Antenna type and location....

[AzPete]

So, the '66 Coupe I bought has no external radio antenna. PO chose not to put a hole in the fender which is fine with me. He did install one under the dash, from the right hand kick panel laying towards the center hump. Not the best for reception. I was thinking of using one from a new Taurus as they loook more like the XM/Sirrus type. Flat and small. Thought about putting in on the inside of the windshield, mounted to the original speaker grill. Could do rear deck also. Any thoughts or suggestions as to this?

 

[AzPete]

Well, just found out that what might have been a regular ant. on the Taurus we rented is actually sat. Darn, sat. ant. installed without the system. Gotta keep looking.

 

[Midlife]

There's nothing worth listening to down here anyway. Get the Satellite radio and be done with it.

 

[AzPete]

possibly true since that is all I listen to in the '07.

 

[daveSanborn]

I'm running the cheapest ""hidden" antenna imaginable in both my '66 and the sons '68. I have no problems picking up radio stations and we live in a rural area where the stations are few and far between.

I bought them at the local stereo installation shop. The antenna is nothing more than an appropriate length of wire that plugs into the back of the radio. For best signal, the wire should be routed to a specific length, although I forget what that measurement is.... I simply ran each end of the wire under the dash from side to side and then plugged it into the radio and it works great.

 

[AzPete]

Based on that, the ant. I have should work better. Will have to look under there a bit more.

Thanks

 

[daveSanborn]

For these "wire" antennas, there's a trick that the stereo shop guy taught me.... he said if the excess wire is "criss-crossed/balled up/twisted" that the signal will cancel itself out. For best results he recommended that any excess wire be carefully "tie-tie'd" into the shape of a "ribbon" and not rolled up into a ball. Play around with it and I bet you'll figure it out.

 

[AzPete]

What the PO did on this was to mount a regular fender mount type antenna into the upper steel panel above the plastic kick panel. It is mounted sideways and extendes towards the radio. All is connected correctly. If what you have works well then I would think this would work.

 

[daveSanborn]

mount a regular fender mount type antenna into the upper steel panel above the plastic kick panel....

Now that's something you won't see every day.

LMAO.

I don't know why it wouldn't work though.... mostly because I'm the least informed audiophile imaginable. I finished building my Jeep 3-4 years ago and still have the factory radio sitting on a shelf in the shop... with absolutely no motivation to install it. I enjoy listening to the voices in my head more than the radio.

 

[AzPete]

I've got to have something to drownd out the noisy third member until I get it replaced. lol

 

[Midlife]

mount a regular fender mount type antenna into the upper steel panel above the plastic kick panel....

Now that's something you won't see every day.

LMAO.

I don't know why it wouldn't work though....

The reason why this configuration of antenna placement doesn't work is that the metal structure of the car is acting as a shield for radio waves, blocking the signals from reaching the antenna. Sorta like ensuring that the CIA doesn't listen in when you wear a metal helmet. The antenna has to be placed so that radio waves can propagate to the antenna. Most any placement inside the car (exception of laying on the dash so the waves can go through the windshield and no other metal) means blockage.

 

[AzPete]

I understand that. Never expected it to work from the first discovery of it. From what Dave said, his cheap hidden ant. works great from being in basically the same area, under the dash. That is why the hmmmmm......

 

[Midlife]

His e-car is made of plastic, remember?

 

[AzPete]

Didn't think of that....

 

[Fast68back]

His e-car is made of plastic, remember?

Now thats funny. Now, if you laid Daves antennae on top of the dash, under the dash pad, wouldnt that work better? I'm still confused on the tie the ends like a ribbon compared to a ball, wouldnt a ribbon overlap the wires as well?

 

[AzPete]

Tieing them like a ribbon gives more length to receive with. Like the old UHF TV antennas. (Now who remembers UHF channels on TV?)

 

[tarafied1]

(Now who remembers UHF channels on TV?)

I do...
I just have my antenna laying on the floor right now until I decide what I'm going to do more permanant and it's working pretty well. I like the hidden wire idea... I'm going to look into that.