LK1

Thanks again. I'm going with the 2 prong switch on the antenna for ease of install.

I looked at my metra harness and know where the confusion is coming from. On the Toyota harness diagram you linked, J is the orange/white wire and it says "Do Not Use". This coupled with dire warnings about the orange wire put the fear of god in me.

Edit: This link http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/Toyota-Wiring.pdf

I am going to connect the wires and wait for the explosion.

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

Sure thing.

lol, I must have missed those dire warnings when I did my install...cause I connected the org/whit wire right off.

I did open everything back up and disconnect the org/wht to see if it helped my Field Monitor display issue, but all it did was cause my HU to stay at full brightness day and night. Def too bright at night, so I reconnected it. HU dims properly now when I turn my lights on.

surf4runner

have you tried it w/ the mast ant disconnected?


ill probably go the 'Y' route and just disconect the mast power.

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

I have not. I guess I still want the option to raise it if need be.

Let me know how the reception is when you go the Y route and disconnect the mast power.

Kerby J

hey guys i did this just the other day and i can say that i love it i get way better reception than before since i installed an aftermarket antennaon my car

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

Great

AlexJet

Can't find those parts in Canada and Amazon dpoesn't want to ship them to Canada.
Anyone willing to help???

Ron Helmuth

you don't have METRA brand parts available in the Great White north? The cost of shipping here and mailing again to get to you would exceed the parts cost, nonetheless stay in touch with me if that is the way you want to go. The tariffs would cost you a bundle then too I think...

You must have car stereo outfitters that can help you out-the one adapter (for the rear diversity antenna) is designed for GM vehicles, and those are built up there I do believe.

good luck...

AlexJet

I'm trying to call car install shops locally.
Car-audio stores doesn't carry those accessories.
So far I found one store which has it, but they ask too much. I can get cheaper with eBay... I'm keep looking, but thank you for keeping me a back-up option.

LifeOnABoard

I did this with a HU that has a VERY good reception spec and the radio quality SUCKS compared to stock. I don't have a switch installed, so both antennas are wired when I turn the tuner on. If only the stock unit had an AUX option....oh and amp outputs.....

rideexileex

iTrader: (1)

You know... if anyone is considering doing this, it would be interesting to measure the impedance of the toyota antennas, both the front and rear while separate, and then together when connected with the Y adapter. An irregular (as in, different than a typical 50 ohm for coax cables, and other audio equipment sometimes use 150 or 600 ohm) impedance could be explaining the poor reception... Just a thought.

I also noticed poor reception after installing my premier HU using just the front mast antenna, compared to the OEM HU.

TheDurk

How would you do that? Impedance is not the same as resistance and cannot be measured with a VOM. As far as I know you need something like this:Antenna Analyzer

rideexileex

iTrader: (1)

Just use a DMM... Measuring resistance over the coax lines will give a general idea whether or not the systems are similar. You don't need the reactance part - I'm curious whether or not they are similar, not necessarily match.

Reason being, the OEM HU has two inputs for two antennas. Configuring two in a Y configuration alters the load characteristic seen by the HU

TheDurk

I know, I said that early on in this thread, although I would not use the word load for a receive-only antenna. But I also question whether you CAN leave out the reactance part. I know I can build two systems with the same impedance but different low-voltage resistance. I think we agree on what goes on--I just have a difference of opinion on how to prove it. That said, everything in antennas in the real world is subject to trial and error, even TV towers. If this does improve reception for some, it doesn't matter what the theory is.

Personally, my Alpine HU picks up Yankee games in Maryland starting just north of the Susquehanna from WCBS on the Empire State Building in NYC with just the mast. Nothing on FM for me anymore. So I'm fine without this.

Daniel-SanLV

Thanx very much for posting this. I'm installing a new deck and was beginning to scratch my head trying to figure out what the smaller plug was for. Ordering the "Y" cable regardless of reception effect just to satisfy my OCD.

harpo-rider

Hope I'm not off topic here but regardless, maybe someone can shed some light.

I already have the Y-adapter but my problem is I had to change antennas and I can't seem to figure out how to get the antenna cable through the hole on the fender well up anyplace high enough inside the truck so I can even grab it. I have almost the whole dash ripped apart and the glove box completely removed but there is just such a huge mess of stuff back there the the cable just wont route itself up. Heeeeeeeeeeelllllllppppp!!

Oh, and if it matters my truck is a 98 4runner SR5.

Thanx,
Joe

Ron Helmuth

Harpo-Rider

feed a wire coat hanger through the opening-attach one end to your antenna lead with electrical tape or similar. Then pull through ever so gently....

harpo-rider

Actually tried that. Couldn't get it anywhere I could even see it.
SHoot, if no one comes up with a better idea maybe I'll just try that again.
Thanx

DRCOFFEE

This is a great solution and I've done this to my T4r per this thread. If I may, I'd like to add one thing to it. The small male antenna plug on the diversity antenna didn't fit tightly in the Schoche adapter. What I had to do was squeeze the adapter in the vice at its opening to make it oval. Just tight enough for the male plug to click into place tightly. Otherwise it kept falling out of the adapter.

Thanks again for the write up.

hrt4me

that seems relatively easy and straight forward for me to try this coming weekend