can non-working '79 308 antenna be moved manually??

my power antenna(79 308 GTS) does not work and is in "down" position...
...before screwing with it i thought i would ask if anyone has had experience trying to raise the antenna manually...??

regards,
william sea, wa.

 

I've never done it, but it should be simple enough to yank on it and pull it out a ways. Not too far though, you CAN completely pull it out...that is how you replace the mast if broken.

Best to just get a new one here:http://www.antennaworld.com/

Order a S41...if you want a black one, order the S41, then under spare parts, order the black mast and black cap kit, to convert over.

Dave

 

Think of it this way. The ant. has a spool with a stiff wire that runs inside the hollow ant. and is attatched to the top of the metal ant. that moves freely. In a word: No you must replace it.

 

William,

You probably have an AUTOVOX semi-automatic antenna. If the antenna motor runs when you move the console switch but the antenna doesn't extend, then the nylon cable attached to the top section of the mast has fractured.

You can replace the top section of the AUTOVOX mast with a new mast top section with an intact nylon cable.

Carquest sells a semi-automatic power antenna (Part# 81050) with an appropriate mast top section with a nylon cable just slightly narrower than the AUTOVOX cable. It fits the original AUTOVOX mast precisely. The original AUTOVOX chrome tip will fit the Carquest top section as the threading is identical. You'll have to modify the end clip on the Carquest cable to attach it to the AUTOVOX spool using the original cotter pin. Remember to clean and lubricate the interior and clutch mechanism of the AUTOVOX unit before reassembly.

The result is a repaired original AUTOVOX antenna. Here's a picture of the original AUTOVOX mast and (broken) cable and the Carquest mast and cable with modified clip.

Barry

 

Napolis is right. The prior owner had installed one on my 86 TR that would work erratically - sticking in the "up" postion most of the time.

Pushing it down manually broke something in the spool. I ended up removing the stupid thing and reconnecting the radio to the antenna that is embedded into the windshield.

If you have an autovox and your diagnosis is as Barry described, then your'e in luck.

They sell those automatic antennas everwhere, even jc whitney has a couple of models. -Good luck

 

Here's a closeup of the modified clip. Also, see this thread for a recent discussion of this problem:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=84204#post84204

The Carquest antenna is only about $12 so it's a very economical way to harvest the part you need to repair your antenna and maintain originality if you concours your car.

Barry

 

Anyway, William, to answer your original question, if the nylon cable has broken you can extend the antenna mast, but gravity will collapse it. If the motor has seized, then you won't be able to extend the mast at all.

Hopefully your problem is just a loose wire, disconnected RF jack, blown fuse or something like that.

Barry

 

thanks guys...dave when are we going to race around the city after a few latte's

william