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VisitingAlien

Member

• Jul 13, 2023

• #1

I have a 2005 FL1, Td4, 3-door, and wonder if anyone has fitted an alternative roof aerial instead if the original lengthy bee-sting?
With details & hopefully a Link - if possible.
Thanks.

 

pwood999

Well-Known Member

Full Member

• Jul 14, 2023

• #2

Yes, I got one of these antennas for wife's 3-door when I installed a 2-din android head unit with DAB radio. Works really well on FM and DAB. Signal levels are excellent.

 

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

• Jul 14, 2023

• #3

pwood999 said:

Yes, I got one of these antennas for wife's 3-door when I installed a 2-din android head unit with DAB radio. Works really well on FM and DAB. Signal levels are excellent.

View attachment 292887

Click to expand...

I could do with something like that for the daughter's Fiat 500, which has lousy radio reception.

 

GrumpyGel

Well-Known Member

• Jul 14, 2023

• #4

We use a similar antenna on the campervans at work for TV and radio reception.

They work reasonably well - although reading up on them, there may be issues depending on horizontal or vertical 'something' in the airwaves - which may just relate to TV, but probably radio as well as that's digital as well these days.

Also found them to be questionable in terms of reliability, I'm having to replace them quite regularly. That though may be due to their harsh location stuck atop a high-top van on corrugated roofing and sealed in with lashings of junk. Also morons that catch them on trees when 'freedom' camping or carpark roofs.

Mind you, still more reliable than an LDV radio aerial that, like the rest of the van, rusts out faster than a 60's Fiat.

https://www.rvsupercentre.co.nz/apollo-terrestrial-tv-and-am-fm-whip-antenna-30cm

I think there may be badge engineering on this. I think they are made by a UK outfit Avtex, part ANSP108.

 

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

• Jul 14, 2023

• #5

Horizontal and vertical is indeed related to TV signal broadcasting, and not relevant for FM.

 

Alibro

Well-Known Member

• Tuesday at 13:51

• #6

I wish I'd read this before ordering the aerial I got.

I bought this one and compared to the original it's rubbish.

FRONT ROOF SQUARE AERIAL ANTENNA BASE FOR LAND ROVER FREELANDER MG MINI RMA826 | eBay

This cost effective aerial works on many vehicles with a front roof aerial mounted on the centre of the roof. This style aerial is found on many Rover, Land Rover, Citroen, Peugeot, Renault, Nissan, Toyota and many more vehicles.

www.ebay.co.uk

I'll order the one in post 2 and try again.

 

Alibro

Well-Known Member

• Tuesday at 14:01

• #7

Mmmmmmmm
Working on the principle that everything on Amazon comes from the same supplier in China I looked around and found the same aerial on ebay for close to half the price

Car Universal Roof Mount Active Amplified DAB + FM Radio Aerial Antenna Mast | eBay

A roof mounted combined DAB + FM aerial antenna. The amplifier built into the aerial antenna increases the signal for both DAB and FM allowing the reception even in areas in which would usually have poor radio reception.

ebay.us

I'll order this instead and report back.

 

pwood999

Well-Known Member

Full Member

• Tuesday at 16:03

• #8

Just make sure it's an "eightwood" one, and not a copy. I have bought several of that brand & they work well.

BTW, on the polarisation question above most UK radio these days is "mixed polarisation" so should work fine with virtical or horizontal antennas.

 

Alibro

Well-Known Member

• Tuesday at 19:05

• #9

pwood999 said:

Just make sure it's an "eightwood" one, and not a copy. I have bought several of that brand & they work well.

Click to expand...

I have done some selling on Amazon and ebay in the past and in most cases the brand is just something made up by the seller. They are selling the same item as others bought from the same factory and using the same photos supplied by the Chinese wholesaler. Often the only difference is the price.

This is probably the one.

Universal Roof Mount Digital Dab Antenna With Amplifier For Dab Dab+ Am/fm Car Radio Antenna Aerial Smb Connector - Buy Dab Antenna radio Antenna dab+ Am/fm Product on Alibaba.com

Universal Roof Mount Digital Dab Antenna With Amplifier For Dab Dab+ Am/fm Car Radio Antenna Aerial Smb Connector - Buy Dab Antenna radio Antenna dab+ Am/fm Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

I might be wrong on all of this but hopefully not.

 

pwood999

Well-Known Member

Full Member

• Wednesday at 10:35

• #10

Ali, we will see. The bit that I always check for is the actual gain & freq range. Lots of them are lower spec.

• Roof mount active AM/FM DAB + car aerial.DAB BandIII and L Band Frequency Range: 174-237MHz / 1452-1492MHz | Gain: 10dB | Input Impedance: 50 ohm
• AM/FM Frequency: 525-1700Khz/87.5-108 MHz | Gain: 7dB

 

Alibro

Well-Known Member

• Wednesday at 12:19

• #11

pwood999 said:

Ali, we will see. The bit that I always check for is the actual gain & freq range. Lots of them are lower spec.

• Roof mount active AM/FM DAB + car aerial.DAB BandIII and L Band Frequency Range: 174-237MHz / 1452-1492MHz | Gain: 10dB | Input Impedance: 50 ohm
• AM/FM Frequency: 525-1700Khz/87.5-108 MHz | Gain: 7dB

Click to expand...

After I ordered it I noticed a disclaimer at the bottom of the ad
"Note: This product can only be installed on the rear roof, not the front roof. Not applicable to all models."

Any idea what that is supposed to mean? I only have one roof.

 

pwood999

Well-Known Member

Full Member

• Wednesday at 14:22

• #12

Maybe it also picks up IF radiation from the head unit. Ours is in middle of wife's 3-door roof - same location as original antenna.

Both P38's have a magnetic (non amplified) antenna. Doesn't make any difference where I place them. Little thing stays put, even at 70-80mph.