aerial earthing plate ?

[PYNEY]

hi all

my car radio dosen't tune in to stations i dont use the radio much "i prefer the tvr noise" but i'd like to fix it

my local car audio centre said i need to put in a new earhing plate for the aerial
at the moment i have what looks like rotten meshing which is all but gone and a cable that was attached to it

now whats the options to get it fixed ? do i take the aerial apart and refit what looks like expanding metal lath
or is there a better type of plate i could make up

any help and advice please

cheers keith

[tvrgit]

All you need is a big washer that the aerial mounting fits through. Screw or solder a terminal to that, and then connect that terminal to a good earth.

The coaxial aerial lead has a central wire that carries the signal, and then a braided shield under the outer cover, that shields the signal wire from magnetic flux interference where it passes other electrical wires, and that shielding needs to be earthed at both ends or it doesn't work. One earth goes through the radio, the other through the wasther and earth connection as above.

[PYNEY]

thanks for that info

[Scoobimax]

interesting - i wonder if that's why my radio doesn't work?!!

[Griffinr]

Scoobimax said:

interesting - i wonder if that's why my radio doesn't work?!!

Worth checking the continuity of the coax centre wire, mine had gone open circuit, so a lot of faffing with aerials was all to no avail. Eventually ran just a length of plain wire along the tunnel under the centre console connected to the aerial socket. (as a temporary measure) Still working fine after a year.

Rob.