Hi,
I am fitting a radio to my 1970 saloon (Mabel). She is still as built i.e. positive earth. I need to fit an aerial but I am reluctant to drill the wing, door pillar or roof. I am thinking of trying to hide a standard, or rubber aerial behind the dash. Does anyone have any advice / suggestions as to whether this may work or not?
I am aware that there are windscreen stick on aerials available but they require a power source for their amplifier and as far as I can tell will not work with a positive earth vehicle.
I would be grateful for any advice.
Thanks
Mike[frame][/frame]
What actually makes an aerial? One can hold a stub of an aerial and the reception will improve. Since I don't have a radio, but when considering one, I've wondered if the entire body can be an aerial. The typical aerial is just a bit of metal that is then attached to the radio. Typically there is a section that is insulated and shielded as it travels behind the dash, etc. If the radio is isolated from the body, my thought is the aerial can be simply attached to the body. I'm thinking if a negative earth radio is installed in a positive earth vehicle, it would be a possible to use the vehicle body as the aerial. Can someone determine if this will work or not? In a typical application the radio is wired to power and grounded through the body. The aerial is an isolated circuit from both. With a positive earth vehicle with a negative earth radio, the body is now isolated from the radio just like a typical radio installation and with all that mass, the reception should be good. The noise once the engine starts may be a whole other problem. Possible?
Ideally the aerial is a tuned length - and the body of the car is the ground plane. Why not just use a phone - and connect it to an amplifier - if you think you will hear anything over the racket in a Minor.... You really should convert to -ve earth - it's a very simple job. Were ALL Minors +ve earth? Because by 1970 BMC cars were otherwise -ve earth.
Indeed, and the last of the line Travellers had alternators fitted as standard.
I use a windscreen stick-on jobbie, that sits behind the rear view mirror, and is only 7 inches or so in width (although mine's converted to -ve earth). Works pretty well.
Mike, Mabel's front end seems to be sitting rather high, though that may be down to your sloping driveway perhaps...
Chipper, Yes I have a stick on jobbie but only works when live lead is connected & the earth lead gets very hot probably due to +earth issue. Car was built 3 months before the end of saloon production & as far as I can tell all saloons were +earth. I don't want to convert if possible.
Car looks high at front as my drive is much steeper than the pic shows, a good test for the handbrake!
I know, I give my wisdom freely,
I've never actually done it or heard of it, just came to me in a moment of inspiration so thought it worth bringing to the OP's attention in case they missed it first time. I'm sure they wouldn't have ignored my kind words
I'm told that if you fit a digital radio you need a special aerial..just something the kids mentioned when I mooted getting a radio that still works when I go down into the valley.
I wouldn't hesitate in changing to negative earth, it is so easy to do and virtually unnoticeable. I have a cheap aerial under the dash with its booster connected in via a fuse. It is quite effective but as BMC says the Minor is quite noisy and that is where I shall put my efforts next with sound insulation. My previous Classic was +ve Earth and had a valve radio. The aerial was mounted parallel to the chassis under the car and was fairly effective.
[quote="Chipper"]Indeed, and the last of the line Travellers had alternators fitted as standard."
Others will be far more knowledgeable than me but my father's Traveller was registered new in Aug 1971 and it was definitely +ve earth with a dynamo. It didn't gain an alternator and negative earth until fairly recently.
I understand that the cars used a variety of remaining parts towards the end of production so of course anything is possible.
There is no radio in the car these days but when it was our family car the aerial was fitted to the front bumper. The radio was removable and ran off the car or had a 9v battery. When the car was laid up the radio was in use for years to come.
I also owned a very late traveller. That certainly had a dynamo. The only Minors fitted with alternators that I know of were a few (but not all) Police "panda" cars - all of which were special order anyway.
I give my wisdom freely, 