SVX Stereo gurus... TWO antenna leads?

I just yanked my (aftermarket) head unit out of the car for the first time to wire up some component speakers to replace the blown ones....


All of that seems straightforward... my problem is the antenna leads. The shop that put this head unit in originally apparently cut and spliced the antenna system together, leaving one of the coax leads chopped off and unused.

Does anyone know why there are two antenna leads and how I can take advantage of them? I'd like to rewire this properly, I've been getting really terrible radio reception.

Thanks for your help!

[Seraph]

The stock system has what they call diversity tuning. One that come out and another one in the back of the car right above the defroster. It can use either or, depending on which one is picking up the frequency better. I want to open it up and use the one for the windshield for the radio and the one the comes out for my scanner.

L

So... if I resplice and combine the signal leads I should theoretically have more antenna area...? I know this works with home tuners, is it advisable in an auto?

I'm a home audio guru, not an expert in the car audio stuff....

You would be best off getting an antenna Y adapter, and plugging the two factor leads into that. Then run a cable from that to the headunit. Good luck!

Mike

[kuoh]

Perhaps the original installer mistakenly wiried the radio to the in glass instead of the mast antenna? Parallel wiring both antennae to a tuner may not improve the signal any if it was already on the mast antenna.

KuoH

[Aredubjay]

Unless your new unit has "diversity tuning" you'd be better off to use the single lead to the mast antenna. The system is designed to work similar to a Local/Distance switch on some units, without having to do a manual switch. Diversity tuning allows the unit to automatically switch between the mast and windshield antennas depending on signal strength. Without a unit that takes advantage of that system (ie: automatically switches the signal) the benefits are lost. Stick with the mast for best reception for a non-diverse system.

Well, all I had to go with was bare wire, as the original ends had been cut off... so I spliced everything together, both leads into the common antenna plug.

Voila! I have awesome radio reception again. Very cool. I just went with the "dummy" route.

Now to figure out how to mount normal speakers in these freakish door panels...

[Subafreak]

So was it hooked up to any antenna before? When I put my radio in I hooked it up to the male plug. Anyone know witch one goes to witch antenna? My radio reception is rather dissapointing.

[Chicane]

Originally posted by Porter
Well, all I had to go with was bare wire, as the original ends had been cut off... so I spliced everything together, both leads into the common antenna plug.

Voila! I have awesome radio reception again. Very cool. I just went with the "dummy" route.

Now to figure out how to mount normal speakers in these freakish door panels...

What's freakish about them? They take normal 6.5s...

- Ca$h

Screw holes are set about 8", plus the stock speaker is this bizarre metal contraption that extends the unit from the door about 1".

I may have to go fabricate an adapter for this thing out of MDF or something.

I'll have to go by a shop and see if these will work:

http://www.scosche.com/scosche/speakers/SAT6.asp




P.S. - There is a diversity antenna adapter that will plug into your stock wires and combine them into one plug... this is essentially what I did by splicing them together. It seems to work well so far. I'll let you know once the system is all installed and running.

[Seraph]

The mounts are a pain. I just drill them out for my purpose and used a small layer of dynomat between the speaker and the drilled out mount.

L