Radio antenna relocation

I was perusing the :batman: board this morning and ran across this thread about plugging the antenna hole. One poster (#43) plugged the hole and moved the antenna into the trunk, which got me thinking...

I would think that reception with the antenna inside the trunk would be sketchy, but how would it be if the antenna was moved outside of the steel body structure? Say, under the trunk, or squeezed in under the rear bumper cover? Just a thought... I'd like to clean up the back end a little, but I still want to listen to the radio (and I'd rather not mess with a power antenna).

Any thoughts?

I am planning on trying just that, when I get the LE into paint.

I am also gonna put a CB antenna under there.

The LE is gonna be smooth! ;)

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Originally Posted by Rogue

I am planning on trying just that, when I get the LE into paint.

I am also gonna put a CB antenna under there.

The LE is gonna be smooth! ;)

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Please tell me you are going to keep the flames.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rogue

I am planning on trying just that, when I get the LE into paint.

I am also gonna put a CB antenna under there.

The LE is gonna be smooth! ;)

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In the trunk or under the car?

...and, yes, pleeeease keep the flames!

With the antenna inside the trunk and the lid closed, FM reception isn't much different, but AM is virtually nonexistent (No Ticket! Boooo!). At lunch I'll run up to Radio Shack and get an antenna extender cord and try it again with the antenna under car.

Question: Does the base of the antenna have to be grounded for it work properly?

Flames are history, Barbara is not happy either.

I know without them I will not make the cover of Killboy again this year, but it is time for a change.

You never know what is next. ;)

Antenna's under trunk.

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Originally Posted by Rogue

Flames are history

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Wow... Some might accuse you of conforming with the LE purists. ::Pop::

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rogue

Flames are history, Barbara is not happy either.

I know without them I will not make the cover of Killboy again this year, but it is time for a change.

You never know what is next. ;)

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Orange? Purple? Bass Boat Metalflake? ;)

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

Question: Does the base of the antenna have to be grounded for it work properly?

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Depends on the antenna, but yes, it usually does need to be grounded.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

With the antenna inside the trunk and the lid closed, FM reception isn't much different, but AM is virtually nonexistent (No Ticket! Boooo!).

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Remember Rick, The ticket is simulcast on 104.1 FM. I don't have AM on the jetta and I listen to the ticket everyday on 104.1 FM.

I used to have a friend who did communications installs for the local PD. They'd hide a two-way in an undercover car, use the OEM antenna, and hang a wire antenna under the car for the AM/FM radio so it would work. Not great, but it did work. The length can be trimmed for optimum signal strength, but the real trick was insulating it from the frame while keeping it from getting ripped loose or torn off.

Reminds me of back in the days when I used to install audio systems at Doran Chevrolet. Remember the antenna that was in the glass of the windshield? Just about every GM in the 70's had them. The cars came from the factory without a radio or speakers, but every vehicle had that windshield antenna. We would install aftermarket audiovox systems that looked just like Delco and would find the little pigtail under the dash and plug it into the new radio.

So this one car comes back, shitty reception complaint. Pulled the headunit, installed a new one. Same thing, could get FM, but no AM. (when we tested a new install, we only listened to the FM, nobody listened to the AM backwaters)
Turns out, GM had installed a windshield without the antenna in the glass, but the car still had the little antenna pigtail under the dash. The easy solution would be to drill a hole and install an antenna on the fender, but the customer didn't want that. Ended up taking a standard fender antenna, connected it to the headunit, then, with some creative origami application, kindof crammed it up under the dash.
Customer was then able to pick up all three AM stations in Dallas, at that time.