Aerial

I've got the lowly DT and it only has an aerial on 1 of the rear quarterlights. I don't know what the original radio was like as the one it came with was a) after-market and b) broken. I replaced it with the best the tip could offer which at £20 works very nicely when it can get reception. However, the reception seems very hit and miss. I was wondering if it could be worth trying to fit an aerial on the other quarterlight or even if this was possible?

Anyone had a play in this area or have any ideas?

Cheers,

J

Have you checked see if aerial amp is getting power ? Mine has worked pretty well but got to say dont think its as good as the rear window one on the 89 classic I had last.

How about just sticking an aerial on the roof? A hole above the interior light and feed the cable down the nearside A pillar and across the glove box.

Is the N/S aerial connected at all for the UK market. Think it's use only applies to NAS and Jap markets.

Side Screen Antenna
The antenna is printed into the rear side screen. For
NAS and Japan, the element is fitted in both rear
side screens. This is referred to as a diversity
antenna system. Other markets have a single
element in the right hand screen only. Diversity
reception means that as vehicle movement results in
loss of signal due to reflections from buildings
(known as multipath distortion), the radio will switch
to the antenna receiving the strongest signal. This
results in less interference and better stereo
performance.

No nearside aerial fitted normally in the UK. Reception is OK but not the best I've had.

I've seen 4.6s with aerials both sides. I assumed that the higher stereos had them? Think I saw two types of amp on eBay: one for AM and one for FM. I made the assumption one was one side and one the other.

I'd rather not drill holes through the bodywork unless I have to. Besides, an external aerial is just waiting to get knocked off by a branch or similar obstruction.

The reception is fine at some angles but as you drive it comes in and out. I thought AF or whatever was supposed to smooth all that out? Good call on the power, although doesn't the RF receiver use the same power? Worth checking all the same so I'll get my tester out during the week. I guess my existing booster / amp might even be faulty. At a tenner for a replacement it might be worth changing and hoping. Would it hurt to have 2 in serial or would that just make interference unbearable?

Mine has 2 aerial connections at the back of the radio- reception still dire though.

Hard to understand. My other car is an Omega and the reception is always absolutely perfect. That also has an internal aerial somewhere so cannot be that different.

I wonder, maybe if I extended the aerial with a loop around the rear window? A NikTheGeek type question, I think ... if that Korean car of his hasn't killed him yet.

Actually, I've just checked the miggy and it does have an external aerial: a little stubby one about the size of my little finger at the back. Is that the sort of thing you were thinking of, Dogsbody? I had an image of some sort of bouncy CB aerial on the roof like some seventies american TV show, hence my reticence. A little stubby one like that would be good if it worked. Time to surf the bay of fleas ...

dogsbody said:

How about just sticking an aerial on the roof? A hole above the interior light and feed the cable down the nearside A pillar and across the glove box.

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Don't they leak enough

Have you checked to see if the printed antenna is not damaged? Ive seen cases where the previous owner has had dogs in the rear of the car and they have scratched the antenna and caused it not to receive very well.

W

Mine doesn't leak! So far it never has. [Everything crossed.]

Was thinking of extending the existing cable and going up the rear pillar. A grommet and some of that liquid rubber should stop any water ingress. Maybe I should go for a shark-fin aerial! Saab 9-3 ACP Universal Amplified AM/FM Shark Fin Aerial Stylish Upgrade Car | eBay

Littelwill said:

Have you checked to see if the printed antenna is not damaged? Ive seen cases where the previous owner has had dogs in the rear of the car and they have scratched the antenna and caused it not to receive very well.

W

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Didn't notice anything obvious. Car seems to have been looked after most of its life. I'll recheck, just in case.

Grrrrrr said:

Didn't notice anything obvious. Car seems to have been looked after most of its life. I'll recheck, just in case.

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Just worth a look before you drill a hole in the roof

Don't worry. I'll have a long think and try all angles before I start drilling holes. Like to check things out fairly thoroughly before I let the moths out of their prison and open my wallet. My see if I have an old aerial in the shed and test whether it makes any difference first. Just need to persuade the missus to let me strap her to the roof holding it up and tell her to duck if she sees a low bridge.

Littelwill said:

Have you checked to see if the printed antenna is not damaged? Ive seen cases where the previous owner has had dogs in the rear of the car and they have scratched the antenna and caused it not to receive very well.

W

Click to expand...

Just checked: circuit looks like new. All connections good. Getting a tad cold out there. Looks like we're in for a decent frost.

well keep up posted

Rather than drill a hole, maybe a second internal aerial like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Internal-Screen-Amplifier-Antenna/dp/B009APJFJS (but maybe at right angles to the original) might help? Would have to merge the signals before the amplifier, I guess.

Of course, then I read this: Whip antenna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All of a sudden it seems a lot more complex!

worst case scenario, if you do go for an alternative antenna, there's always the glass mount type.. even from halfrauds at 3.99

Halfords | Autoleads Electric Glass Mount Aerial

Do not overlook the fact that radio sensitivity can decline with age and they can of course become faulty. Worth trying a different head unit.