Aerial - is it worth bothering with one?

Hi, I have had a nice new front panel fitted to my bus and an am deliberating of I should fit an aerial or not. I like the option of the radio as it is good to listen to the footy scores and for traffic alerts or local news. There are the odd good shows too. However, with DAB around is it worth fitting an aerial or will it be redundant soon. I don't want to drill holes in my bus if this is the case. I have heard there are internal aerials that can be fitted but are they any good?

 

In a word.

yes

I had a new face put on and had the aerial put back also.

It is needed to be honest

 

Put one on the front bulge its the best place, I wish mine was there. Fit an electric Hershman I did on my last Bay worked a treat.

 

Sacrilege! I've got the same dilemma with my new front panel, and I wont even drill holes for the main badge!

There's decent enough screen mount aerials to get round the radio issue.

 

You use to be able to buy an aerial that's amplified and sticks to the inside of the screen. I had one on my Citroën GS and it worked ok. Bought it from Halfords though we are talking nearly 17 years ago.

 

Here you go. Checkout eBay searching for "car inside aerial" I can't link eBay url's on the iPhone.

 

I've got one like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Internal-Glass-Windscreen-Mount-Amlified-in-Car-Aerial-Antenna-High-Quality-/270818887409?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0e1046f1

Works fine

 

Try www.dabonwheels.co.uk they have loads of internal glass mount amplified aerials and they are all rated for reception quality!

 

Definately get an internal one. I bought mine from halfords I think but it work's brilliantly and gets excellent reception. The only issue is getting the wires down to the back of the radio. If you are still doing your bus then get the aerial now and feed the wires down inside the A pillar. They will also be tucked under the headlining when that goes back in. Neat - Tidy - Vandalproof - and no holes in the front to go rusty. Job Done.

 

If anyone really wants to drill their front panel i have a stainless aerial going free if anyone wants it. I have decided against drilling my front panel. got the drill out and everything but just couldnt do it. Felt like i was about to drill a hole in my own head.

 

I found internal DAB screen aerials to be a bit flakey in poor reception areas (still quite common). I have a screen mount external aerial on the Navara that needs no holes - sticks on the inside and then the antenna sticks on the outside. This works much better, nearly as well as a proper external DAB aerial.

I have all 3 types on different vehicles at the moment, and predicably the order of quality (high to low) is proper external mount, external screen mount and internal screen mount. However, there isn't much in it between the 2 external types whereas there is a big performance difference between the internal screen mount and the others.

 

Well, I bought a standard external aerial to fit on the front panel. Before drilling any holes I tried it inside the bus and it worked fine tucked high up inside the dash running from one side to the other (it runs the full width of the bus). It's been there ever since and works fine. You can't see it when sat in the cab, and I get good reception with no interference.

 

Bettys son works for japanese firm that makes stick on and in glass aerials , as mine is already fitted outside i havnt taken up his offer to try one of theirs but they sound good if you dont want to drill etc.

 

i didn't have an aerial put back on and went for an internal glass mounted one.... boggin' thing doesn't get any reception and now i can't get the stereo to work with my ipod :arrggh:

need to get it sorted soon as possible otherwise i just worry about engine noise or have to sing.... neither are very pleasant