NSX Antenna

Kenwould · 18 April 2016

I have a 1991 with the original radio Antenna. I am getting tired of it raising all of the time and saw some posts about a short stubby antenna.What is the best Antenna for the job which will be the best install? I don't need one to raise or lower (who is listening to the radio anyway?), but I do want the radio to work so it should be a really good antenna. I am afraid to eBay or Amazon it without knowing which will fit my car the best. I would imagine the rear wheel well will have to come out and then the install is probably the same as my Honda Accord. I would just have to encase the original electrical connection in case I ever want to go back.Thanks,Ken

Old Guy · 18 April 2016

The NSX has two antennas. The powered mast in the rear fender and a on-glass one on the rear hatch located above the heater wires for the rear hatch defogger. With the OEM radio, FM stations that are reasonably close come in just fine with the on-glass antenna. AM station reception is not so good.

You don't need to remove the mast antenna, just disconnect the power on signal from the radio. You access the antenna from inside the trunk by pulling the trunk liner back. Leave the antenna signal wire (large diameter black wire) connected. Disconnect the plug with the power connections to the antenna motor. Its been a couple of years since I did this so the details are a bit fuzzy; but, it should be pretty obvious what to do once you have everything exposed.

With the power-on signal disconnected, the antenna stays down all the time.

I notice you have an aftermarket radio. The OEM radio has two antenna connections. When the aftermarket radio was installed, it will only have a single antenna connection and I expect that the mast antenna was connected to the radio. You will probably need to pull the radio out and find the cable for the on-glass antenna and connect it to the radio.

Kenwould · 18 April 2016

The guy that owned the car before me was not as meticulous as we are. I would want to have a different antenna back there. Preferably a black rubber one that would be low profile.

Any recommendations for that option?

I am glad that there is access from the trunk.

Thanks,

Ken

<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/8edb995/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

JW · 18 April 2016

I see that you have an after market center console. What I did with mine was to add a switch on the lower part of the console which was hooked up to the antennae power source and I can control my antennae's height from just a few inches to full out and every where in between. I don't listen to the radio very much so the antennae is usually out of site, which in my imo looks the best, no antennae at all.

91 NSX Red/Black

Burny-B · 18 April 2016

Kenwould said:
The guy that owned the car before me was not as meticulous as we are. I would want to have a different antenna back there. Preferably a black rubber one that would be low profile.

Any recommendations for that option?

I am glad that there is access from the trunk.

Thanks,

Ken

<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/8edb995/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

Hello Ken,

The antenna you are looking for is probably the Shark Attack II antenna (part# 44-UA46).
I got mine from Amazon for around 60$ shipping included.
There is also a shorter version, but I don't have a part number for that.

Kenwould · 18 April 2016

Do you think this one would work?

http://www.amazon.com/REDline-UNIVE...64&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Shark+Attack+antenna

This looks like a lower profile.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/56f68f71/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

- - - Updated - - -

JW

The switch also sounds like a great idea. I just would need to figure out where the wire is for the antenna. Do you remember what color it is?

<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/56f68f71/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

- - - Updated - - -

I ordered some cool toggle switches from Amazon. I am going to mount one of these in my armrest for the antenna. All I need is to find the antenna wire.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/56f68f71/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

JW · 19 April 2016

Hi Kenwould,
I don't know which wire it is as I had it done by a tech when I was having my double din installed. The idea of putting it under the armrest is great idea. I have my usb port under my armrest. My switch is where the ash tray delete was on mine and it was molded flush as the center console was custom made. I tried attaching a pic of it but the pic was doubled and they were super huge and I don't know why? Good luck with your project! Hopefully Old Guy chimes in as he seems to know the NSX electronic schematics inside and out and can maybe help you identify the correct wire.

Joe

91 NSX Red/Black

Wavey1 · 19 April 2016

JW said:
Hi Kenwould,
I don't know which wire it is as I had it done by a tech when I was having my double din installed. The idea of putting it under the armrest is great idea. I have my usb port under my armrest. My switch is where the ash tray delete was on mine and it was molded flush as the center console was custom made. I tried attaching a pic of it but the pic was doubled and they were super huge and I don't know why? Good luck with your project! Hopefully Old Guy chimes in as he seems to know the NSX electronic schematics inside and out and can maybe help you identify the correct wire.

Joe

91 NSX Red/Black

The Shark Attach II is a good choice for a short black antennae as it's a straight bolt-in. The Honda S2000 antennae is also good but it requires enlarging the opening in the inner fender panel. That's not at all visible from the outside or even with your head in the trunk but you do have to cut sheet metal; a Dremel works well.

The wire from your head unit that powers the OEM antennae will be blue (industry standard).

Re: the antennae cables, the OEM unit had two connectors. The main connector for the fender antennae is a normal connection with the female port in the head unit and a male plug-in on the cable end. The connection for the rear window antennae is reversed, with the connection at the head unit being a length of male cable, and the cable to the window being a female port.

Kenwould · 22 April 2016

I spent a good deal of time working with the Antenna situation in my NSX. I was working to wire a switch and found (after hours of trouble shooting) that if I cut the antenna wire out of my Alpine radio that I ended up losing my subwoofer and center speaker. Thanks to your earlier comments I elected to unplug the power to the antenna through the trunk (great access) and simply not have the antenna go up and down. There is another antenna in the window which seems to be doing the job.

There are three wires going into the power antenna - Black, Yellow and White. Have any of you put a switch on one of these wires (I don't know which one is the HOT wire)? That may be a solution provided I can run a wire from there into the cabin and install my switch.

I was able to clean up the console a little more now that I had it out (had to appoxy the shift boot) and the new Alpine unit looks good. The one I replaced had a detachable face plate that was problematic. Here are some pics:

Kenwould · 24 April 2016

The radio antenna has three wires leading from the connector (see pic)

There is is a black, yellow and white leading to the antenna. I want to splice into the hot wire with a switch and mount this inside the cabin. Do any of you know which one is the hot wire?

Thanks

Old Guy · 25 April 2016

It has been a while since I fiddled with this, so my memory is a little fuzzy. As shown in the pin out below, the pink/white wire in the OEM wiring harness provides the power on signal to both the amplifier(s) power relay and the antenna. The pink / wh wire goes from the head unit to the power relay and then from the power relay to the antenna. You cannot put a switch in the pink/wh wire at the head unit location as you will kill the power on signal to both the antenna and the amplifiers. You have to put the switch in the pink white wire after the amplifier relay. Unfortunately, I seem to recall (fuzzy part) that the amplifier relay is up front in one of the relay boxes under the front hood. If so, this will make tracing the pink / white wire from the relay back to the antenna to find a good place to splice in a switch complicated.

The other fuzzy part is that the wiring diagram (and my fuzzy memory) says that the three wires terminating on the antenna controller in the trunk should be:

pink / wh - power on signal
wh / blue - +12v power
black - ground

That does not jive with what you describe, or perhaps what you are describing are the wire colors on the antenna side of the 4 pin connector which could be different than what are on chassis side of the 4 pin connector. Perhaps pull the covering back on the chassis side of the connector to see if there is a pink/wh wire there.

N-Wing · 27 April 2016

I have the Guppy. Super small but not so hot with reception. If I mess with it again I will go Shark II.

Kenwould · 27 April 2016

I was able to complete the wiring and installation of a switch by tapping into the black wire on the antenna. It was a bitch to run the wire through the engine compartment and into the cabin but that was completed. I tied everything to the other wires and the wire is invisible.

The armrest is a big pain. I have a little more work to do on the switch but it is in. Now I can decide when the antenna is to go up and when it is to stay down.

JW · 27 April 2016

I don't think that you will regret this move and it will still have the oem look!

91 NSX Red/Black

Kenwould · 28 April 2016

Just about done

Kenwould · 29 April 2016

What a tough job but it is now done!

creeker · 27 May 2016

Would this disconnect suggestion apply to all NSXs, including my 2003? Somehow, I'm not seeing what you're describing. All I'd like to do is disconnect the thing during CD play.

BETRNSX · 28 May 2016

I got the Metra Shark II and a Blox short metal antenna from Amazon. The Metra Shark II was taller and reception was iffy but I swapped out the mast part which was mostly plastic for the Blox one and it has been very good. The mast simply screws off and the new one screws on. I used to get spotty reception at the end ranges of the FM spectrum and now I'm pretty clear. Very pleased with the look and function, only complaint is the Blox logo. http://www.amazon.com/Metra-44-UA46...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 http://www.amazon.com/Blox-Racing-B...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

creeker · 28 May 2016

With the help of a friend/mechanic, we have managed to identify and separate the connector to the power antenna. I must differ from comments made on this forum that doing this is "easy;" it isn't.

fisheye · 1 June 2016

I tried disconnecting the power feed at the antenna in the trunk. It worked but now the radio only works when the key is switched to accessory. With the key on the radio goes silent.

creeker · 1 June 2016

I couldn't get mine to find stations with the search function (car running, I think), but could by going down the frequencies with the dial, motor off; I will be interested to see if the stations I selected still work with the car running - comments here indicate that they should.

comtec · 2 June 2016

Maybe this will help someone.

Mike

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/19322-power-antenna?highlight=antenna

creeker · 2 June 2016

My radio does work with the car running

Bonneville Don · 6 December 2019

Antenna help needed ASAP- buying NSX

I have a 1991 NSX with two antenna's. One is in the fender and goes up and down. The other is mounted in the center of the rear glass. Does anyone know if that was for a telephone or was it really for the fm reception.
IS THERE A HOLE IN THE GLASS THAT PROVIDES CONNECTION TO THE CO-AX CABLE OR CAN I REMOVE THE ANTENNA WITHOUT DAMAGING THE GLASS?
I am trying to buy a car today and this is really important to me. Call if you can at 480-567-5964
thanks
Don

Miner · 6 December 2019

The antenna at the center of the rear glass is for the cell phone. I removed all the cabling, unscrewed the pigtail antenna on the outside and left the block (on both sides of the glass), as-is.

NSX Antenna

Similar threads