power antenna [Archive]

dixie

06-29-2003, 21:33

If you don't like you're antenna to go up when you're playing a cd or a cassette,I found a simple sollution:
Cut the pink wire with a white stripe located behind the drivers seat at the floor and put a switch between it and the problem is solved,hope I can help someone......

tomc92bb000059

06-29-2003, 23:38

That sounds great, as my antenna goes up and down every time I switch out CD's. (aftermarket, assuming that has something to do with it) Tried disabling the antenna totally, but I lose too many radio stations. This sounds like the way to go.
Can you post a pic of your setup?

Thanks,

Tom

dixie

06-30-2003, 08:44

You can't see the color off the wire but i's pink with a white stripe (you can see this wire also at the antenne itself) just cut it in two and place a switch between it (I placed the switch in the dash) and you have full control of your antenna.......

Taj

06-30-2003, 13:12

Great tip!!

How did you find out about this trick? It must be the hot wire to power the antenna. I did unplug the antenna connector in the trunk and reception was terrible. Now I need to find a switch and the location to mount the switch. Could you partially raise and lower the antenna?

Thanks,
Taj

dixie

06-30-2003, 13:54

I don't like the antenne,it's to big and I wanted a sollution so I did some surging and maybe I was lucky but you can not raise the antenna partially ,it's up or down.......Maybe someone else can?????
Greetings from europe......

06-30-2003, 14:30

I remember the older Accords (86-89) had a power antenna switch. It works just like a power window, you can raise or lower the antenna to whatever height you want!

nsxtasy

06-30-2003, 18:33

Originally posted by tomc92bb000059
my antenna goes up and down every time I switch out CD's. (aftermarket, assuming that has something to do with it) Tried disabling the antenna totally, but I lose too many radio stations.

Here is a better way to go:
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Accessories/smartenna.htm

tomc92bb000059

07-01-2003, 21:50

Yes, great for those with factory head units, according to the installation instructions. Will it work with an aftermarket system?

D'Ecosse

04-11-2004, 15:23

Originally posted by tomc92bb000059
Yes, great for those with factory head units, according to the installation instructions. Will it work with an aftermarket system?
I was looking for this post in some research for a fellow 'Primer & thought the last post deserved an answer:
The Smartenna will not work with an after-market head unit - it works by sensing the audio signal from the Alpine changer & electronically switches to interrupt the power to the antenna motor.
Most after-market heads these days however actually have a seperate o/p for the power antenna so it's only on when the radio is selected.

Aiken Drum

04-12-2004, 15:43

Originally posted by nsxtasy
Here is a better way to go:
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Accessories/smartenna.htm
Yeah, but some of us don't want the antenna up even when listening to the radio. There are only a few places I drive that I don't get good reception. It'd be nice to put the antenna up if I need it, but normally leave it down and let the window antenna do the work. Putting the switch in is a good tip.

Aiken Drum

04-12-2004, 15:49

By the way, does the pink/white wire go all the way to the head unit?

I'm taking my head unit out to add in one of those Blitz aux inputs. Might be a good and easy time to install an antenna switch by the cigarette lighter.

Jin1976

04-13-2004, 01:13

After I changed my radio to Kenwood 3050 that has multicolour display and front loading disc, the antenna only come up when I switch to radio.

Aiken Drum

04-13-2004, 02:11

I answered my own question. On page 23-234 of the online service manual, there is a pinout for the connector on the back of the stereo, listing pin A6 as connected to a pink/white wire labeled "radio-switched power (to antenna and relay)".

Cool beans.

D'Ecosse

04-13-2004, 02:29

Originally posted by Aiken Drum
I answered my own question. On page 23-234 of the online service manual, there is a pinout for the connector on the back of the stereo, listing pin A6 as connected to a pink/white wire labeled "radio-switched power (to antenna and relay)".

Cool beans.
Be careful - if you look at the cct diagram (& also as described by antenna and relay) you will see that the same pink/white wire where it leaves the connector that plugs directly into the radio also feeds the power relay to power the amps - if you cut into it here, by the plug, you will also be switching off the amps when you switch off the antenna i.e., it needs to be after the split to the relay (I'm not sure where that split takes place, but I know that the the harness indicated above by the drivers door is post-split) - there's only one pink/white wire leaving the plug at the radio, so it must branch further down-stream somewhere. Maybe at the relay connector? Doesn't help your local in-console convenient location however, you'll still have to run a wire

Aiken Drum

04-13-2004, 05:46

Ah, okay. Thanks for the tip.

Maybe I'll run it behind the driver's seat to the center console compartment. I'm considering installing the blitz aux rca jacks inside of it; it might be a good place for the switch too.

D'Ecosse

04-13-2004, 11:07

You can mount the switch in either location, just have to run two wires (one from each pole of switch) all the way to wherever you intersect the pink /wh wire. Put bullet connectors on each side of wire where you make cut, then you can easily put back to stock too, by just unplugging wires to switch & reconnecting the ends of the original pink/wh wire.

Aiken Drum

04-15-2004, 00:25

Do I need any kind of conduit to run wires from the location pictured above to the dash area, or am I okay with reasonably-well-insulated wire? This stuff starts out next to the firewall.

D'Ecosse

04-15-2004, 10:01

Nothing special - just some 16/18ga regularly insulated wire will be fine, no conduit or additional sleeve required.

Aiken Drum

04-15-2004, 15:43

Cool, that's what I already have (18 gauge). Thanks. :)

nsxhk

04-16-2004, 14:05

In the JDM nsx, there is a half antenna switch. Maybe you can ask your local dealer to get you that switch.

Henry.

Aiken Drum

04-16-2004, 16:16

I installed the switch last night. I'm not as handy as I'd like to be, so it took a while, but in the end it worked out pretty well. I ran the wires forward along the inside of the door frame and put a little round rocker switch under the dash, above the hood release lever. Works like a charm. :)

A warning for anyone intending to do this mod: Space down where you get access to the pink wire is very, very cramped. It's hard enough finding the wire in the middle of the 50-or-so wire bundle, and then you only get about 1.5" of wire to work with.

---

As an aside: boy, every time I take something apart on that car, I see evidence that whoever worked on it before I owned it didn't give much of a crap about doing things right. One of the connectors on the rear window sill panel was gone and one was broken (leaving a total of one functional), another was broken on the rectangular rear trim panel, one of the screws was missing on the corner panel, one of the metal brackets on the corner panel was broken off and just sitting there like a broken plate your kid put back in the middle of the stack to hide it... bleh.

heretic

05-15-2004, 21:26

I would love to get the stock "half antenna" switch.
Would anyone in the right market give me a hand?
Does anyone know the part #?

Ruined 2

01-26-2006, 12:42

Hi. I was referred to this thread researching some other info and have a few hints. There is a spot in the rocker right in front of the driver's seat that may be a little easier in accessing that pink/white wire. And a switch mount trick that I discovered is that a foglight rocker switch, like a KC HiLites for example, will snap right into the one of the cutouts in the panel above the pedals. No cutting necessary and it's very accessible. :smile:

Shaun Ray

01-26-2006, 17:52

How about a photo when you have it installed?

Ruined 2

01-27-2006, 09:41

How about a photo when you have it installed?

Will do. Probably get to it this weekend. I have Sunday off. No Steelers game :biggrin:

Ruined 2

01-30-2006, 09:55

Ok, here's some pics. However some of them downright suck because it's a new camera that I haven't figured out yet, and quite frankly probably wouldn't be any better if I had it figured out. Not my forte I guess.

Anyways, any questions about what you see (or can't see) let me know. Thanks.

Phil.

Where I tapped into the pink/white wire is located in the rocker panel right before the kick panel. There are two sections of rectangular conduit that have a gap between them at this spot. The wires are taped up but can be seperated easily but carefully. I ran from the switch to this point and back again and it worked like a charm. It's downstream of the amp relays and doesn't require much disassembly to get to, especially nice since you don't have to work around the seat.

The switch fits nice and snug, but there is a little gap on each side. Of course, you'll never see it unless the panel is out and it's a small price to pay for not having to cut the panel at all.

Ruined 2

01-30-2006, 09:57

More pics...

D'Ecosse

01-30-2006, 10:41

Great location for the switch & especially convenient for picking up the wire in the side harness. Relatively close at hand too especially when not something that needs to be accessed frequently. Major benefit of course is no OEM panels need to be physically modified & it's all very easily reversed.
I have mounted previously in the centre box which in itself is an easy mount, but of course requires a non-reversible hole(!) & a lot more needs to be removed to access the wire intercept (left rear interior quarter panel to access the side harness). All in all, not too bad though.

(clickable thumb for full size)

http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/5957DSC01217_Medium_-thumb.JPG (http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/5957DSC01217_Medium_.JPG)

Ruined 2

01-30-2006, 11:00

Thanks!

I thought about the center console but it seems like you have to have double-jointed elbows to get into the thing. And I've had several Preludes where I mounted the switch in a similar location and it worked out well. For as much as I'll use it, I really didn't want to cut anything.

The more I work on this car, the more I love it. Almost as much as driving it. :smile:

Shaun Ray

01-30-2006, 12:38

Kudos on the switch location! Thanks for the photos too. I completely missed where you were putting this switch until I viewed the pictures.

Ruined 2

01-30-2006, 13:07

Thanks and you're welcome :smile: . And I understand about not getting something until you see it. Being Italian, I find it hard to explain anything without using my hands anyways :biggrin: .

orbusrex

01-30-2006, 18:37

fkong777

01-30-2006, 19:14

I just removed all that and installed a shark attack II antenna..

Ruined 2

01-31-2006, 09:23

Hi all, this is a great idea...

Ruined 2... great shots of how the switch went in... can you give some more detail as to where you spliced? I saw a couple of pink/ white wires under there in the front rocker area.

Thanks

Rob

Thanks! The best way I can describe it is that where the two rectangular pieces of conduit meet up (there's a gap between them), I opened up the conduit closest to the rear of the car by the gap. It freed up a little more room to work on that wire bundle. When I spread the bundle out, I only remember seeing one pink/white wire. But I also lucked out when I probed it and it turned out to be the right one. So I didn't have to look any further. It's not a heavy gauge wire, and Honda does get a little tricky with their wire colors. They sometimes have several different shades of a color or silver dots on them as well. This one is straight girly pink with white, no other markings. Pick a wire, probe or skin back a little insulation and check it with a volt meter with the radio on and off. If you get 12v when you should and 0v when you shouldn't, then as a final check, go ahead and snip the wire. Keep it away from metal and key the car. If you've got the right one the antenna shouldn't do anything.

I've got the car back together, but if you need me to I'll yank it back apart and take pictures. Better ones this time, I promise :smile: .

orbusrex

01-31-2006, 13:48

No need for pics... I'll give it a whirl!

BTW, a little off but the reason I didn't go with a shark attack antenna is because I keep it covered in the garage most of the time and don't want to alter the cover!!

orbusrex

02-01-2006, 14:34

It's in the bag... that wasn't that hard at all, just required patience in a confined space. I tapped into the wire in the conduit, using male and female connectors so I can remove the switch easily, and put a small switch in the rocker panel... I couldn't find one to fit exactly, but I only had to cut out the tiniest of space to get it to fit. Works like a charm! No need to alter the car cover either!

Thanks for all the advice,

Rob

Ruined 2

02-01-2006, 14:46

Glad it worked out well and happy to help. :smile:

midlifecrisis

02-16-2006, 08:56

Here's a switch for the purist....

http://scienceofspeed.com/products/interior_performance_products/NSX/Honda/switch_panel/

Ruined 2

02-16-2006, 09:16

I saw that, but cost is a factor with me right now :smile: .

Ruined 2

02-20-2006, 13:15

Here's some pictures Honda9000 took when he had his apart that are a lot better than the ones I had. It shows the location of the wire bundle that I had so much trouble trying to get across...

goldNSX

06-26-2006, 06:48

More pics...

What size is the switch?

Ruined 2

06-26-2006, 09:36

I'm not sure of the exact size. It's the standard rocker switch that comes with KC HiLites, or damn near any other set of inexpensive fog lights for that matter. I can measure it and get back to you, or I can send you one if you'd like. I'm lousy with the little buggers.