BINGFU 7 Sections Telescopic 74cm AM FM Antenna Portable Radio Antenna Replacement (4-Pack) Compatible with Indoor Portable Radio Home Stereo Receiver AV Audio Video Home Theater Receiver TV Tuner

Why I picked up this antenna pack

I keep a handful of older radios alive around the house and garage—one vintage boombox, a compact emergency/weather radio, and a receiver in the workshop that lost its stock whip years ago. Finding a single OEM replacement antenna for each is either pricey or impossible. That’s what sent me looking for a simple, direct-mount, telescopic option I could keep in a drawer and install as needed. The Bingfu telescopic antenna 4‑pack has been the most practical solution I’ve tried: basic, stainless, adjustable from short to long, and sized to fit the common 2.5 mm mounting post.

What you get and what matters

• Four seven‑section stainless steel masts
• Collapsed length: roughly 15 cm (about 5.9 in)
• Fully extended length: 74 cm (about 29 in)
• Mounting hole diameter: 2.5 mm (0.1 in)
• No screws, washers, or mounting hardware included

The headliner spec is the adjustable length. At full extension (74 cm), the mast approximates a quarter‑wave for FM (~100 MHz). Collapse or partially extend it and you can “tune” for other common bands:
- NOAA weather (162 MHz): ~46 cm
- 2‑meter ham receive (146 MHz): ~51 cm
- 433 MHz ISM sensors/toys: ~17 cm
- 315 MHz devices: ~24 cm

That flexibility makes a single pack useful across radios, receivers, and a surprising range of little wireless gadgets.

Installation: what went smoothly and what didn’t

On my late‑90s Sony boombox, this was a true five‑minute job: remove the old hinge screw, drop in the new base, tighten it back down, and snap the mast into the molded clip. The 2.5 mm mounting hole is the right size for most consumer portables I’ve seen, and the base thickness and hinge profile were a good physical match.

My compact emergency/weather radio was more finicky. The original antenna retracts completely into the housing; the Bingfu mast collapses to 15 cm, which is short, but not as short as that radio’s internal cavity. Result: even fully collapsed, the replacement sticks up about an inch and a half. It still works, but it’s more vulnerable to getting snagged, and it won’t fit under the carry handle like the original.

On a home stereo receiver with a simple top‑mount whip, it was again an easy swap—no case opening required. In all cases, I reused the original screws and added a small star washer where the radio provided one. The pack doesn’t include hardware, so hang onto what your radio already has.

A few practical notes from the bench:
- Check the collapsed clearance before committing. If your radio’s antenna recess is shorter than 15 cm, expect some protrusion.
- The hinge rotates in a single plane and the mast telescopes; don’t twist the mast sections to “steer” it—rotate the hinge instead.
- A tiny dab of non‑permanent threadlocker on the screw can keep the hinge from loosening over time.
- If your original used a shoulder screw or spacer, transfer it over; it helps the hinge pivot smoothly.

Fit and compatibility

The 2.5 mm mounting hole is the right call for most portable radios and small receivers. It’s also narrow enough to fit devices where some third‑party masts are simply too chunky to seat. I measured the base and found the geometry similar to common OEM whips, so the hinge clears handles and cases on typical boomboxes.

Where fit becomes dicey is with ultra‑compact radios that stow the whip entirely inside the body (emergency radios, pocket sets). If that recess is less than 15 cm, you either live with a bit of the mast always showing or keep hunting for an even shorter collapsed length.

If you’re thinking beyond radios—motion sensors, hobby receivers, converter boxes—the two things to check are:
- Mechanical: Can you secure a 2.5 mm base? Some boards or housings expect a press‑fit post instead of a hinged mount.
- Electrical: Will the board’s feed point accept a direct mechanical whip, or is the original an SMA/IPX lead? If it’s the latter, this won’t be a drop‑in.

Performance across bands

On FM, with the mast extended most of the way, I saw a meaningful improvement over a tired, bent OEM whip. Marginal stations that were noisy became listenable, and strong stations locked in cleanly. That lines up with the physics—near a quarter‑wave is typically where these simple whips do their best.

On NOAA weather (162 MHz), extending to around 45–50 cm provided the most consistent reception. With the mast half‑extended at roughly that length, the emergency radio picked up all local channels clearly.

AM is a different story. Most portable radios use an internal ferrite bar for AM; the external whip does little or nothing there. That matched my experience—no significant AM change with this antenna compared to stock.

For a small 433 MHz sensor hub, I set the mast to about 17 cm. Range and reliability improved measurably versus the stubby stock antenna, especially through a couple of interior walls. The benefit wasn’t dramatic, but it was consistent. For UHF‑heavy TV use, don’t expect miracles; this isn’t a tuned multi‑element TV antenna. It can help with VHF‑hi in a pinch, but it’s not a replacement for a proper TV aerial.

Build quality and durability

The stainless sections telescope smoothly and arrived straight, with even tension between segments. The hinge feels precise enough for everyday use, and the base conductor appears to be a copper alloy rather than brittle pot metal—good news for longevity and contact resistance. That said, these are thin‑wall sections like most consumer whips. They’re not made to be knocked around, used as a handle, or repeatedly flexed side‑to‑side.

On my workshop receiver, where the antenna tends to get whacked by lumber and cords, I added a short length of heat‑shrink tubing over the hinge as a sacrificial bumper. It won’t make it indestructible, but it does help. If your environment is rough, consider a fixed stubby or a flexible whip instead.

Out of the four in the box, one mast felt a touch gritty on first extension. A quick wipe with isopropyl and a tiny drop of silicone lube on the sections sorted it out. No slop, no rattles.

Value

A four‑pack at this price is hard to argue with. OEM replacements, when you can find them, often cost as much for a single mast. Having spares means I don’t hesitate to repair a friend’s radio or keep one ready for the next project. There’s nothing flashy here—just a practical, broadly compatible part that does what it says.

Tips to get the best result

• Match the length to your band: ~74 cm for FM, ~46–50 cm for weather/2‑meter receive, ~24 cm for 315 MHz, ~17 cm for 433 MHz.
• Don’t overtighten the hinge screw; use a star washer or a dab of threadlocker for security instead.
• If your radio’s handle clips over the antenna, check that the clip and recess can accommodate a 15 cm collapsed mast.
• Avoid lateral force. Extend/aim using the hinge, not by twisting the telescopic sections.

Where it shines and where it struggles

Strengths:
- Broad compatibility thanks to the 2.5 mm mount and slim base
- Useful tuning by adjusting length to your target band
- Clean, predictable FM and weather performance
- Great value with four masts in the pack

Limitations:
- Collapsed length (15 cm) may be too long to fully stow inside some compact radios
- Thin telescopic sections don’t love rough handling or workshop abuse
- No mounting hardware included

Recommendation

I recommend the Bingfu telescopic antenna 4‑pack for anyone maintaining indoor portable radios, boomboxes, receivers, or small RF gadgets that accept a direct‑mount 2.5 mm whip. It installs quickly, tunes well by simple length adjustments, and offers solid day‑to‑day performance on FM and VHF receive. The four‑pack format makes it easy to fix multiple devices or keep spares on hand.

Skip it if your radio absolutely requires a shorter‑than‑15 cm collapsed mast to tuck under a handle or inside a housing, or if your use case is a rough workshop or outdoor environment where a flexible stubby would survive better. For typical home and hobby use, though, it’s an affordable, reliable way to restore reception without chasing elusive (and expensive) OEM parts.