Power antenna install (Hirschmann HIT AUTA 2050)

[dobryan]

I just finished installing a power antenna on the euroBus and since I could not find an install topic I documented what I did.

I did see a facebook post where someone took some pics of their install but not really documented. But it gave me the basic knowledge to do this.

I used a Hirschmann HIT AUTA 2050 power antenna for Mercedes.

https://www.ebay.com/p/1222989461

The installation was actually very easy in general. It took about one hour or so this afternoon.

Remove the existing antenna. Unscrew the nut on top of the antenna fairing at the base of the antenna mast. Remove the front grill and drivers headlight assembly. Pull the antenna downward. (If you want you could tie a piece of string or something to the other end of the antenna lead at the radio so you maybe could pull the new antenna lead along but I had the instrument cluster off already and it is easy to route the new antenna lead with the cluster off.)

On the power antenna remove the fairing assembly completely. You will reuse the stock VW antenna faring you removed and the new nut from the power antenna.

Now it is time to open up the hole in the body interior so the power antenna will pass thru. Use a 1 3/8" step bit on a right angle drill and clean up the edges with a rat tail file and the new antenna will just fit thru.

Insert the new antenna assembly in from the bottom until the antenna base comes out the stock hole on top.

Now use a battery to raise the antenna. Black to ground and both the green and red leads to positive will raise the antenna (just the red lead to pos and black to ground will lower it).

Slide on the original fairing and the new nut and hand tighten.

Now align the antenna base unit so that the antenna is vertical and the base is turned to be parallel with the side body panel as shown. You need to get it out of the way of the headlight bucket. It should be just barely clear of the big resistor under it.

Get creative and fashion a bracket for the base of the antenna unit. The kit has the material to use.

Do a dry fit of the headlight bucket and realize that your bracket is in the way and use a common blunt force tool to persuade the bracket out of the way. You can do a better bracket than that mess.

Ground the black wire on the body.

Feed the antenna lead and two power wires up thru the 1 3/8" hole into the space behind the instrument cluster and route them to the radio.

Insert pipe insulation material in the annular area to keep critters out.

Pull off the nut and fairing and repaint the fairing matte black, add some silicon to the base, and reinstall and tighten the nut gently.

You should be done!

(What really makes this work so well is the use of the original fairing piece as the power antenna hardware is not made for the steep angle of the Vanagon front end.)
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[DanHoug]

NICE write-up. i still think power antennas are one of the coolest things on cars. and very practical.
_________________
-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[Zeitgeist 13]

Very cool. I've wanted to do this for a very long time. I have a stash of vintage Hirschmanns, but matching up the stanchion and mast was always the hurdle.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[erste]

Nice work! Thanks for documenting and sharing.

[4Gears4Tires]

Are stock Vanagon antennas unpowered/manual pull? I have never touched mine. I assumed it was just broken because it didn't extend when I turned on the stereo and since I don't use the radio I didn't pay it any mind.
_________________
'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[DuncanS]

[DuncanS]

This is the one piece item which seemed to be standard in the 80's. The PO of my '91 weekender had an external telescoping unit which failed. Don't know if that was factory or not, but tracked down a one piece item and replaced the broken antenna. Have never had any problems with the one piece guys, which were on several of my T3's, in carwashes or my low garage overhead. One less thing to electrical go wrong, but........still think the retracts are cool.

[djkeev]

I worked for Mercedes back in the 70/80’s. Hirshman antenna's were a big item, most of the higher end models had them.
Let's just say I kept a good inventory of replacement masts and entire units for the failure rate was sky high!

The slightest bend in the shaft from hitting a leaf while in motion would tweak the mast just enough to not retract.
The nylon feed "wire" would get chewed up by the internal gears or water would simply infiltrate the motor and it would go kaputz.

They often fail to retract fully. I have an 86 SL in my garage right now with the mast stuck up about 6”.
Keep the mast well lubricated and only have it up when you must.

I understand with shipping this unit and storing this unit you want to minimize damage but do be careful with it.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[dobryan]

[dobryan]

[Zeitgeist 13]

Some of the modern HUs will send a signal through the blue wire to retract the antenna when it's not in radio mode.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[dobryan]

[dobryan]

[ALIKA T3]

[TurtsMcSlow]

Document your switch install as well please. Great write up, thanks for this.

[dobryan]

The switch install is easy. The green wire is the signal wire to raise the antenna. I will put a switch in line with the green wire. Switch off no continuity thru the green wire and the antenna stays down. Switch on and the green wire is active and controlled by the radio.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Zeitgeist 13]

[4Gears4Tires]

Yeah, same with the BMW world. Very common to switch to stubby antennas because of this.
_________________
'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[Ronzo_volvo_guy]

Forum;

...another newby questions from a (dad of a new '87 Westy owner): What circuit is that power resistor behind the headlight for (what section/page/link on Wiring Diagram might I find it in)...I'm just coming up to speed on details of these vehicles...

I'd like to ask about the published Wiring Diagrams (we have both factory and Haynes manuals)...how consistent with the published WDs are the actual cars (owner changes obviously notwithstanding)...on vintage Volvos, the consistency is quite good, so I have learned to trust the published WDs and I often say: "The color codes and wire gauge in the factory WD is you friend" ...can the same be said for the Westy and VW published WDs?

TIA, and Cheers from a snowy Connecticut wonderland!

[Zeitgeist 13]

I believe that resistor is for the cooling fan. The Bentley wiring diagrams are sorta helpful, in the same way a road map from 1977 might get you part of the way home. You [gulp] might need to stop and ask for directions.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?