sure enough lol! i have seen people pick them up that way. i also at one time had an extra handheld antenna which, for some reason the center pin was bent,bigger, or distorted in some manner because every time i plugged it into a scanner, no other antenna would pick up worth a crap in that scanner after using that antenna lol! and i would have to bend the contacts back again for a tight fit. needless to say, that antenna got a quick toss into the woods hehe!.