Purpose of resistor in coax antenna wire?
07-16-2010, 01:55 PM
#46
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
And I've got my cousin curious about this, so there's another EE on the case now.
07-16-2010, 02:09 PM
#47
Rennlist Member
I'm an EE also. (Post #2) It's been fun reading all the different theories as to what this thing is. I'm sticking with my theory that it's a capacitor. 
As AO would say -
As AO would say -
07-16-2010, 03:24 PM
#50
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
07-16-2010, 04:53 PM
#51
Rennlist Member
07-16-2010, 08:35 PM
#54
Rennlist Member
being that you have a new antenna probably means that it is not going to do what Porsche wanted it to do with the old antenna.
07-18-2010, 10:39 PM
#55
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Anyhoo... if it's a resistor, it's kaputsky, because I measured no continuity or Ohmage across it. I cannot test capacitance with my MM, but I'm pretty sure it's fried from the look of it - whatever it is.
An aside for Alan et al, I powered up the radio and tested the voltage across the two antenna leads (at the antenna pigtail) and got no measurable voltage, so the antenna (well, my new shark-fin antenna anyway) does not have a DC component to the signal. I realize this bit of info is rather unhelpful as I was not testing the OEM antenna base - the one made to function with the OEM antenna wire with the OEM resistor/capacitor/whatever, and I never had a working antenna system when I switched from OEM to shark-fin to note any difference.
I would have just put a new plug on the end of it without the mystery electrodoodad, but before I did that, I decided to test the continuity of the middle filament in the coax wire - the one from the HU to the antenna (in 40-something years, I've learned to actively look for assumptions to mistrust and just test everything before I start any repair). Well, wouldn't you know it... no continuity from the HU end to the antenna end.
So I just plugged in the hide-away antenna and routed it under the carpeting toward the back. That thing kind of sucks, but it is technically better than nothing, so the dreaded antenna wire replacement is in my near future. Yay. I'm going to have to take everything out anyway to replace the rear speakers. Did I mention that I'm in also in the process of upgrading my speakers, crossovers, and amp? That statement doesn't really tell a tenth of the story, as I spent a week repairing the mess the hacks who installed the system I'm taking out made, and refinishing the door panels, fixing broken plastic bits, Dynamatting, etc, etc. In 4 evenings and 2 full days this weekend (10 hrs each) I've only gotten the new door speakers and front crossovers installed and wired. More fun to come...
07-28-2010, 10:08 AM
#57
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
My radio works again!! My radio works again!! 
That is, I'm pretty sure it does. I installed the new antenna cable yesterday, and since the amp is out of the car right now, I could only turn on the radio and hit scan to see if it could find any stations - and it did!!
Guess what! The new antenna wire also had the same resistor/capacitor in the plug! But this one is mounted in there in such a way that I could not get a MM probe on one of the leads, so I couldn't test it, so the mystery lives on...
That is, I'm pretty sure it does. I installed the new antenna cable yesterday, and since the amp is out of the car right now, I could only turn on the radio and hit scan to see if it could find any stations - and it did!!
Guess what! The new antenna wire also had the same resistor/capacitor in the plug! But this one is mounted in there in such a way that I could not get a MM probe on one of the leads, so I couldn't test it, so the mystery lives on...
07-28-2010, 10:40 AM
#58
Rennlist Member
Glad to hear the new antenna fixed the problem and it wasn't "something" else.
We'll just have to live now with never really knowing what that electrododad, as you so aptly called it, actually was.
We'll just have to live now with never really knowing what that electrododad, as you so aptly called it, actually was.
