Got bored this afternoon - now what?

[HPsauce]

Well a quick lash-up in the car seems to work, reception is rubbish though.
Just using the rear cigar lighter for now for power with cables going out of the door, but it works.

Getting the odd TV channel and a bit of radio after moving the aerial all over the place. Oddly me standing "behind" it (in relation to the transmitter) improves reception a lot - electromagnetic transmission experts explain please!

We are in a TERRIBLE TV reception area though (in a valley with no local repeater); even the main aerial on the house (30' above the car) has a masthead amplifier AND a further distribution amp in the loft.

So, lots to do to hide it all away. And finding a suitable aerial will be vital - all thoughts welcome.

[ainarssems]

Getting the odd TV channel and a bit of radio after moving the aerial all over the place. Oddly me standing "behind" it (in relation to the transmitter) improves reception a lot - electromagnetic transmission experts explain please!

You are probably blocking interference and increasing signal to noise ratio.

[PsYcHe]

If the house is that bad, then the car will have no chance

Need to take it somewhere with a decent signal, then test.

[limoncello]

my area is the same, your lucky to even get one channel

I didnt have a problem with the rear screen, I put one of these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANT29db-5V...item2c647d71cc

on it which can also has a built in amp, you really need a tv which uses 2 diversity antennas to get a better signal. but you could stick 2 of these in if one isnt working well.

it worked ok, not that good on the move but again depends on location. you can tuck most of the wiring away so it cant be seen.

most annoying was having to retune it all the time.

if you gotthe same cheap one i did, its ok for a while, you soon get fed up with the antenna just being there, the retuning, and the sdcard and usb do work but will often bomb out in the middle of a movie.

i got this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Freevi...item1c2115ee7b

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by limoncello

i got this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Freevi...item1c2115ee7b

Yes, same here.

I won't be using mine on the move, so I'm happy to retune in each local area.
Do need it working before the Monaco GP though.....

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by limoncello

you can tuck most of the wiring away so it cant be seen.

I've been having a bit of a rummage round the rear seats and boot this afternoon and can't find any obvious ways through. Too well built.

How did you get cables (antenna and remote?) through to suitable points in the cabin from the bay in the boot?

Though mines a D2 and it looks like you have a D3, so maybe someone else can advise....

I can get to the back of the ski hatch area where existing holes in the metal can probably be enlarged to come through the fabric behind the armrest. But it's all pretty solid trying to get away from there.
I've got an alcantara parcel shelf with Bose speakers and rear blind and it all feels VERY tight. And with airbags in the rear seats I'm cautious about poking about blind.

There seem to be a couple of screws under flaps in the carpet that I guess retain the back seat cushion. Is that easy to take and and would it help?

[PsYcHe]

Did this with reverse sensors in my D2.. if you peel back the carpet a bit in the corner of the boot, on the back of the seat should be some round (and very sharp!) holes, push the cables through one of those in the bottom corner, and you should be able to get to them from the inside, initially by pushing your hand between the seat cushions, then pull it through and position under carpets, etc.

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by PsYcHe

on the back of the seat should be some round (and very sharp!) holes,

Ah, see what you mean, looks promising. Not too sharp either.
I'll do a bit of "probing" with the traditional bent coathanger.

There's also a sort of channel, plugged with a big chunk of granular foam, down at boot floor level, that might be as good.

[Night Train]

I used a net curtain wire as a 'pull through', having moved the sponge 'bung' aside, then re-fitted it (in the boot behind the carpet trim); an invaluable addition to the toolbox, as I learnt doing some tricky ICE installs a few years back.

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by Night Train

I used a net curtain wire as a 'pull through'

One of many similar unexpectedly useful tools that I've used in the past for similar jobs.
Installing alarm systems requires similar "techniques".