manual control for power antenna

[SuperHO]

I know the gen I's had this option, but I've got a gen II. Suprisingly, my power antenna works just fine, but I don't want it up while listening to the CD player or Ipod, so what'd be an easy way to rig up a switch to make it go up and down? I've already tried in vain to locate a rocker type switch (like a power window switch...either up or down, then returns automatically to the center), so I'm thinking I might be able to rape a gen I in the boneyard for it's switch, but will it work in a gen II application?

 

[Kens1992mtxSHO]

I don't see why it shouldn't. You'd have to locate the wiring for it and simply put it to a switch.

 

[yamahaSHO]

Extend the wire behind the radio and put a switch in-line with it. I did this on my Camry with a push-button switch because the antenna was always up. This is EXTREMELY easy to do.

For my SHO, I just installed a Kenwood player that has a separate antenna lead and it does not power up when the radio is not being used.

 

[SuperHO]

the problem I'm having is finding a push button switch. All the ones I can find are big ass toggle switches, and I don't want one of those. I wanna make it look somewhat OEM mounted in the center console.

 

[yamahaSHO]

Radio Shack...

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1838/ele-19/Round_Rocker_Switch.html

 

[hawkeye18]

Srsly, just get a gen 1 switch. They work perfectly fine for the application (which is what it was intended to do in the first place), and you can't get more OEM looking than OEM.

 

[spazmoid]

i got a toggle switch from walmart, wired it in line with the antenna power line, and installed the switch in the back panel of the glove box. Its nice and clean and works great.

 

[SuperHO]

so now if I just get a two position switch, it's gonna be applying constant power to the antenna motor....won't that burn it out?

 

[ctwrench]

Pilot Fog Light Switch

I just bought a set of the Pilot lights for my Gen II that everyone talks about, the PL-1058M. This set comes with a switch for the LEDs and a switch for the fog lights. I'm going to wire the fog lights into the OEM switch, and run the LEDs from the Pilot switch. That will leave an extra button on the Pilot available. I'm thinking of running the power antenna to this button and mounting the switch on the side of the console just in front of the driver seat. It will be out of the way and with the double sided tape that it comes with, I don't have to drill any holes in my console. I can reach down and change the LED color or raise/lower the antenna whenever and my passengers won't even realize I made something happen. I thought about raiding a Gen I antenna switch, but that would require finding a place to put it and then cutting a hole for it.

 

[Kens1992mtxSHO]

so now if I just get a two position switch, it's gonna be applying constant power to the antenna motor....won't that burn it out?

When it's up isn't power constantly running to the antenna anyways?

 

[SuperHO]

When it's up isn't power constantly running to the antenna anyways?

Damned if I know...that's why I'm posting here. Trying to clear things up.

 

[Kens1992mtxSHO]

Damned if I know...that's why I'm posting here. Trying to clear things up.

lol

I guess we're both going to learn something new then.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

time to call mythbusters lol


im going to try using one of the old radio buttons on the dash as a switch.

im pretty sure its on or off, as in if theres no power to the ant, it will go down, as long as it sees power it should stay up. my amp uses the same lead so its always "hot" when the radio is on.

 

[yamahaSHO]

You're making this WAY too difficult.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

very helpful post jason good job

 

[yamahaSHO]

It is... This is simple and the answer has already been stated.

 

[spazmoid]

i'm pretty sure that the motor has circuitry so that it stops when the antenna is all the way up. If the antenna is broken like mine was for a while, and it doesn't move, the motor runs for only a certain amount of time, like 20 seconds or something. Adding the switch in line would only stop any power from going to the motor, or really the sensor or relay at the motor that tells it to go up and down. Without the switch and with the radio on, power is constantly going to the motor, but really just the switch that tells it whats going on. Long story short putting the switch inline like i did won't hurt anything.

 

[kikkinasphalt]

It is... This is simple and the answer has already been stated.

yet there were people who did not know. thus the topic was useful to them.

fwiw, ive tried searching for several things ove my time here and sometimes find it very difficult to source a solid answer.
even though you know its a simple answer it never hurts to just say the answer vs some sarcastic blunder.

 

[crazy_canadian]

The power antenna wire at the radio gives just a 12v signal to the power ant. module to put the antenna up or down.
When you give 12v, the ant go up until it's fully up, then stops. When you cut the 12v, it tells the motor go pull the antenna down.
So, just an inline normal switch will work. I'll do it to my car too when I have some time. In the winter if I'm not listening to the radio, I do not need the antenna, and most of the time ice gets in the way.

 

[yamahaSHO]

yet there were people who did not know. thus the topic was useful to them.

fwiw, ive tried searching for several things ove my time here and sometimes find it very difficult to source a solid answer.
even though you know its a simple answer it never hurts to just say the answer vs some sarcastic blunder.

It actually wasn't sarcasm. I was being completely serious. You guys were making it harder than it should be.