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bob neville



Member Since: 30 Apr 2009
Location: Marbella
Posts: 3247

Spain 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
DAB roof aerial
Hi all

After some thoughts/advice please. I have done a search on roof mounted aerials but most threads stop before answering my question !

I want to mount a dab aerial on the roof of the 90. Obviously the issue is the ribs running front to back on the under side of the roof. I could offset the aerial but dont really want to do that.

NoWorries has an aerial mounted by his sun roof so I know it can be done.

My plan is to drill the roof skin to take the 19mm stud and then inside use a tank cutter to cut a 22/24mm hole in the rib to allow the retaining nut to fitted.

What is wrong with my master plan ??

I don't want a stick on internal aerial as we are in a maginal area.

Thanks

Bob 2015 Jaguar XE240 R Sport - goes like ....... !!
2013 Defender 90 CSW - sold
2009 Defender 110 Double Cab - sold
2001 TD5 90 CSW - offroad project - sold to a forum member
2011 Porsche Boxster - for the sunny days !
Post #361615 2nd Oct 2014 7:20am
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Buccaneer



Member Since: 11 May 2014
Location: London/Kabul
Posts: 148

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 90 V8 Petrol 50th Auto Atlantis Blue
Have a look at my post i think the last one in this thread:-

http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic26146-15.html The Rules:-
1 Buccaneer comes back alive.
2 Chicks dig scars.

GB260
Post #361660 2nd Oct 2014 10:14am
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K9F



Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
Bob,

Without placing a negative spin on your idea I would have thought drilling through the rib would compromise the strength and the reasoning behind it being there?
You could always restore the integrity of the rib by using some form of slightly larger box section perhaps or even consider filling the existing rib with resin once the aerial has been fitted?

Thumbs Up If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!


Last edited by K9F on 2nd Oct 2014 1:01pm. Edited 1 time in total
Post #361665 2nd Oct 2014 10:32am
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bob neville



Member Since: 30 Apr 2009
Location: Marbella
Posts: 3247

Spain 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Mal

That is my worry also, hence the reason for asking Thumbs Up

Bucc

Which Sharkfin is that and did you have any probems fitting it ?

DAB on Wheels are convinced a powered splitter is the way to go but I am not 100% sure.

Bob 2015 Jaguar XE240 R Sport - goes like ....... !!
2013 Defender 90 CSW - sold
2009 Defender 110 Double Cab - sold
2001 TD5 90 CSW - offroad project - sold to a forum member
2011 Porsche Boxster - for the sunny days !
Post #361669 2nd Oct 2014 11:19am
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Buccaneer



Member Since: 11 May 2014
Location: London/Kabul
Posts: 148

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 90 V8 Petrol 50th Auto Atlantis Blue
Bob

I must confess i got a man in to do all the work, so couldn't tell you which one it is. He did find it a bit fiddly getting the cables down the A pillar and into the back of the head unit - not a lot of space on a 50th. But probably took him a couple of hours all told to get it in etc.

I get great DAB reception, FM, LW and MW through it. Off down to South Devon at the weekend so will see how well it all works down there. The Rules:-
1 Buccaneer comes back alive.
2 Chicks dig scars.

GB260
Post #361671 2nd Oct 2014 11:33am
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Paddie42



Member Since: 24 Apr 2014
Location: Hamphire
Posts: 230

England 2003 Defender 110 Td5 SW Belize Green
Bob,

I went for a Pioneer head unit and bought the Autoleads DAB / FM splitter. The "power" for the splitter comes from the Head unit's blue wire. Also with the Pioneer it has a menu option for powered DAB aerial, which I also set to on. The DAB reception is excellent and doesn't drop below 4 bars on my journey to and from work. In my previous car with a built in DAB radio (sony) with factory fitted aerial etc the signal dropped twice on the way to work.

I cannot fault the splitter but I've also read many reports on it not being any good. I would guess that it's as much to do about the head unit and to what aerial it's expecting.

From memory the splitter cost about £25 and I thought it was worth trying before trying a glass mounted aerial or cutting holes in the roof etc.

Kindest regards
Post #361673 2nd Oct 2014 11:59am
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bob neville



Member Since: 30 Apr 2009
Location: Marbella
Posts: 3247

Spain 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Thanks Paddie.

The powered splitter is looking like it is worth a try especially as DAB on Wheels do a 45 day try or return.

Bob 2015 Jaguar XE240 R Sport - goes like ....... !!
2013 Defender 90 CSW - sold
2009 Defender 110 Double Cab - sold
2001 TD5 90 CSW - offroad project - sold to a forum member
2011 Porsche Boxster - for the sunny days !
Post #361676 2nd Oct 2014 12:07pm
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ibexman



Member Since: 13 Dec 2008
Location: kent
Posts: 2871

United Kingdom 
Defenders with sunroof don't have a middle rib correct me if I'm wrong
Post #361727 2nd Oct 2014 5:42pm
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barbel jim



Member Since: 12 Dec 2012
Location: Northants
Posts: 1410

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 HT Tonga Green
Please let us know how you get on Bob, Dab is high on my want list, and the aerial is my major concern. Herd lots of contradictions about different varieties Thumbs Up
Post #361733 2nd Oct 2014 5:46pm
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bob neville



Member Since: 30 Apr 2009
Location: Marbella
Posts: 3247

Spain 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Will do Thumbs Up

After a lengthy email exchange with DAB on Wheels I am going for a Pioneer DEH X6600DAB head unit and on their advice I am going to try the Kinetic 7002 active splitter.

As I am going to have the centre dash out for another job it seemed like the least destructive way to see if the active splitter is any good.

If it does not work then I will send it back and see what they advise.

They did tell me that the splitters seem to work very well in Defenders from the feedback they have had.

Should have it all delivered and fitted next weekend.

Bob 2015 Jaguar XE240 R Sport - goes like ....... !!
2013 Defender 90 CSW - sold
2009 Defender 110 Double Cab - sold
2001 TD5 90 CSW - offroad project - sold to a forum member
2011 Porsche Boxster - for the sunny days !
Post #361738 2nd Oct 2014 5:53pm
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digger2



Member Since: 28 Jul 2012
Location: west yorkshire
Posts: 25

United Kingdom 
have fitted a splitter got good dab signal but rubbish fm signal .Tried a glass one first good fm signal but the dab wasn't as good as the splitter blaupunkt Woodstock head unit can't remember the make of splitter
Post #361824 2nd Oct 2014 9:41pm
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bob neville



Member Since: 30 Apr 2009
Location: Marbella
Posts: 3247

Spain 2001 Defender 90 Td5 SW Epsom Green
Ordered the Pioneer HU and active splitter all ready for fitting next weekend.

I will report back once it is in Thumbs Up

Bob 2015 Jaguar XE240 R Sport - goes like ....... !!
2013 Defender 90 CSW - sold
2009 Defender 110 Double Cab - sold
2001 TD5 90 CSW - offroad project - sold to a forum member
2011 Porsche Boxster - for the sunny days !
Post #361980 3rd Oct 2014 6:28pm
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martinfiattech



Member Since: 13 Nov 2013
Location: leicester
Posts: 422

England 
I brought myself a kenwood windscreen dab aerial for my alpine cde 136 bt.
Fitted it all at the beginning of the year, the windscreen aerial worked very well on my drive and even better on the m1 going north.

However around town or even when its parked the wrong way round on the drive it`s impossible to pick any thing up.
So I spent about 8 months licking my wounds until my lad wanted a active sub for his alfa. I got talking to the very help full man in the car stereo shop who assured me a splitter was the way to go.

Well £25.00 later my dab is perfect everywhere so far, all I have to do now is fit a suppressor to the live input so I can get
RTE 1 on long wave with out the engine crackling away in the back ground,
So it might be a case of where you are in the country as to what works best for you and your set up. Excuse the spelling I`am better with spanners and wires.
Post #362765 6th Oct 2014 9:51pm
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barbel jim



Member Since: 12 Dec 2012
Location: Northants
Posts: 1410

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 HT Tonga Green
I get poor fm reception, which Is down to the aerial anyways(tried different head units) it is compounded by plugging in the phone, and the subsequent interference soon means the radio is swapped for the iPod. I did read some where about a trick with silver foil to improve reception, but not sure if that's an old wives tale Whistle concerned if the aerial is no good for Fm not sure it would work that well with a splitter
Post #362936 7th Oct 2014 5:33pm
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martinfiattech



Member Since: 13 Nov 2013
Location: leicester
Posts: 422

England 
The idea of silver foil is no wives tail we still use it today, every now and again I get some kind of weird fault which will result in some kind of electrical noise within a circuit.

The last one was a motor home that some bright bunny had looped a big A.C. ( mains) cable ducting too close to the vehicle`s own loom. This was cured by wrapping the loom and CAN wies in foil then earthing the whole lot off the body .

This brought the owner some time to get his A class motor home back to the body builders for them to sort it out, it did take a while to find the source of the problem as he forgot to mention, it only plays up when it`s on site and plugged in, at the same time he would start the engine to "give it a run" .

Also if some one has been in and played with the coax cable or it`s connectors, you will have problems. That was last weeks special fault. God bless DIY radio fitters. Excuse the spelling I`am better with spanners and wires.
Post #362988 7th Oct 2014 8:27pm
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