Ground A Car Antenna
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If your car does not have a good grounding system then it becomes quite difficult to hear your radio because you will hear more static than music when the radio is turned on. This article will tell you how to get a good ground on an antenna. The ground connection of the antenna should be made in such a way that the ground receives and stores excess amount of voltage. If this grounding is not done then the excess voltage will bounce back through the radio and the antenna resulting in static. Even though the modern car`s design makes it quite a challenge regarding grounding it is still possible with a little work.
For completing the task you the following materials will be required: a socket brush, wire brush, dielectric grease, ring terminal, and electrical pliers. You can get these things in your local electrical store.
First find out whether the hood of the car or whether the trunk of the car is located near your car`s antenna and open it whichever is nearer. You will find a single wire and a larger cable coming from the base of the antenna. The wire is the antenna ground. Locate this wire and pull the ground wire so that it reaches the car frame.
Now you have to locate a bolt on the car`s frame but make sure that the bolt is such that it connects frame to frame and not the one that connects the body of the car to the frame. For example choose a cross piece or a hinge attachment. The purpose of such a selection is that the ground wire should be connected directly to the frame.
Now with the help of a socket wrench remove the chosen bolt. After removal, clean the bolt and the area around the bolt such that it is free from all kinds of dust, debris and rust.
Take a small amount of dielectric grease and coat it over the bare end of the ground wire and the bolt. This dielectric grease will provide the necessary protection from dust and moisture thus helping to prevent the formation of rust. This step is quite important because if the rust formation begins to take place, then the grounding performed will start to lose its effect.
Before reinstalling the bolt back in its place, wrap the antenna ground`s copper wire around the bolt securely. To avoid the grounded wire coming off the bolt due to the continuous vibrations that the vehicle is subjected to, use a ring terminal. Before reinstalling the bolt, place the bolt through the ring. Do not operate a radio that is connected to an antenna but not grounded properly, as the excess voltage can damage the radio.
Follow these steps up to the hilt and get rid of all your worries regarding excess voltage damaging your radio. With the help of these simple steps get a good ground on a car antenna and start enjoying your radio.