GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: loz32 on 09 August 2011, 20:17
-
Just thought I'd share a tip with you guys:
I needed a new bee sting ariel and looked high and low, the only one I found was from a Bulgarian seller on ebay, he had good feedback, so I ordered it.
It looks exactly like my original one (all back) and comes with three different sized threads to bolt in the base, one of which fits my mk2 16V perfectly. Delivery only took 7 days too.
Heres the link:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120723674018&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
-
Did you try your VW dealership... about a fiver iirc
Thom
-
Did you try your VW dealership... about a fiver iirc
Thom
DOH! No Thom I didn't try them, purely because I figured something like that would be at least £40 from VW if they still sold it. I've not had much luck with parts from VW lately, for example they I tried them for an accelerator cable and they said they'd stopped selling them some time ago, so I bought a GEMO cable off ECP instead. Thanks for the tip! Still its nice to help the little guy on eBay, VW are rich enough from me already :smiley:
-
Don't ask. Don't get.
-
Did you try your VW dealership... about a fiver iirc
Thom
When I asked VW for one, they only had the current masts with the twirly wire around them, and they wanted £20 for it.
I got mine from an early Mk4 Astra from the breakers. Exactly the same as the original :cool:
-
Just asked my M8 who works or TPS & Holy Crap they are £70.00 Plus Vat...
871 035 503 ROOF AERIAL 70.00
-
Sorry for my ignorance, but will a replacement make my radio signal any better as it is currently rubbish :sick:
Thanks
-
Sorry for my ignorance, but will a replacement make my radio signal any better as it is currently rubbish :sick:
Thanks
+1
I think you need the base and not just the antenna..
-
It fixed my poor radio reception.
With the radio on, touch the mast so that you become the antenna. If the signal improves, you'll need a new mast.
As I said before, an early Mk4 Astra and certain French cars of the same sort of age seem to have masts that are as close to OEM as you could get. (there should be plenty in Tesco's car park :rolleyes:)
-
Sorry for my ignorance, but will a replacement make my radio signal any better as it is currently rubbish :sick:
Thanks
+1
I think you need the base and not just the antenna..
I thought it was a sealed unit?
-
My J reg 16V had an amplification circuit in the base, water had got in and ruined it and thus ruined my radio reception, my cheap solution was to cut out all the base stuff (like polystyrene) and cut out the circuit, then solder a wire to bridge the gap in the base from the input to the antenna output. This way you get fairly good radio reception but its not amplified, it works fine for radio 1 etc. though prob. not as good as with the amp circuit, I couldn't tell you it was before I owned the car that the water broke it.
-
Shameless plug:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300587757292&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300587757292&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT)
-
Sorry for my ignorance, but will a replacement make my radio signal any better as it is currently rubbish :sick:
Thanks
+1
I think you need the base and not just the antenna..
I thought it was a sealed unit?
It is a sealed unit kind of. If you've got problems with poor radio reception and you've eliminated connections in the front of the vehichle and head unit, this is what I did:-
1) Undo the screws that secure your roof lining in place, be careful here, mine was fine, but a friend said the boot lining can lose its shape and sag if you force it down too far.
2) Undo the bolt securing the antenna base to the roof, if I remember correctly there's an earthing washer that cuts into the metal of the body work, check this earth is good with a multimeter.
3) If you have a powered antenna base like mine you'll have a 2mm wire going to it as well as the coax cable, this supplies the current for the amp circuit (the negative comes from the car earth). You'll need to cut this wire and insulate the powered end of it once you've established that your amp circuit is blown. I think the coax cable has a connector not far from the antenna base.
4) There is a rubber base to the base of the unit, I can't remember how its attached but I remember this stage slowing me down, I did manage to prise it off eventually and cos its made of rubber and I was careful it still looks A1 back on the car.
5) Now you should see the polystyrene looking material that fills the base, its there to stop water getting into the amp circuit, you just gouge all this out until you can see the circuit.
6) My circuit looked visibly damaged, blackened in places I think
7) If I remember correctly I then just cut the circuit out with wire snips at the top and bottom, then I think the wire that connected to the bottom end of the circuit was long enough to bridge the gap to the top of the unit where I soldered it to the connector for the mast screw fitting completing its connection to the coax. So your removing the to wires I think to the amp circuit, and bridging a single wire connection for the coax (the signal cable)
This makes it basically like any passive bee sting antenna. ie it works ok but not as good as a standard 1M steel one.
but hey, who wants to replace their antenna every 6 months? :-)
-
Shameless plug:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300587757292&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300587757292&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT)
Sweet! Does the amplification circuit still work do you know? Is that your eBay account mate?
-
Yep it does work and yes that is my ebay account.
-
Yep it does work and yes that is my ebay account.
Bought it, lets hope the amp circuit gives even better reception :)
-
Just ordered one from Bulgaria on your recommendation...