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Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??

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Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#1
  This topic is about my 1967 MG MGB GT Special
55-60MG4KM Avatar
55-60MG4KM Keith Meyer
Corvallis, OR, USA   USA
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1955 MG TF 1500
1960 MG MGA 1600
1967 MG MGB GT Special
1969 MG MGC
I'm in the final stages of my 1967 MGB GT restoration. I have the orginal AM radio and speaker that a electronics buddy went through and got working well. I replaced the orginal smashed and trashed front fenders with two new BMH fenders. I really do not want to drill a hole in the passenger fender. Has anyone had any success with a hidden antenna? If so can you pass on the brand and model information? I've been looking on the internet and have read as many bad results as good ones. I have also noted that several antennas, although advertised as AM/FM, reportedly do not work well with AM signals. I am thinking of placing the antenna under the dash as I have a new dash cover in place, new front glass, new headliner and can't get my head around drilling holes and/or running wires through or over any or all of these areas.


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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#2
bleteaches6 Avatar
bleteaches6 Silver Member Lee Orphan
Bonney Lake, WA, USA   USA
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1956 MG MGA 1500
1974 MG MGB GT
1974 MG MGB GT
1979 MG MGB Limited Edition (LE)    & more
What some have done is place the antenna under the dash. You put the mast in a vinyl tube to prevent it from grounding and tie it to the bar that runs horizontally across the cabin. Somewhere on the forum is a picture from, I think, Peter C. I hope this suggestion gives you some ideas.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#3
Gerry Avatar
Gerry Gerry Masterman
Prairieville, LA, USA   USA
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A MGB sounds too good to drown it out with a radio. Nothing decent on either band here anyway. Satellite radio is the way to go if you just have to have radio. A unit that will accept a digital input is way better. Maybe just an amp and speakers that will take a usb input?

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#4
Steven 67GT Avatar
Steven 67GT Steven Rechter
Jackson & Markleeville, CA, USA   USA
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1975 MG MGB
In reply to # 3706777 by bleteaches6 What some have done is place the antenna under the dash.

That may work for extremely strong local stations but will never be usable when traveling, especially in a GT with a metal roof and steel dash.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#5
Cruisedon66 Avatar
Cruisedon66 Pete W
St. Louis, MO, USA   USA
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1976 MG MGB
I like post #3.
This one mounts under the dash. I have dealt with Crutchfield for years. Very good company!

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_068HPA1/RetroSound-HPA-1-antenna.html?tp=2569&awkw=75640840105&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=47641144705&awdv=c&awug=9015730&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuoy30IGS2gIVkTqBCh2xug8XEAQYBCABEgJgxfD_BwE

https://mechanicguides.com/best-hidden-car-radio-antenna/ 6 Best Hidden Car Antennas

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#6
GMB3 Avatar
GMB3 George Badger
Soquel, CA, USA   USA
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1965 Jaguar E-Type Coupe "1QUICK E"
1968 MG MGB "1QUICK B"
Radio waves, aka RF, or the scary EMF do not go through metal well. AM reception requires larger antennas, the waves are very long. FM has shorter waves and might bounce around the cockpit, finally finding the antenna at a highly attenuated level.

You might look at what modern cars use. OTG antennas are compromise that seem to work OK for FM and just barely for AM.

Sat radio, as Gerry stated is a good choice though I disagree with him on good AM/FM content, depends on your market, is easy. The antenna is a little puck, typically with a magnetic bottom, you can stick on the dash. I have mine outside on the cowl where it talks back into the radio's antenna on the FM band. On the other side is the GPS antenna for my GPS disciplined speedo. But they both could be inside on the dash like my Saab, which is under a dash cover.


---
GEO

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#7
Steven 67GT Avatar
Steven 67GT Steven Rechter
Jackson & Markleeville, CA, USA   USA
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1975 MG MGB
In reply to # 3706846 by Cruisedon66 I like post #3.
This one mounts under the dash.

Try this test:

Take a portable AM radio, tune it to a station while outside of your car and then tuck it up underneath your dash to see if it still works.

It you still manage to get a weakened signal, start the engine. The ignition noise will probably drown out what was left of the signal.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#8
TxBrit Avatar
TxBrit Rodger M
Fort Worth, TX, USA   USA
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1954 MG TF "Old Sod ***Sold***"
1969 MG MGB "Old Yeller ***Sold***"
1974 Triumph TR6 "Old Blue ** SOLD**"
I used one of those stubby antennas and put it under the dash, works pretty well.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#9
ls1ac Avatar
ls1ac scott sommer
bristol , Englewood, wi , Fl, USA   USA
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When I had only AM I had a thin wire held in place around the top of the windscreen by a quarter inch piece of clear tape, when I put in an AM/FM I used a dipole across the top of the back window. There was some directionality with the dipole and weak stations.
At that time I was courting a girl in Troy NY and finishing school in Iowa City, long drive every two weeks. Got smart and married her, still have both the car and wife.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#10
tvrgeek Scott S
Hillsborough, North Carolinia, USA   USA
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1973 Triumph Stag
They work sort of, but understand basic physics says you need a 56 inch vertical whip with ground plane for an omni directional AM antenna. For FM, same thing but 31 inches. So ugly as they may be, fender antennas are the best for reception. Any horizontal antenna will be directional. There is plenty of room behind the front splash guard for an electric retractable antenna. Modern cars share the shark-fin with the cell and GPS antennas with amplified stubby antennas. Piss-poor reception as they assume you are listening to your iPhone anyway, though I am amazed how well my GTI pulls in stations.

So it depends on where you are, strengths of stations, what you want and to some extent quality of the radio.


Cogito ergo sum periculoso

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#11
Simon Avatar
Simon Simon Clowes
Scappoose, OR, USA   USA
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An hidden antenna inside any car is a waste of time and effort. The body screens most of the RF signal and prevents proper reception. Having said that, there used to be an antenna you could apply like a decal to the glass work. The wires were small enough that even on a front screen it did not obscure the view. Not sure if the still exist but may be worth looking for. On the BGT I'd apply it to thr tailgate.


99 Ford Expedition called Endora.

No matter the question, the answer is 42.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#12
Cornfgl Avatar
Cornfgl Graham Cornford
Bellville, TX, USA   USA
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1974 MG MGB GT V8 "Goose Poop"
Keith,

Not sure if this type has been covered, but my antenna is attached to my MGB GT, behind the rear view mirror, by way of double sided tape, and overall is about 11" wide by 3/8". The leads are up behind the rubber windshield seal and are not seen. The antenna itself is barely seen, and reception for vhf and am is good, and it was only about $20.

Not exactly hidden, but very unobtrusive.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#13
davester Avatar
davester Dave Diamond
Berkeley, California, USA   USA
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1965 Austin-Healey Sprite
1971 MG MGB GT "Dad's Car"
Not quite what you were looking for, but there's a device that allows you to plug your iPod/iPhone/satellite radio etc directly into the antenna jack. Here it is, available in both positive and negative ground configurations: https://redirad.com/products/redirad-am-n

It won't let you get radio directly through the airwaves, but you can listen to either prerecorded or streamed content. I consider that a good thing, since there's nothing but garbage on most am radio anyway.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#14
Steven 67GT Avatar
Steven 67GT Steven Rechter
Jackson & Markleeville, CA, USA   USA
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1975 MG MGB
In reply to # 3707076 by davester Not quite what you were looking for, but there's a device that allows you to plug your iPod/iPhone/satellite radio etc directly into the antenna jack. Here it is, available in both positive and negative ground configurations: https://redirad.com/products/redirad-am-n

The redirad am modulator is your best option Keith. You can stream any content you want into your classic radio.

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Re: Hidden Radio Antenna Suggestions / Reccomendations ??
#15
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BFC Silver Member Ben Clark
Saugatuck, MI, USA   USA
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1980 MG MGB "The Brown One"
1980 MG MGB MkIV "K1LR B"
I got the retrosound hidden antenna because I hate having the fender antenna right in the driver's field of vision on the left. I have not found a place to mount the retrosound antenna where I get "great" reception, but I would say it's adequate. For instance, I get pretty good reception while driving around, but can't listen to several of my normal FM stations when the car is in my metal pole barn - even with the garage doors open.

The retrosound antenna does have a power lead and its possible I'm not getting power to it, causing the weaker reception, but I don't listen to the radio a ton anyway. Mostly Bluetooth from my phone or the sound of the engine. smiling smiley


I don't know. It's always smoked like that/made that sound/done that.

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