VANAGON archives -- July 2023, week 1 (#10)

Date:         Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:38:43 +0000
Reply-To:     Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Thoughts on antenna replacement
In-Reply-To:  <460000380.694073.1688229402735@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 I once had the privilege of designing rides for Walt Disney, at EPCOT.  The overall motto there was:  If in doubt, make it stout.  These guys are 100% on top of reliability and maintenance.
I also worked for McDonnell/Douglas, now Boeing.  Same thing....one jet falls out of the sky....huge ramifications.
I also have worked designing stuff in the Medical Device world....again, same thing....it's gotta work each and every time.  Huge liability and company-crushing if not so.  Human lives are at stake.

And I am sort of familiar with consumer products, like computer printers and whatnot.  At this point, the standards are significantly lowered.  And even with a car....heck...you've got some kind of warranty, right?  And it clearly states the terms on that warranty.  So you buy it.  But don't expect those poor designers to provide something that you didn't pay for.  They will do the best they can.  The rest is up to you.





    On Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 09:36:55 AM PDT, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  
 
  I think so.  When car manufacturers go to work, they design and build stuff to last for 10 years, for airplanes design life is typically 30 years.  If it's not absolutely required for function, why spend the money?  So, they don't.  We on the other hand almost 40 years later, have to deal with it.  It's like I previously posted about electrical connections and necessary protection.

    On Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 09:21:45 AM PDT, 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> 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> 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>
> 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
> >
> >>> 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>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Awesome tip for those seeking advice
> >>>>
> >>>>> On Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 5:43 PM Jim Felder <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.tvpowellriver.com
> >>>> LinkedIn -
> >>>>
> >>>> - 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:
> >>>> http://www.youtube.com/user/LastonLastof#g/u
> >>>> http://vimeo.com/42309497
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2010/11/29/multimedia/video/doc4c62e5f80d228504902172.txt
> >>>
>
>

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