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PointedThree :  Roadster Forums : R171 SLK Class : R230 Antenna Working Great!

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R230 Antenna Working Great!
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Posted 4/27/2006 12:28 PM
Ynot

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Dinoman - 4/27/2006 9:31 AM

Ynot, some non-antenna-related trivia: each of my five cars has a license plate with two letters and no numbers. My blue Dino has "YD" (a friend of mine first saw it at a local car show and asked if it meant "wide"). My SLK has "YF," which was previously on my Boxster. Last summer I was cruising around in the Boxster when a guy pulled up next to me at a red light and inquired about the plate. He asked me if the plate read "YF" to signify that it was my wife's car! The "F" is my first initial, and I liked the look of the combination. My mother still has "XF," which I first got many years ago as a college student, and the Boxster's new plate will be "ZF." I hate boring plates! Dinoman


Interesting, I thought about getting vanity plates too but the ones that comes with custom plates are ugly and I just brought the columbine plates. Look below. I don't know, what does it stand for.

Colorado Custom Plates

#3630 - in reply to #3599
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Posted 4/27/2006 1:03 PM
Julien

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Ynot - 4/27/2006 12:28 PM

... Look below. I don't know, what does it stand for.

Colorado Custom Plates


I'm usually bad at reading them but it obviously looks like "impressive" to me.
#3641 - in reply to #3630
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Posted 4/27/2006 1:34 PM
Ynot

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Julien - 4/27/2006 11:03 AM
Ynot - 4/27/2006 12:28 PM ... Look below. I don't know, what does it stand for.

 

Colorado Custom Plates

I'm usually bad at reading them but it obviously looks like "impressive" to me.

 That's a friends car, it's an supercharged M3 w/ endless mods, so it's indeed impressive. I was refering to Dino's vanity plates when I said I don't know what it stands for.

#3666 - in reply to #3641
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Posted 4/27/2006 1:36 PM
Dinoman

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Ynot, In New York we have either personalized standard-type plates or "Custom Plates," with or without personalization. The standard ones can be personalized with up to eight letters/numbers/spaces in combination, but the Custom ones only have room for six (and are usually overdone in their designs/slogans). Since 1996, all personalized NY plates have been photoprinted, giving them a bit of an artificial look. In 1998, at the Pebble Beach Concours they honored the Porsche 50th anniversary. A guy I know, who collects Porsches, was invited to bring one of his cars to the concours. The car's plate was "WEISSACH," for the Porsche test track. Jerry Seinfeld, who is a big Porsche collector, saw the car and asked the owner if the plate was real. At that time, the technology was new to NY plates, and many people were still unfamiliar with the "flat" plates. I don't like the look of them, but the DMV frowns on those who try to make their own! Dinoman
#3668 - in reply to #3630
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Posted 4/27/2006 3:57 PM
Ynot

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Dinoman - 4/27/2006 11:36 AM Ynot, In New York we have either personalized standard-type plates or "Custom Plates," with or without personalization. The standard ones can be personalized with up to eight letters/numbers/spaces in combination, but the Custom ones only have room for six (and are usually overdone in their designs/slogans). Since 1996, all personalized NY plates have been photoprinted, giving them a bit of an artificial look. In 1998, at the Pebble Beach Concours they honored the Porsche 50th anniversary. A guy I know, who collects Porsches, was invited to bring one of his cars to the concours. The car's plate was "WEISSACH," for the Porsche test track. Jerry Seinfeld, who is a big Porsche collector, saw the car and asked the owner if the plate was real. At that time, the technology was new to NY plates, and many people were still unfamiliar with the "flat" plates. I don't like the look of them, but the DMV frowns on those who try to make their own! Dinoman

 Interesting, thanks for the info

#3754 - in reply to #3668
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Posted 4/27/2006 9:54 PM
Roomie

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

I got the SL antenna right away when I picked up my car so I guess I haven't tested the radio reception with the normal antenna but my experience is unfortunately not as good as Dinomans. I'm having trouble finding the stations I want. On a side note here, do you guys know if it's possible to go through the frequencies manually instead of doing the automatic search?

I also got the paint for the antenna base but I haven't applied it yet, is it complicated, should I be careful about anything in particular when I do it?

And last of all, I don't care that much about the unlock/lock distance, actually I think it's a good thing in case my key get stolen the thief won't be able to find it just by pressing the unlock. Neither do I care that much about the radio reception since I listen mainly to CD's.

But come on, what where they thinking. They designed one of the most beautiful cars in this segment and then gives it an outrageous looking antenna that spoils a lot of it, at least that's my opinion. For me it has always mainly been about the image with this car, all the other good stuff like handling and such has just been a great bonus :D OK maybe not really but a bit at least :D

Edited by Roomie 4/27/2006 9:55 PM
#4150 - in reply to #2443
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Posted 4/28/2006 8:32 AM
Dinoman

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Roomie, As I indicated in a reply to Ynot, it could be either the topography of your area, or the strength of the various stations' signals. I hope that your experience will improve. I need to cover my car at night, so the appearance aspect is important to me, but is only one consideration. Dinoman
#4512 - in reply to #4150
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Posted 4/28/2006 10:23 AM
Julien

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Dinoman - 4/28/2006 8:32 AM

Roomie, As I indicated in a reply to Ynot, it could be either the topography of your area, or the strength of the various stations' signals. I hope that your experience will improve. I need to cover my car at night, so the appearance aspect is important to me, but is only one consideration. Dinoman

Actually it has to do with the fact that the SL has most of it's antenna located in the rear bumper and the SLK doesn't. It is physically impossible for a short antenna to pick up FM approximate 10' wave length. He is a brief explanation of why the SL antenna can't work well.
#4594 - in reply to #4512
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Posted 4/28/2006 10:26 AM
Dinoman

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Julien, I have no technical basis upon which to doubt you, but I'm going to trust my ears on this one. Dinoman
#4597 - in reply to #4594
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Posted 4/28/2006 11:11 AM
beverage

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Roomie - 4/27/2006 2:54 PM

I got the SL antenna right away when I picked up my car so I guess I haven't tested the radio reception with the normal antenna but my experience is unfortunately not as good as Dinomans. I'm having trouble finding the stations I want. On a side note here, do you guys know if it's possible to go through the frequencies manually instead of doing the automatic search?


There definiatly is a way to manually tune the radio - cause I remember reading it in the manual. It think you either press * or # and then type in the radio frequency .......

And by the way - nice avatar
#4626 - in reply to #4150
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Posted 4/28/2006 11:15 AM
Ynot

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Roomie: Many ppl from both benzworld and mbworld had problems with the SL antenna, that's the reason why I didn't purchase it. I opt for the r170 one which works great for me. Some report it didn't work as well but nothing compared to the complaints about the SL antenna. I'm surprised Dinoman's worked w/o the bumper extension. The r170 one is a little longer, I attached a pic below. The antenna based can be painted, just unscrew the antenna bit and tape up everything except the antenna base (hard plastic). The range for lock/unlock is reduce but since you don't care it will not be a problem, the range is still more than 50', it doesn't bother me at all, I like to hear my car lock and unlock. I'm with you, the antenna must be the ugliest part of the car, everything else is perfect.

Julien: When I took out the antenna base to get painted, I've notice there is an extension that stretches to the bumper so there's a possibility that the SL one might work. I'm confused why you need another one for the SL or was it that you have to remove the previous one and install the new one?



Edited by Ynot 4/28/2006 11:21 AM
#4630 - in reply to #2443
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Posted 4/28/2006 12:23 PM
Dinoman

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Ynot, If the translated info. from Easty on the March, '08 facelift is correct, it sounds like the new antenna may be 19 cm. in length. That would seem to be about what you have now with the R170 antenna. What goes around, comes around! Incidently, I mentioned some rare "flutter" on weaker stations (such as our local PBS station). Yesterday, I drove the Boxster to work and, on the way home, had more "flutter" on a powerful local album rock station than what I've experienced with the SL antenna. The Boxster has a central windshield antenna. I don't know if there is an auxiliary antenna anywhere, but my reception in the Boxster has always been very good. Dinoman
#4682 - in reply to #4630
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Posted 4/28/2006 12:30 PM
etyu

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Ynot, do you know how to remove the antenna base (not the antenna) so one can prime and then paint? Does disassembly involve removing the black paneling from the cargo compartment side? Thanks.
#4686 - in reply to #2443
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Posted 4/28/2006 12:47 PM
Ynot

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

etyu - 4/28/2006 10:30 AM Ynot, do you know how to remove the antenna base (not the antenna) so one can prime and then paint? Does disassembly involve removing the black paneling from the cargo compartment side? Thanks.

Yes,

1. First twist off the antenna bit

2. There should be a bolt that needs to be unscrewed, after you remove the bolt, pull the base forward, there should be a wire that connects to the bumper, just pull it out, make sure you tape it to the car otherwise it slip into the hole and will be hard to get out.

3. To install it back, you will need to remove the black carpet paneling to find the metal plate that holds the bolt together, that most likely will slip off when you remove the bolt. I don't think I'm explaining it well enough, but most of it is self-explanatory when you remove it. Hope that helps. let me know if you still have problems when you try to remove it.

#4690 - in reply to #4686
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Posted 4/28/2006 1:32 PM
etyu

Date registered: Dec 1899
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Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

Ynot, thank you much. I got the idea.
#4702 - in reply to #2443
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Posted 4/28/2006 4:57 PM
Ynot

Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Re: R230 Antenna Working Great!

etyu - 4/28/2006 11:32 AM Ynot, thank you much. I got the idea.

 Here's a better explanation

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r171-slk-class/1234014-how-remove-base-antenna.html?highlight=antenna+base

#4834 - in reply to #4702
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Posted 5/1/2006 7:32 AM
taroliw

Date registered: Dec 1899
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RE: R230 Antenna Working Great!

etyu - 4/26/2006 3:06 PM

The radius of operation may be decreased to around 10 meters and there was some deterioration of AM/FM radio signals.
That's about right. I took time (and pictures) to document the difference in fob range betweent the whip and R230 antennae: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/1708375-post72.html
#6478 - in reply to #2889
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