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A Pillar Trim - Photos of how I fitted my DAB glass antenna


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Hi Everyone :wave:

About a month ago I bought a Lupo S and I'm just about to fit a new DAB stereo with the glass mount aerial.

I see there are no trim panels on the A frame but there does seem to be a small trim strip between the A frame and the windscreen. It seems to be glued on. Is it safe to peel this off, run my aerial cable behind it and reattach, or is it really not meant to be removed and I could damage something?

Many thanks, I will post some photos of the car soon but it needs a few bits first

Edited by stator
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Personally, I wouldn't ever consider a glass mounted aerial. They're messy. Check out this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kinetic-DAA-7001-FM-AM-to-DAB-FM-AM-car-aerial-splitter-adaptor-/110838254211?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item19ce798a83

These have excellent reviews on the Internet. I don't know what your Lupo looks like, but if you got a stubby aerial, switch it back to the OEM aerial as the point is that it needs as much length as possible. Found this review on the Internet:

I've gone the Kinetic route and am very pleased. Bought a Kenwood off EBay with wiring adapter and stick on aerial and I realised straight away that I wouldn't be happy with it.

I also found a 36 cm replacement screw in roof antenna, which can be positioned vertically for best DAB reception.

But beware, you have to check 12 v power feeds (yellow ignition switched, and red feed from battery in my adapter). Mine were wired the wrong way round to the Kenwood plug, so presets weren't retained on switch off. Fortunately red and yellow wires had bullet connectors so I just needed to change connectors to red / yellow. Phew!

I get strong DAB signal most of the time in West Wales, with occasional few second drop outs in tricky locations - which is probably best I can hope for. iPod USB functionality is great.

I also put in upgraded speakers (with wiring adapters) from City Bug Store. Not surprisingly they are better than originals (which must have cost about 20p each). Just a bit of plastic grille underside trimming needed.

So all done with no wire cutting or major mods. I'm not brave enough to add more speakers!

Peter R (Pippy)

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What I was thinking of doing was bringing the wire up through the left tweeter hole and behind the angle trim I'm talking about, going all the way up, then coming across underneath/above the ceiling fabric and then fixing it half way along, with the ground tag sticking to the metal frame under the fabric, the box might also fit under there too, then the actual aerial would just be the tiny bit of stick on film onto the windscreen. I don't think anyone would notice it at all since it would be in the same area as the rear view mirror.

But I tried to take the passenger side lower dash off this morning and failed, why do they make these things so hard to take apart! I found it was joined to the centre lower dash and that would all have to come off before I could get the passenger lower dash off. What a nightmare!

I've currently got the aerial wound up in the small cubby hole under the single DIN stereo, so will leave it there for a while. Works ok where I live, probably won't work great when I'm on the road.

Pete: The only way I can see of mounting it on the rear passenger windows would be to bring it up the B pillar, but I can't see anywhere to hide it their either? Not sure I understood you.

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lol, you're very brave :)

If it was me, I'd have jumped at the opportunity of one of those adapter things that use the aerial :D :D :D

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Impatient rather than brave :)

Well, I did it! After I found on this forum how to remove the passenger air vent (just pull it) I found the tweeter cable, did a cable pull. Threaded a cord from the stereo compartment to the vent from underneath the dash and the pulled the aerial from the air vent to the stereo. I managed to shoe horn the cable behind the A pillar trim so it's invisible.

Sorry for the awful photos, it's a crap phone camera I'm afraid.

aerialmount.jpg

shoehorn.jpg

This is the process of shoe horning it in, once done the cable is completely hidden (That's a bathroom sealant tool, great for avoiding leaving marks)

tweeter.jpg

cablepull.jpg

I think you were right though, it doesn't look great if you notice it. At least you can't see the cable anywhere though.

dabaerial.jpg

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