Electric Aerial Replacement
Electric Aerial Replacement
Author
Discussion

mikeb

Original Poster:

2,869 posts

305 months

Tuesday 12th October 2004
quotequote all
Anybody know what the electric aerial on the later wedge cars were off??. Anybody got a replacement one for sale??.

it's the least of my worries at the moment but mine is broke and won't retract peoperly and has poked a hole in my car cover

I would like to replace it with a leccy one just for the novelty factor!

MikeB

wedg1e

27,008 posts

288 months

Tuesday 12th October 2004
quotequote all
Mike:
They're just a generic thing, you can get them from most motor factors. On my car the wiring loom already has a blue wire down to the left rear wing to control the aerial. Older designs used a rocker switch to control the aerial, but by the time the late wedges were out, the industry had standardised on a negative-going control signal from the head unit. You may still need to find a 12v supply for it though.

Ian

jmorgan

36,010 posts

307 months

Tuesday 12th October 2004
quotequote all
Mike, I have a spare if I can find it. Fixed the old one.

dickymint

28,370 posts

281 months

Tuesday 12th October 2004
quotequote all
On the 350 I spurred a permanant 12v supply from the interior light. I was kinda hopeing a new electric aerial would get better reception than the factory fitted interior one.....nope. Make sure you fit a good earth strap from the aerial though.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

307 months

Tuesday 12th October 2004
quotequote all
jmorgan said:
Mike, I have a spare if I can find it. Fixed the old one.



Er, hold that thought. Can't find it. Might be up the attic but I bought it from a motor factors. Generic electric etc

gsx600

2,740 posts

271 months

Wednesday 13th October 2004
quotequote all
Mike

I bought an electric one to upgrade my rubber one on the 400 as 350 had electric.

However it did not fit as the original aerial was at the hinge end of the boot and there was not enough depth to fit all the gubbins.

So only way to get the room is to drill another hole further to the back of the boot which I have not yet done !

mikeb

Original Poster:

2,869 posts

305 months

Wednesday 13th October 2004
quotequote all
My one is mounted just shy of the boot spoiler. looks like it has plendy of room around it inside the boot.

It does look like it has quite a big oblong base mounting plate on the outside of the car and not your usual round / domed jobbie.

The wires have been pulled out to stop it firing up but I noticed that the aerial elements themselves are all jammed up and falling to bits so I guess that the aerial broke half way up or down and the guy just pulled the wires.

I have never had a car with an electric aerial and I just wanted to replace it with a working version just for the crack!

I was also trying to get the CD multichanger working in the boot but as yet have had no joy. Mind you I haven't been able to get the instrument lights (petrol, oil, clock etc) on the big control panel working either. Ho Hum.

MikeB



nigel_350i

119 posts

258 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
Mike, my 350I appears to have been replaced with a Halfords own brand job. It does work (most of the time )

rev-erend

21,597 posts

307 months

Monday 25th October 2004
quotequote all
I replaced mine a few months ago - it's a electric jobbie by Maystar (B1041).

Reception is very good.

tvr280i

59 posts

262 months

Monday 25th October 2004
quotequote all
I am looking to replace mine at the moment. They are quite expensive the cheepest i have seen is £40. If you find any better price I would be interested on were to buy.

rev-erend

21,597 posts

307 months

Monday 25th October 2004
quotequote all
yes - mine was about £40 .. Halfrauds are a bit cheaper but you get what you pay for !

mikeb

Original Poster:

2,869 posts

305 months

Monday 25th October 2004
quotequote all
I took the old aerial apart and it just fell to bits!. The motor looked like it had been in water (probably running down the broken aerial elements) for years and had seized.

The rest of the components inside just sort of exploaded all over the place when I opened the case springs etc all over the place! I think it was a case of I should have just left it all well alone.

Anyhow, I wanted to replace the unit with a direct replacement and didn't fancy the Halfrauds route. looking at the insides of the unit i noticed the word Zendar / Zender everywhere and did a search on Ebay and picked up a new (still in the box) one for £27.

I particularly wanted a direct replacement as the one previously fitted to the car had a sort of oblong base that over the years had worn an indentation in the outer boot paintwork of the shape.

The one I bought off ebay should be a direct replacement and slot straight in. Will see when it turns up.

MikeB

>> Edited by mikeb on Monday 25th October 18:08

deetes

413 posts

256 months

Sunday 21st November 2004
quotequote all
Audi Quatro, short mast and has a built in booster. Expensive though.

SEvans

1,178 posts

290 months

Monday 11th April 2005
quotequote all
Well I've just spent yesterday afternoon and a couple of hours this evening fitting a replacement electric aerial to my 83 Tasmin. The one that was on the car was an after market 40 quid jobbie but as I've now fitted 3 of these over the last few years I thought I would try and fit something of a slightly better quality. I drive a 96 Honda Accord as an every day car and the aerial on this car looked to me as though it should fit. I can now confirm that with a few slight modifications it does fit very well. It needs a bracket making to support the motor, which I made out of a piece of aluminium. No problem with the wiring as it just has a 12v supply, earth and 12v signal.
If anyone is interested let me know and I'll take some pics.
Just need to get to the breakers now and find another one to fit to the Accord, but you've got to get your priorities right!!

tvr280i

59 posts

262 months

Monday 11th April 2005
quotequote all
I bought one from ebay for £11. It went up and then started smoking. Another lesson. Cheep does not do it. My 280 had a relay in the boot it did not work so i wired into the stereo and that did not work. I manually pulled it up and disconected the wires.

Unfortunatly I had to sell my dream car last month to make way for a kiddy carier (260bhp jap car) But I will return to TVR

nigel_350i

119 posts

258 months

Tuesday 12th April 2005
quotequote all
Hi, I found out, much to my annoyance that if you are working on the car with the boot open, turn on the radio for music as you work, then shut the boot (with the radio still on) a disaster happens with the arerial and the 390/400 type spoiler I have. It doesn't make much noise as the aerial is bent beyond use by the end of the spolier

Anyway local motor factor 40 quid later and the radio works again!! looks pretty poor quailty for 40 quid right enough.

PAULMARSHALL

33 posts

286 months

Tuesday 12th April 2005
quotequote all
Went for the electric Aerial option cause my broken fixed one was no good on AM. Still have the problem with interference. Any ideas how I can reduce the interference. The mast goes up and down wonderfully.

grady

1,230 posts

283 months

Tuesday 12th April 2005
quotequote all
BTW - A while back I posted some details on converting from a circa 1986 6 pin constantly-on-if-up aerial to a modern on-off replacement by Harada. Grady

jmorgan

36,010 posts

307 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
quotequote all
PAULMARSHALL said:
Went for the electric Aerial option cause my broken fixed one was no good on AM. Still have the problem with interference. Any ideas how I can reduce the interference. The mast goes up and down wonderfully.


Can't remember who and when but on here some where. Would appear that TVR have a very good ground plane in the form of the chassis? Wasn't there a tread on a loose bit of braided wire near the rear suspension and this was hooked up to the aerial for the ground plane?

Personally I have a BBQ grate in the boot behind the trim and that is connected for the ground plane.

grady

1,230 posts

283 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
quotequote all
Worth making sure the mast is replaceable. Grady

BTW - Where are the hew and cry about not needing a radio when one has a V-8? T'was always on the threads of yore.