip finding a glow in the dark paint that will adhere to that non-reactive surface through rain, hot sun, snow, ice etc might be a challenge. Glow in the dark shrink tubing might be a better and less messy solution. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/5 "2017-03-06T02:13:38Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Whatever you do take it off first before painting. Assuming it’s a springy stainless steel whip finding a glow in the dark paint that will adhere to that non-reactive surface through rain, hot sun, snow, ice etc might be a challenge. Glow in the dark shrink tubing might be a better and less messy solution. No, it’s one of the new, shorter, rubberized antennas, on the roof. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/6 "2017-03-06T02:20:36Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > No, it’s one of the new, shorter, rubberized antennas, on the roof. [Per the pic](http://www.moibbk.com/images/kia-rio-white-10.jpg) It’s a nice elegant little antenna I don’t think adding glow paint is going to be all that great. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/7 "2017-03-06T10:14:42Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Per the pic](http://www.moibbk.com/images/kia-rio-white-10.jpg) > It’s a nice elegant little antenna I don’t think adding glow paint is going to be all that great. I’m just trying to make it easier to find the sucker in a parking lot full of other White cars. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-car-antenna-be-painted-without-reception-issues/781503/8 "2017-03-06T11:58:45Z")
no, painting it won’t hurt anything, so long as it’s not (as already mentioned) metallic paint. the 2 or 3 antennas in that module already have a layer of plastic over them.