How to Install Glass Mounted Aerials
- 1). Open and check the contents of the glass mounted aerial kit. Be sure you have the aerial, installation templates, interior through the glass coupler that is attached to coaxial cables, self-adhesive backing on the aerial and coupler or self-adhesive pads and towelettes.
- 2
Roof mounts are the other option.Frozen Car antenna image by TekinT from Fotolia.com
Select the aerial's location with a few considerations in mind. Do not mount it where it blocks the vehicle's rear brake light. Avoid standard antenna and windshield defroster lines. - 3). Clean the rear windshield thoroughly, inside and out. Make sure the temperature is at least 60 degrees and the weather is dry. Choose the center of the windshield, if you want a balanced, original equipment look.
- 4
Butt the end of the tape against the side of the rear door post and measure windshield only, not total width.measuring tape image by Rich Johnson from Fotolia.com
Use the measuring tape to measure the entire width of the top of the rear windshield. Divide this number by two to find the midpoint. Use the enclosed towelette to re-clean the mounting area well or use alcohol and a clean rag. Center the aerial/antenna base over this midpoint and trace its outline onto the windshield with an erasable marker. - 5). Briefly heat the traced area with a hair dryer to bring the surface temperature up for quicker, better adhesion. Remove the protective tape at the four corners or at each adhesive point. Carefully and gently place the template into the area you traced earlier, making sure the template is not on a defroster or other antenna bar in the windshield.
- 6
A regular strength hair dryer is sufficient to warm the installed area.1950s hair blow dryer image by Scott Williams from Fotolia.com
Press the mounting template firmly with finger-tip pressure and hold for 60 seconds, giving the adhesion time to adhere to the surface. Insert the aerial/antenna unit, with protective backing, into the mounting base template. Sit down in the vehicle and visually verify that the unit is not blocked by the interior headliner. - 7). Go back to the antenna and remove the protective backing. Re-insert the unit into the template. Place a finger on the front and a thumb on the back and depress firmly, just like with the template, for 60 seconds. Make sure the antenna mast is exactly vertical to the ground, not the windshield.
- 8). Mount the inside template and coupler in the same manner. Insert the coupling and route the wiring according to the diagram that came with the particular unit.
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