Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2023 12:51:06 -0400
Reply-To: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Thoughts on antenna replacement
In-Reply-To: <CAFnDXk2mdAFck3hX3tf_C9U_v6gdPwZu2583LzZe7+r5KcCuGw@mail.gmail.com>
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Hi Jim,
My grommet fit around the antenna making a seal on the lower part. As my vans already had this style I don’t know if it was shaped by a PO or came with the van. It would be great if someone made a replacement as mine are looking pretty tired these days!
Eric Caron
> On Jul 1, 2023, at 12:21 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I have a related question to that grommet and the hole it was made for. Is there any reason to caulk or otherwise seal the hole once the grommet is removed and the antenna is installed?
>
> Jim
>
> On Sat, Jul 1, 2023 at 10:56 AM Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net <mailto:ericcaron96@comcast.net>> wrote:
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> The first time I did this replacement Ken Wilford, from Vanagain, talked me through it. It was either on the phone or over this list.
>>
>> I’m pretty sure you will find all busses have the lower access grommet, but I was told to take care of it as it was not easily replaced, at least that is my memory version.
>> All my busses had the inset version. I was replacing them do to being damaged. Most of the time mine live pushed down. I have a small rubber band that keeps it just a little up so I don’t have to use the special key to lift it up.
>> The one I purchased from Ken is still solid after 10 years.
>>
>> Eric Caron
>>
>>
>> > On Jul 1, 2023, at 9:27 AM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com <mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Mine came from bus depot. It came packaged with no branding other than the word “Antenna.” Quality seemed ok, what you would expect nowadays.
>> >
>> > I wondered myself if there was always a plugged lower hole for a fully retractable antenna in all models. I don’t know. I know I had to replace the antenna in the 1990 Carat I bought new, but the details of that replacement are lost in the mists of time.
>> >
>> > Jim
>> >
>> > Sent from my iPhone
>> >
>> >> On Jun 30, 2023, at 10:05 PM, Karl Ploessl <karl.ploessl@gmail.com <mailto:karl.ploessl@gmail.com>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Busdepot and others will have it: https://www.busdepot.com/fm09vh
>> >>
>> >>> On Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 11:00 PM Jeff Palmer <w.jeff.palmer@icloud.com <mailto:w.jeff.palmer@icloud.com>>
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> Is this the same for all years do you think? Would be interested in
>> >>> knowing where you got the antenna (P mail is fine!)
>> >>>
>> >>> Thanks
>> >>> Jeff
>> >>>
>> >>> Sent from my iPhone
>> >>>
>> >>>> On Jun 30, 2023, at 9:30 PM, Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@gmail.com <mailto:rogerwhitt1@gmail.com>>
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Awesome tip for those seeking advice
>> >>>>
>> >>>>> On Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 5:43 PM Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com <mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com>>
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> I recently ordered a fully retractable antenna for my 1983 westy. The
>> >>>>> others I have had over the years did not retract fully. They tore my car
>> >>>>> cover and got bent doing this and that, and I decided to go retractable.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> For those who have never fooled with such, think of the difference as
>> >>> this:
>> >>>>> if you consider the mount through the front of the car, the sheet
>> >>> metalwith
>> >>>>> the hole that the antennainstalls through as "ground level," the
>> >>> standard
>> >>>>> antenna lives 100% above ground. Beneath the sheet metal, under the
>> >>> dash,
>> >>>>> there is nothing but the cable to the radio. Everything telescopes into
>> >>> the
>> >>>>> six or eight inches of aerial protruding above the mounting point.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> The fully retractable antenna, on the other hand, lives "below ground
>> >>>>> level." That is, everything telescopes into a tube that hangs down from
>> >>> the
>> >>>>> mounting point, all stored within the underdash area of the car. Almost
>> >>>>> nothing sticks out on top.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> The problem you will encounter making this switch is that there is not
>> >>>>> enough room to fit the underground part of the aerial between the big
>> >>> front
>> >>>>> stiffener (that runs behind the grill on the interior of the car) and
>> >>> the
>> >>>>> sheet metal it protrudes up through. But not to worry! VW, even on my
>> >>> old
>> >>>>> 1983, put a rectangular rubber grommet in place in a hole in the top of
>> >>> the
>> >>>>> big front stiffener, exactly below the hole in the front sheet metal.
>> >>> Ths
>> >>>>> hole allows the antenna to extend down through the rectangular hole,
>> >>> once
>> >>>>> the plug is removed, and give the "underground" part of the aerial a
>> >>> place
>> >>>>> to live.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Probably everybody but me knew that the rubber grommet and the hole was
>> >>>>> there to allow the installation of a fully retractable antenna, but in
>> >>> case
>> >>>>> not, I'm letting you know how it is possible to install one.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Jim
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> --
>> >>>> roger whittaker 604.414.6266
>> >>>>
>> >>>> ----------------------------------------------------------
>> >>>> PR MARINE SURVEYORS &
>> >>>> http://www.tvthatworks.com <http://www.tvthatworks.com/>
>> >>>> http://www.tvpowellriver.com <http://www.tvpowellriver.com/>
>> >>>> LinkedIn -
>> >>>>
>> >>>> - ca.linkedin.com/pub/roger-whittaker/14/78a/b71/Explore <http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/roger-whittaker/14/78a/b71/Explore> printed work
>> >>> at:
>> >>>> http://www.prliving.ca/
>> >>>> View the growing list of video work at:
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>> >>>> http://vimeo.com/42309497
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>> http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2010/11/29/multimedia/video/doc4c62e5f80d228504902172.txt
>> >>>
>>
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