Hi cstevec,

Yes, you would either need to take this back to the place of purchase, as if it was purchased new, it is defective, or if it was purchased used, you may send this into the service center to have a new antenna installed. The antenna should be at least 39 1/2" long on this FM receiver.

Please see our website for information on returning items for repair at:

http://www.hobbyservices.com/futaba-rates.html

I hope you find this information helpful. You can also reach our Futaba support technical team at 217-398-8970, or via fax at 217-398-7721.

Sincerely,
Krysta
Lead Futaba Customer Service and Programming Technician
Also you may want to check our Website at (http://www.futaba-rc.com)