aerial modification help

[Tuscanite]

Can anyone help me please?

I have the Pioneer AVIC DAB/AM/FM/Sat Nav system as factory installed. As we all know, the reception is rubbish.

I have decided it is time to give this a go. I have gone down the route of an antenna booster etc, but the expert advice I have had is to try to get a metal groundplane set up for the existing pioneer DAB aerial. Apparently I need a metal sheet through which I bolt the existing aerial and then connect to a ground somewhere. So the plan (and questions) are:

I peel back the carpet on the underside of the boot lid and clear away the adhesive and other gunge (?easy)
Unbolt the aerial.
Use a piece of thin steel approx 6ins x 9ins and drill a hole for the aerial.(Any alternative suggestions - copper foil perhaps?)
Stick this metal foil to the boot.(?Evo-stick)
Solder a wire to the foil and route it alongside the co-ax lead from the aerial.
Find somewhere easy to ground it (any suggestions - I thought of the petrol tank. Is this dangerous?)
Re-locate the aerial and make sure I have a good contact between plate and fixing nut.
Use a tin of evo-stick on the carpet (and throw some all over the leather to give it that just out of the factory look!)
Sit back and listen to the test match.


If there is anyone who has tried all or some of these procedures, please would you advise me before I ruin my P&J!

Thanks,

Bob

[Leadfoot]

I did the same on mine when I installed the dab antenna for my avic x1.

I used self adhesive alluminium tape to line the inside of the boot lid, then covered it in dynamat sound deadening mat - as you can get this with a foil layer it would make a perfect ground plane itself (it's a 18 x 36" foil backed self adhesive sheet, any car audio place should have it for 20ish quid).

[Tuscanite]

Thanks leadfoot -

Would you just put my mind at ease on the following?

Does your DAB radio work well?
Did you connect the foil to earth anywhere?

Sorry to be a pain!

[Leadfoot]

Yes, the DAB reception is good.

No, I didn't earth it (but I might do that.........)

In the future I'm gonna get a combined DAB/FM antenna to try & improve the speed that TMC updates - the info is carried on the classic fm frequency.

[hallsie]

[Use a tin of evo-stick on the carpet (and throw some all over the leather to give it that just out of the factory look!)



stu

Edited by hallsie on Tuesday 31st July 17:08