Opinion on the Richbrook Aerial's

[katg]

Cleaned the car at the weekend, and now annoyed at all the little things wrong with it again and the fact the rubber at the bottom of the aerial is horrible to look at is the cheapest prob to sort, so i really need a black aerial that will look really nice on the clio aerial mount, would the Richbrook anti-theft one be a gd choice and does anyone have one and have any pictures, as i'm worried the base wont match up and it'll look out of place.

Or any other aerial idea would be welcome, but i like the idea of an aluminium type one so i don't have this problem again

Thanks

 

[Neat]

Sorry, but I reckon most of the aluminium ones look chavvy (Richbrook included.) I did consider one of those really short 'bullet' style ones in black (really plain design - no grooves, ridges, or any other detail in the design), which I thought would look good on my car......but decided it would get nicked in no time at all.

You didn't really ask, but can any aerial be 'anti-theft'? Surely they still just screw into the threaded hole of the base, same as any other.

It's obviously subjective, but I do reckon black is the right colour choice for any car aerial - irrespective of the colour of the car.

I reckon the way to go is anything that doesn't look aftermarket.

In the end I just chopped my standard aerial down. Like yours, the rubber at the base is perished so I didn't mind experimenting, but now I know it works I'm going to buy a new standard one from Renault and do the same again.

Other options? People have fitted Civic Type-R, and I think C2 VTS and Mazda something-or-other (possibly an MPS model.)

Like you say it matters how the aerial mast looks on your aerial base - can't help you there. I can only suggest searching for pics on here.

If you've got a cup spoiler (or have any intention of fitting one), the aerial needs to be of a small diameter, like standard (at the point where it could possibly make contact with the spoiler), or really short.

 

[katg]

Hey thanks for the honesty, I hadn't even though of them being chavvy, and thats defo not a look i want (thats my brothers job in his Astra!)

How often do Aerials get nicked? i hadn't choose the richbrook one becuase of that, just because I though it'd be a name I could trust in. Until the summer i've lived in the middle of nowhere, in Cornwall and the only thing thats a problem is hedges ripping them off, not chavs wanting them!

I'll start looking into getting a new standard one from Renault, i'll probs be the best idea afterall

 

[Neat]

Sorry, was a bit blunt.
I'd like to think I'm always right ......but I know I'm not :-(, so I wouldn't want you to just take my word for it, have a search for other threads.
I do reckon the standard ones look best though - if not a bit long. If you're going to replace it anyway, you could try what I (and lots of others) have done - unscrew it, pull the rubber cap off the end, chop a bit off with a hacksaw, put the rubber cap back on. Just take off a bit at a time and see if it still gets good enough reception. The rubber cap doesn't fit quite as neatly once you've cut the aerial down, but I think it still looks better overall. If you're worried about what you'd be slicing through (assuming it's a standard aerial mast) - it has a fibreglass (or composite at least) rod in the middle that keeps the whole aerial.....er.....'up', then there's a really fine wire spiralling all the way down the outside of it that's connected to the threaded bit that sticks out the bottom (this is what actually picks up the radio waves which are fed along the cable hidden in your car, and into the back of the stereo headunit), outside that is a spiral of relatively thick cord (which I can only think is there to create turbulence and reduce aerodynamic drag on the aerial), and lastly the black heatshrink sleeve you can see from the outside to seal everything in. (I really need to get out more.....it's just an aerial!)
P.S. I live near Manchester so I forget sometimes that not everyone lives somewhere that if you've spent a few quid on something, and it ain't nailed down, it'll be gone next time you look (ok maybe a slight exaggeration!)
P.P.S Part of me wants to see a pic. of that Astra.....and part of me really doesn't.

 

[katg]

Ah kwl, I'll give it a go and see! It's really handy to know that it shouldn't damage to much cutting it off, it was worrying they might have done something stupid like trailed the wire up and back down, so cutting it in half work actually 1/4 it or something! I've got an idea with the rubber cap they i might be able to heatshrink it back on if it's not fitting right (i'm actually an electronic engineer, just very worried about messing around with the car!)

P.S. This year and before have been fine, but next year i'm gonna need to be more careful with nailing stuff down in the summer, moving to my bf's house, and its in an area that there are queue's for the pay phone coz so many phone lines have been cut!

P.P.S TBH the Astra isn't as bad as it could be, the worst thing about it is he managed to find a SRI Rep as he couldn't get insured at 18 with a full SRI... So it looks like a SRI but is actually a 1.7 Diesel that has less go than the 1.3 MK3 fiesta he bought it to replace! Plus he's bought a Astra only parking sign and put up out side the house, which is a bit silly

 

[Neat]

So, you're an electronic engineer then - good job I didn't say anything that you may have taken as being patronising then

I wouldn't touch certain things on my car - like major mechanical, bodywork repairs, that kind of thing. But interior and exterior trim, and smaller stuff - may as well have a go, it's more satisfying (and cheaper) to do it myself.

The reason the rubber cap doesn't fit back so neatly is because the bigger spiral thing stops short of it......until you shorten the aerial and then you have to force the cap over the whole lot.

 

[jez4130]

as said, dont go for a silver one, had one on mine when i bought it and it looked terrible. found a civic aerial in the end and it looks great, doesnt quite fit right at the bottom, but you can hardly tell.

Think the mazda aerial is the best one, looks like the civic one, (short and black) but fits perfectly.

 

[katg]

So, you're an electronic engineer then - good job I didn't say anything that you may have taken as being patronising then

heh, no worries, actually only almost an engineer! still have to finish of my year placement and final year at uni! But i wouldn't worry about being patronising, some of the stuff i've heard is awful, some people seem to see a Female and immediately change their attitude. Worst was being refused the sale of a 555 IC "becuase it's dangerous to play with them and i should get advice from some one trained" and v.annoying comments in PCWorld about what I was going to do with thermal paste... had to explain I have a quad core gaming rig at home!

TBH the main thing that stops me doing stuff my self to the car is my dad, which is great now i've moved away, I've just been explaning how i'd love to respray the alloys and change the oil myself next time i'm home to save sending it to the garage, but he went slightly nuts at the thought (although the oils sorted, i asked my uncle and he said he'd help instead, so dad wont get an option!) He also couldn't believe i resprayed the gear knob insert at the weekend and then proceeded to tell me how much worse it'll be now and wear down quickly and stuff and i should have just bought one... nice that it'd have been my money i'd have needed to spend!

@jez4130 the mazda idea sounds and gd option as well thanks, I might try cutting mine down, and seeing if i can try the aerial from my cousins Mazda and compare them.

 

[Neat]

Mazda MPS aerial - http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=440646&highlight=mazda+mps&page=2

Wanted to see what they looked like myself. Look pretty good, but don't think they'd fit with the spoiler on mine.

As said you may as well try the free option first.

By the way, do you know what's best for cleaning electrical contacts (such as the thread on the aerial mast for example) - i.e. to clean and give the best electrical connection? I've seen specific sprays (in Halfords and the like) but haven't ever bought any - I usually just use WD40, but don't know if it's as good.

Hope your degee's going well. Completely screwed mine up (mechanical engineering.)

You lost me with the first "5" (googled it - realised I think I used one of those timers back at high school or college, longer ago than I'd like to think about.)

It's crazy how sexist some people still are. My sister used to get me to tag along to garages etc. - she knew she'd be less likely to get ripped-off. But it's not as if any given bloke is at all technically minded. In some places they'd automatically start talking to me even if I hadn't said a word and they knew she was the customer!

You're more ambitious than I am in how much you want to do yourself. I used to do more on my beat-up old Nova - but I'm more scared of getting anything wrong on this one.