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MG MGB Technical - BGT aerial

Folks, I have a dilemma. The BGT (73) has been away for ages having all traces of tinworm excised; priming and painting very soon. So my mind has turned to niceties, such as whether to stick with the original (I think)type and location of aerial above the windscreen, centred; or whether anyone has found something else that works better. I'm fitting a brand new Webasto sunroof as part of the exercise, because I just love the look of that style, especially against the Glacier White body colour.But I'd welcome any thoughts on aerial location and also effectiveness. I do listen to MW radio here in the wilds of North Queensland, so an old-fashioned aerial is actually something I want to have and to work as well as possible.Look forward to your thoughts. Regards, John .
J.P. Hall

John,
Middle of the rear - am/fm amplified stub - works well.
Roger

Roger W

Some people have thought that theheated rear screen wiring could also be used as an arial.
Sandy
ss sanders

It can - my Jubilee GT has an isolator gizmo that turns the rear screen element into an aerial - works well.

Chris at Octarine Services

Gizmo? Chris, now you're just getting way too technical for me. RAY
rjm RAY

Yep - apparently Ford Sierras have them (for UK peeps)- http://www.marklamond.co.uk/tech-honda/electrical/aerial-amp/aerial-amp.htm
Chris at Octarine Services

My GT came with a aerial mounted to the passenger front windshield post. It retracts so it is just above the height of he roof. Works great and is barely visible. Passenger can extend it by reaching out the window.

Here is a picture

Bruce Cunha

My GT came with a post antenna mounted on the passenger side of the windshield post. It works well and is not as visible. Passenger can extend the antenna if needed.


Bruce Cunha

Well now ... not a lot of support for the look/function of the original, then! Thank you all for comments so far. The obvious drawback of the original location would be the route of the cable - under the headlining,down the a-pillar under trim and then out under the dash.Thus if you need to replace a damaged aerial, quite an exercise. I like the sound of the "gizmo" to which Chris refers; might follow that up; but I'm still haunted by a desire to have the car look "right", and so can anyone tell me whether all or most aerials fitted at manufacture were the rooftop centre type? Many thanks - John.
J.P. Hall

Generally the aerials were fitted on the left hand wing ( away from the ignition ) - whether by the factory as optional equipment on early cars or later as accessories by the dealerships.

I have never seen a GT in the UK with an aerial on the roof...
Chris at Octarine Services

Hi Chris

Here is a pic of the aerial on the roof. I don't know the history of my car so It could have been fitted anytime.

Ronnie

RA Potter

as Chris has put, retractable on front wing
Nigel Atkins

I have a stainless steel Bosch unit that disappears into the fender. It is raised using a special forked key. RAY
rjm RAY

there were various 'keys', forked and circular - the only time they were truly locked down safely was when you were driving and then put the radio on to find you'd forgotten to raise the aerial before getting into the car and driving off
Nigel Atkins

Go electric - fits under the front wing behind the splash panel. Mine's on the right, but then it's a V8 with most of the ignition on the left. With the aerial on the other side of the inner wing and with the cable going directly into the cabin i.e. not via the engine compartment radiated ignition interference shouldn't be a problem anyway.
Paul Hunt

JPH - Arn't you into satellite radio down-under ?
Roger W

Now we're getting somewhere - I'm leaning towards retractable electric, on nearside wing. Paul, do you mean route the cable straight through the inner wing into the footwell, hiding behind the footwell trim and sent discreetly up behind the dash? By the way, a p.o. had put speakers in the footwell/inner wing, thus inviting gallons of water to enter and sit quietly for however long. Those 6" holes have now been welded shut! I'll give some thought to whether I prefer manually switched or auto up/down aerial, but for now thank you all very much for taking the time to comment. What a great convocation of enthusiasts - I shall continue to lurk! John.
PS - satellite what ...?
J.P. Hall

Have a look / feel up on the top of the left hand inner wing panel - there should be a grommet in a hole ready to take the aerial wire.
Chris at Octarine Services

My GT came with a Gizmo type of antenna,but I always thought it was connected to body via a DC blocker/RF bypass condenser.I never thought it could have been connected to rear screen heater.On my rdstr, I use an electric telescopic retractable antenna on the passenger side front wing.I opted for a semi-automatic type as one can control it's height rather than having it stick up like a flag pole. Barrie E
B Egerton

JP - yes, as Chris says there is (or should be) already a hole there, as indicated here on someone else's installation.

Incidentally you have to be careful where you drill the hole, if you are too close to the seam it will be above the box section where the harness and accelerator cable (on the right-hand side anyway) go through to the cabin. Mine is a bout 4.25" in from the vertical up taken up the outside of the wing, i.e. about half-way round the curve at the top of the wing, as here http://www.paulhunt73.webspace.virginmedia.com/mgb-stuff/images/aerial7.jpg

Paul Hunt

Yup - found the original hole and grommet in the inner wing panel, in fact on both sides. I wonder whether that was done at manufacture? Thanks Paul for the detail, which I will follow for sure: and I like Barrie's idea of semi-automatic, for half-mast option.John.
J.P. Hall

Good advice from everyone.

My only observation is that mounting the aerial on the nearside wing on a uk car does make it a bit vulnerable to overhanging branches and breakages.


Afraid I'm just about old enough to recall fitting aerials to BL cars in the 80's and we always fitted them on the LH front wing unless some difficult customer asked for a roof mounted one, not a popular job on most models!


SR Smith 1

"My only observation is that mounting the aerial on the nearside wing on a uk car does make it a bit vulnerable to overhanging branches and breakages."
- and naughty pedestrians.

Brian Shaw

Ah, Brian, you're so right! I visited friends in Kent a number of years ago, taking my beloved B roadster for a spin ( I worked in "The City" at the time). Got up in the morning, and the telescopic aerial was lying flat against the wing. Hence my interest in a powered retractable job in future!John.
J.P. Hall

Hi John, I have a rubber B and a PO drilled out the front right hand guard for an aerial which was then blanked off. Just after purchase I fitted a power aerial purchased from Super Cheap. It was very easy to fit and has worked well for years. Use the photo to work out the location of the hole. If you have problems email me and I will try to take measurements. Ken

K Stuckey

Hi there Ken - thanks for that. Yours looks fine, and we now have an SCA in Atherton, so I'll have a look. Where in Qld are you? Is it a trick of the light, or is there evidence of another hole just offset from the aerial location? Good wishes, John.
J.P. Hall

This thread was discussed between 16/02/2014 and 23/02/2014

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