DIY- Extend Antennae Range?

[Thomas_LX]

I installed a bulldog remote starter as an add on to my Alarm... so now button two does the remote start. It works fine... from close enough... and I have to push the button like 5 times ina row and it only works from crazy close... I think my alarm has LOST range. SO- Question is this:
Can I splice into my alarms antennae (sp?) and then splice it into my radio's FM antennae? Or if I wire to lay wire through the carpet and through the kick panels would that effectively increase my range? Or is the antennae like a FM anntennea where it has to be a CLOSED loop to work effectively? Any help would be awesome!

[2.2litrebeater]

whats the antenna look like? if its a single wire you could try entending it, maybe running it higher in the vehicle, but those bulldog alarms usually have crap range anyway

[crewfish13]

Let me say, as a ham, antenna theory is probably not something you really want me getting into. The long and short of the response is "maybe." Depending on what frequency your remote uses, you may be able to realize gains in range by using your radio antenna, but only if the frequency the starter uses is very close to FM radio frequencies (~100 MHz). If the frequency is higher (the most likely scenario), you're going to need a shorter antenna, preferrably about 1/2 wavelength is a good guideline. I wouldn't try putting an antenna through the carpet because you've effectively placed it in a shielded metal box. The body and door panels will reflect most of the signal.

As antennas go, a general rule is "higher is better", so if the antenna's short enough, you may be able to place it on the dash or rear sill, because glass doesn't reflect EM waves nearly as well as metal does.

Sorry I couldn't give you more concrete answers, but I hope this helps.