Technical damn kids!

[kybadog29]

The charming children in the close where I live decided that the car would look better if the aerial was snapped off at the base and did so by bouncing a football off the roof........after thanking them with an ancient anglo saxon salutation I had to figure out how to replace it.I found a direct replacement on ebay but then found this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FIAT-BARCHETTA-CINQUECENTO-MAREA-STILO-Shark-Fin-Aerial-/280467008420?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item414d22eba4
(sorry tinyurl don't work on the craptop)there's a few things that worry me 1.It says 12v on the front(why does an aerial need to be powered?)
2.The connection lead is only 15cm long ,so what/how do I plug it in(to)?
3.The separate lead underneath which is described as the "LIVE" lead is even shorter-it goes into the base ,there's a circuit board inside and the other end of the lead comes out of the board(via a a marked position 12v)and goes into the top of the aerial housing where it ends as a bare wire taped to the inside of the housing
As the title says it fits a cinquecento so any clues as to what I do next would be appreciated(even if its send it back and buy the normal one!)



Incidentally when I tried to review the post the forum logged me out and came up with the usual carp about me trying to access admin controls (which is also carp and is usually down to lazy coding!!!!!!!!)

 

[Nathan126]

I think it needs power due to it being amplified, because of the fact it has a really short antennae. You'd need to run off a link feed from your interior light/festoon light to the antennae and run the cable to your head unit down through the pillars; sounds too fiddly and too much work for me..

I'd just go buy one from a scrappy, i'm unsure if cinq/sei are the same.. would be worth checking

 

[kybadog29]

It just goes to show how lazy I've got ,I never even thought of going to a scrappy and went straight to ebay!

I'll try the suggestion about the feed and get one of these from Maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1051
and it should work.

 

[rallycinq]

Don't be surprised after all the faffing about if reception is not as good as with the old stick aerial.

Cheers

SPD

 

[BlueDan]

I'd just go buy one from a scrappy, i'm unsure if cinq/sei are the same.. would be worth checking

Ariel and base is different between my R reg Cinq (late on Cinq/Sei hybrid-ish) and earlier models.

 

[craigb244]

yup id just fit a standard aerial. cant imagine that thing working well at all.
even with a built in signal booster... "sh!t in, Sh!t out"

 

[Fiatseicento2002]

i lost my aerial only the top bit soo being lazy i went to halfrauds and got a stubby one stupid thing wont pick up a thing luckly i dont use the radio soo its only relli there to stop water damage and to look pretty

 

[Todger182]

i lost my aerial only the top bit soo being lazy i went to halfrauds and got a stubby one stupid thing wont pick up a thing luckly i dont use the radio soo its only relli there to stop water damage and to look pretty

Smoothing mine off, don't use it, so don't see a point (one less hole to leak through aswell )

I can locate the areial internally anyway, but if you don't spend money on a decent one you won't get a good signal at all.

Thanks

 

[kybadog29]

warning:don't buy one of these ,you may think they look "cool" but it doesn't work.The local station drifts(and the transmitter is only 12 miles away!) and that's it everything else is non-existent...plus I now have an 18mm hole in the roof!

 

[purf]

Doh!

I fitted a cheapo normal type aerial i got from ebay and it didnt work well at all. So i have ended up with a piece of thin wire running round the sunroof/headlining seal and it works very well!

Use silcone when fitting the aerial too, to avoid leaks.