How to strengthen signal with the R170 Antenna - Page 4

**etyu** · 12-09-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeiser50

I've removed my antenna : in the blue plastic (purple on mine), there is a small PCB (printed board. you can see the side of this pcb on each side of the blue plastic part). I suspect there is additional electronic chip inside (to keep resonance even iwith a short antenna).
Picts will follow tomorrow, and analysis soon.

I can't wait for your recommendations.

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

Here is the small part inside the antenna (pink for me)

As you may seen, there is two green line on both side : there is a pcb inside.
Let's have a look ....

There two chip inside (capacitor+resistor) and a track whith a S shape. This is to adapt the antenna to FM frequencies, even if the antenna itself has not the famous 75 cms.
Therefore , the additional wire may have other lenght.
Of course, the operation i've done is very risky (for you antenna itself, but also for your fingers). It is not needed to enhance your antenna. It is only for your understanding.

On the left section on the pcb, close to the pink plastic, there is a small circle : this is the antenna ground

Next stage .... how this antenna work ...

**etyu** · 12-10-2007

Wow Michel. You didn't have to "sacrifice" the antenna that way, but I know know you can put it back together without any problem after the analysis.

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

No problem. It is not broken at all.

**etyu** · 12-10-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeiser50

No problem. It is not broken at all.

I have a small problem with imageshack ..... Damned !! My pictures are not uploaded ....

Try photobucket.com. It's always been stable for me to upload photos.

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

The equipment have used is a radio bench. We use it to benchmark our product as well as competitor. The antenna is on the left side, on the first picture

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

A first stage is antenna characterization : what is the behaviour of the original antenna. This is needed in order to understand if the future modification is good or not.
For non technical guys :
- Scale 100 to 52 : the smaller, the weaker signal received
- the difference between yellow and green curve indicates the quality of the reception. This is done for 3 frequencies (lower, middle, higher) for FM reception.
As an indication, we can see that the antenna is better at 108Mhz than 87.5Mhz for high fm signals (better difference on 100 line) and better at 87.5 Mhz than 108Mhz for low fm signals .
Hope it is clear ....

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

An additional wire is soldered (24 awg, but it is not important). Only one wire is needed. This wire is soldered an the center pin of the antenna, just below the transparent cable.
This wire has a lenght of 75 cms, and is shorten cm per cm. On each lenght, a measurement is done to check what is the difference on the reception quality.

Below the result (from 75cms to 37 cms). Each time the value is low, the quality is better.

This is a resonance phenoma : each time the total lenght of the antenna is good, the number is low -> I select 37 cms for the next test

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

The lenght has been selected. Now, what is the best way to put this wire into the antenna ?
Below the different tries :

Each time a new curve is done, in order to measure the improvement (if any). The latest pictures indicates the best result

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

Below the result.
On the left, as reference, the behaviour of the original antenna, and on the right, the modified antenna (37cms, awg24).
Improvement on medium or weak signals !!

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

Below the final result. The wire is now green (i use 30awg due to the antenna dimension)

And with adhesive tape

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

Unfortunately, the 30awg is still too big.
It does not allow to reinsert totally the antenna into the housing. As an alternative, the green wire can be slided on the transparent cable, or the width of the pcb can be reduced in order to find more room for the wire. i will use the second solution.
It is important to reinsert completely the antenna in the housing, as the antenna gnd contact is done at the end of the thread (see below image). If the wire is too thick, it will be impossible. As a consequence, the antenna can not be totally screwed on the car.

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

Ok ....
Now, the conclusion :
- wire can be any gauge
- only one wire, soldered on the metal part, just below the transparent cable
- lenght of 37cms,
- winded around the plastic (below the metal part, best solution), or upper the metal part (easier to reinstall antenna).
- performance should be better fopr medium or weak signal.
However, this is still a small antenna and can not be as good as the standard 75 cms solid antenna ..... (performance point of view).

I haven't check the result on my car (bad weather). I hope i will be able to do it soon.

noregret4life · 12-10-2007

Hands down, one of the most scientific posts i have ever seen! Well done.
Thank you for all your efforts.

Can't wait to see the actual results on the car...

Thanks again!

**etyu** · 12-10-2007

Excellent work and data Michel !

Why not solder 35 cm (accounting for length of wire in the transparent part) at the tip of the transparent part and then wind the wire around the transparent part? This way, one doesn't have to pick apart the coloured molded plastic.

SLKjay · 12-10-2007

thanks for the detailed description of your findings Zeiser50

**Zeiser50** · 12-10-2007

Eddy,
Good point . I will check tomorrow.

The antenna technology is a kind of plumbing and luck : sometimes its ok, sometimes not.

Sid · 12-10-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeiser50

Ok ....
Now, the conclusion :
- wire can be any gauge
- only one wire, soldered on the metal part, just below the transparent cable
- lenght of 37cms,
- winded around the plastic (below the metal part, best solution), or upper the metal part (easier to reinstall antenna).
- performance should be better fopr medium or weak signal.
However, this is still a small antenna and can not be as good as the standard 75 cms solid antenna ..... (performance point of view).

I haven't check the result on my car (bad weather). I hope i will be able to do it soon.

Is that an SL antenna or the R170?

12-10-2007	#62 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	Here is the small part inside the antenna (pink for me) As you may seen, there is two green line on both side : there is a pcb inside. Let's have a look .... There two chip inside (capacitor+resistor) and a track whith a S shape. This is to adapt the antenna to FM frequencies, even if the antenna itself has not the famous 75 cms. Therefore , the additional wire may have other lenght. Of course, the operation i've done is very risky (for you antenna itself, but also for your fingers). It is not needed to enhance your antenna. It is only for your understanding. On the left section on the pcb, close to the pink plastic, there is a small circle : this is the antenna ground Next stage .... how this antenna work ... __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#63 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,279 Country: Thanks: 376 Thanked 277 Times in 168 Posts	Wow Michel. You didn't have to "sacrifice" the antenna that way, but I know know you can put it back together without any problem after the analysis. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.*, EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

12-10-2007	#64 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	No problem. It is not broken at all. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#66 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	The equipment have used is a radio bench. We use it to benchmark our product as well as competitor. The antenna is on the left side, on the first picture __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#67 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	A first stage is antenna characterization : what is the behaviour of the original antenna. This is needed in order to understand if the future modification is good or not. For non technical guys : - Scale 100 to 52 : the smaller, the weaker signal received - the difference between yellow and green curve indicates the quality of the reception. This is done for 3 frequencies (lower, middle, higher) for FM reception. As an indication, we can see that the antenna is better at 108Mhz than 87.5Mhz for high fm signals (better difference on 100 line) and better at 87.5 Mhz than 108Mhz for low fm signals . Hope it is clear .... __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#68 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	An additional wire is soldered (24 awg, but it is not important). Only one wire is needed. This wire is soldered an the center pin of the antenna, just below the transparent cable. This wire has a lenght of 75 cms, and is shorten cm per cm. On each lenght, a measurement is done to check what is the difference on the reception quality. Below the result (from 75cms to 37 cms). Each time the value is low, the quality is better. This is a resonance phenoma : each time the total lenght of the antenna is good, the number is low -> I select 37 cms for the next test __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#69 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	The lenght has been selected. Now, what is the best way to put this wire into the antenna ? Below the different tries : Each time a new curve is done, in order to measure the improvement (if any). The latest pictures indicates the best result __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#70 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	Below the result. On the left, as reference, the behaviour of the original antenna, and on the right, the modified antenna (37cms, awg24). Improvement on medium or weak signals !! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#71 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	Below the final result. The wire is now green (i use 30awg due to the antenna dimension) And with adhesive tape __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#72 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	Unfortunately, the 30awg is still too big. It does not allow to reinsert totally the antenna into the housing. As an alternative, the green wire can be slided on the transparent cable, or the width of the pcb can be reduced in order to find more room for the wire. i will use the second solution. It is important to reinsert completely the antenna in the housing, as the antenna gnd contact is done at the end of the thread (see below image). If the wire is too thick, it will be impossible. As a consequence, the antenna can not be totally screwed on the car. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005- Last edited by Zeiser50; 12-10-2007 at 03:28 PM. Reason: Some words are missing .....

12-10-2007	#73 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	Ok .... Now, the conclusion : - wire can be any gauge - only one wire, soldered on the metal part, just below the transparent cable - lenght of 37cms, - winded around the plastic (below the metal part, best solution), or upper the metal part (easier to reinstall antenna). - performance should be better fopr medium or weak signal. However, this is still a small antenna and can not be as good as the standard 75 cms solid antenna ..... (performance point of view). I haven't check the result on my car (bad weather). I hope i will be able to do it soon. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

12-10-2007	#74 (permalink)
noregret4life Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Vehicle: '05 SLK350 Posts: 1,092 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 17 Times in 11 Posts	Hands down, one of the most scientific posts i have ever seen! Well done. Thank you for all your efforts. Can't wait to see the actual results on the car... Thanks again!

12-10-2007	#75 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,279 Country: Thanks: 376 Thanked 277 Times in 168 Posts	*Excellent work and data Michel !* Why not solder 35 cm (accounting for length of wire in the transparent part) at the tip of the transparent part and then wind the wire around the transparent part? This way, one doesn't have to pick apart the coloured molded plastic. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.*, EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

12-10-2007	#76 (permalink)
SLKjay SLK World Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Phillips Ranch, CA Vehicle: '98 SLK230 Other Toys: '96 328IS Posts: 58 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	thanks for the detailed description of your findings Zeiser50

12-10-2007	#77 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 506 Country: Thanks: 6 Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts	Eddy, Good point . I will check tomorrow. The antenna technology is a kind of plumbing and luck : sometimes its ok, sometimes not. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-