Date:         Fri, 3 May 2002 22:41:37 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Power Antenna How To (No VendorWhining) Warning: Has Tech Content!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Frankly, I think Tom should demand a minimum age requirement for posting
here. I suggest at least 18.  As my mother used to say "Son, everyone gets
wet in a pissing contest." Note for those with virgin ears, its a quote!
Clearly this business thing is not for me. If a so-called customer dissed me
in public, without giving me a chance to reply, I would never do business
with him again. With the attacks he gets (probably self-induced with the
misguided save the earth thing) on this list, I probably would have folded
the caper and found a real day job.

But back to the issue at hand: Power antennas. (As I indicated in my warning
header, this will be a factual discussion with no vendor aspersions or
allocades. If this is disquieting, please exercise your delete key. Now!)

Welcome back.

Many years ago, when Joel was young, I was younger, and the freshly born list
was in its first home and simply stuffed with technical discussion (as
opposed to personal), he published a list of things he had done to his
Vanagon. I was fascinated. I went outside stared at my faithful steed and
realized that the stigma of newness had evaporated (along with the warranty
and the deep psychological injunction against modifications). I stared at the
GD retractable antenna. I flashed quickly through my charmed experiences
diving through car washes to push it down, searching for the key to pull it
up, noting the later hole in my pockets caused by that GD key on my key ring.
Suddenly a flash of light and the long train of modifications was begun.
(Actually, I had installed the auxiliary fuel tank before this point, but I
personally had not pierced my steed's flanks. I paid the vet instead).  That
weekend, armed with Joel's model numbers and Brand pronouncements, I was off
on my search.

Well it quickly resolved that I could locate nothing of which he spoke either
in LA or on the internet (smaller place then. Gore was just getting started
with his internet thoughts!).  So I proceeded to study the problem (the sharp
angle of the cowling). I removed the grill, then the driver's side headlight,
then the antenna, I removed the locking components from the mast (plastic
upper piece, cast pig metal lower piece) and went off to the variety of
stereo shops in the LA basin. You know the obvious drill. Talk to counter
person, refuse to tell him what vehicle you are going to use it on, then
demand to see his power antennas, strip off the mounting bits and check my
mounting hardware to see if it fit.

As it turned out, two antennas fit. One from Hirschmann (said custom made for
the Volkswagen Vanagon on the side of the box) and one from Harada. The
Harada unit was the MX-6B and the side of the box said custom made for: then
listed Toyotas, Nissans, GM vehicles, etc, etc. The Harada was $54.95, the
Hirschmann was $385. I scooped up the Harada box and was on my way.
Confronting my noble steed, I soon realized that a modest amount of
liposuction was to be required. I modified the access hole (top of headlight
bay) to generate an oblong hole to let me pass the top of the stem through.
Job essentially done. I wired the power leads as appropriate to my stereo
radio (neat Concord unit I installed in Germany 42 hours after taking
delivery). Sure enough, turn the radio on, the antenna goes up, turn it off
and it goes down.

OK, all's well for many years until one or more members of a Neanderthaloid
subspecies decided to abscond with my stereo system. Cutting the cables to
the CD changer, everything else and the antenna lead. I tried to patch the
damage ... build coax couplers etc. Aargh, I still had an alternator whine
and intermittent signal strength. So last night I decided to again review the
installation by removing the Harada. Today, I found that Pep Boy's still
sells the MX-6B but now for $59.95. However, the antenna lead is not
replaceable in this model. I found a universal kit by AntennaWorks in their
Proline series that has a replaceable antenna lead for $69.95 at the LA chain
Al & Ed's Autosound. Model number 44-PW22B. Just put it in. Works famously!
Same deal as before. Used the mounting hardware from the VW original antenna,
put it on this one and in it went. I also run a strut on the base to get the
angle of the mast perpendicular to the roof within 1 or 2 seconds. $69.95.
Worth it to me. Nothing difficult. Just have to realize that the simians
don't have it in their catalog as fitting the Vanagon.

Hope this helps someone else.

Frank Grunthaner

BTW, Alistair Bell has reproduced Joel's original list on his website for the
surfer-unimpaired among you one and all.