Aerial options

[rickprice]

Folks,

Can I ask what the latest ideas are on the best aerial for the Chimaera? I have emailed Mod-Wise about theirs but has no answer.

I had forgotten how bad the reception is in the car.


Rich

[David Beer]

rickprice said:

Folks,

Can I ask what the latest ideas are on the best aerial for the Chimaera? I have emailed Mod-Wise about theirs but has no answer.

I had forgotten how bad the reception is in the car.


Rich

Really no answer??

[LucyP]

It's been done to death over the last 10 + years at least -

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Belle427]

Use a radio app on your phone is much easier to be honest if your 4g is decent and you have Bluetooth, lots more choice too.
I always used the Planet Rock app as I don’t listen to anything else!

[lancepar]

Firstly the radio reception on my Griff Pioneer is excellent, I don't know why and I haven't investigated why, but when having the radio out, instead of the usual aerial connection there are a pair of speaker size wires to the plug and I don't know where they go and I'm not interested in finding out, maybe to an amplifier?

Anyway as I don't have a remote CD player either I installed one of these which uses the IP-BUS socket on the back of the radio.............

Bluetooth Wireless Module Radio Aux Cable Adaptor For PIONEER IP-BUS MA1938 NJZT

https://tinyurl.com/5hudph6w
(if this link don't work, blame TinyURL or search ebay for the item)

I can now play music from my phone via Bluetooth but I have to turn the wick up on the radio a lot higher which is fine unless I've asked for a TA etc and I get my ears blasted out.

[Spunagain]

I disconnected and the original FM antenna and fitted this powered dipole antenna from Halfords: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-accessories/... only £4 and I did a bit of work to optimise its position. I installed the Pioneer Smart Sync App, paired the phone with my SPH-20DAB head unit and I moved the FM antenna around using the signal strength meter on the phone radio display which helped place it. I also coiled up the excess antenna cable away from the antenna.


After a bit of experimentation I ended up with it mounted horizontally under the dash. I decided not to glue it to the dash cover as it would make dash removal even more of a hassle, so I stuck it to the back of the dash. Oddly the performance was better with the braided tail not connected to ground. The final position was about 4 inches to the right from its original position which changed 1 signal bar into 5 bars.



I then ran the DAB antenna to the passenger side of the dash and slid the little flexi di-pole under the leatherette trim below the windscreen with the little box tucked in the void for the ventilation vent. The self adhesive sticker was useless so I used the same 3M double sided tape that I used for the wing mirror glass:


I can get plenty of DAB stations and most importantly I can get Radio 4 and Planet Rock. The FM was not so great but miles better than before and I can now get all the BBC channels clearly.