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Well, I've done it. I don't know where I read it, but someone had. So with no pictures, I disassembled the MC antenna, installed the Sirius antenna, re-assembled the MC antenna, ran all the wires, and now, I have a Mini Cooper with a PNP with no visible antenna, and I'm very happy. If you have a OEM Nav setup, this will not work for you. If you don't know how to use hand tools, this mod is not for you. If you don't know how to solder, this mod is not for you. If you don't know how to use a dremel skillfully, this mod is not for you.
Follow the instructions on Mini2.com for dropping the roof cover. The antenna is held on by a large nut. I used pliers to loosen it, then unscrewed it with my fingers. It's not on very tight, due to the fact that it's fairly low torque. Unplug the antenna and the booster. Remove the antenna. There are four torx screws on the bottom. The tool I have has 99-62 etched onto it, but I don't believe that is the size of it. Remove the four screws. Slowly separate the base from the plastic housing. The base has the booster circuit card installed in it.
Now, here's where it gets hairy. I have an Audiovox SIRPNP-2 with the Silver dollar sized antenna with no nylon lead. Because my antenna may differ from yours, you may not want to attempt this mod. Notice I'm trying to talk you out of this at every step? I just don't want to be held responsible for you following my directions.
The sticker comes right off. There are six more screws on the bottom of this antenna, and lo and behold, they are the same size as the torx on the Mini. Remove all six, and pry the lid off of the antenna. The circuit card and antenna are one, and they come right out. Get some solder wicking, and remove the solder from the mini-rf cable, and pull if off of the circuit card. Pull the cable through the base of the antenna, and re-solder it to the antenna. With a dremel, or other small, precise cutting tool, you will have to make room for the antenna circuit board. Be careful that you don't heat up the base or remove too much plastic. You don't want a window in your antenna base. With a small amount of adhesive, attach the antenna circuit to the base of the MC antenna base. Test fit the cover, then remove a little more antenna cover.
Once your antenna fits well, use a dab of silicone to seal around where you removed the plastic. Re-attach the antenna base, and re-assemble your Mini Cooper bits.
This is not so much a how-to guide as it is a proof-of that this method works. I still need to drive the car home from work to see if I have any new drop out areas, but I suspect that it will work as well, if not better than, it used to.
Thank you for reading this post. I didn't take any pictures, and for this I apologize. I am pretty sure I will be doing it again in the near future, so I will take pictures of that.....
Brilliant! I'm sure for most sticking it on separately is more preferrable due to effort but it's great to know it's been done. Yes I would love to see photos, so if you do it again, remember the camera.
Service is fine. I have a 2005, with no nav option, so the antenna base was empty. I will be performing this task again on Monday so I will bring my work camera home, since my home camera will be in Brno for the week. I will take a great deal of pics, and a step by step.
If you do not post pictures of this, we will hunt you down and hurt you bad.
Seriously, I remember the 05 does have a slightly bigger antenna base than the 04's IIRC. I wonder if the 05 can be retrofitted to an older model? I can;t think of why it wouldn't but I may just be finding out soon.
With the new car coming and the huge price for Sirrus installation quoted by the dealership, I did not choose to add that package. However, I have a spouse who can do that job as you described it. I know he's got the skills as he made a programmable fuel injected mega squirt for his uno turbo last Christmas. He had the stuff all over the kitchen table until it was done! lol
Sorry gang, no pictures were taken. There just wasn't time for a documentary, and besides, this is purely a custom job. Every antenna is different, and every install would be different. In fact, I'm not quite certain that this job is finished. I may have to re-tweak the antenna. Something is just not quite right with it.....
The securing nut has a metal flange that keeps the wires to the side. When it's tightened, the signal diminishes. I got a report back that it worked very well this morning. However, I still think there's going to be a problem down the road. I believe the fix for this would be to change the angle on the flange to change the amount of pressure being exerted on the wires. But until it poses a problem, I think we'll leave it alone. Finish is absolutely fantastic, with no signs whatsoever that anything has been done to the antenna. But until I am absolutly certain that this modification is 100%, I don't think I would be comfortable showing people how to do it. In fact, unless you have experience in electronics, I don't think that the mod would be very practical.
I've been trying to decide whether or not to offer an "antenna modification" service, whereas I would make up Mini Antennas with Sirius, XM, or GPS reciever antennas built into them. Or perhaps a quick turnaround, where Mini owners that would like this done could send me their antennas, and I would integrate them, for a fee. I'm still on the fence on that.
If you get the procedure down, your best bet it to buy the part from the dealer, and have it installed and in stock. When someone orders one, you mail it to them already completed. Then, they mail their old one back to you, for you to re-use. That way people have no downtime or hole in their roof for a while. You can say if old antenna is not received within a week or two you charge them the price of the part etc.
I thought of that, but the problem is, if they send me a damaged Mini Antenna, or a Sirius antenna that won't fit, I'm screwed. I think I'll just stick to local stuff. Besides, it's hard to send beer (my usual charge) through the mail. I'm not in this for the money, I make enough of that at work. Oh well......
I thought of that, but the problem is, if they send me a damaged Mini Antenna, or a Sirius antenna that won't fit, I'm screwed.
I'm pretty sure that the 2002 to 2004 MINI antennas won't work for this modification either. I'd say you're probably safe to limit yourself to local cars with beer for payment.
The securing nut has a metal flange that keeps the wires to the side. When it's tightened, the signal diminishes. I got a report back that it worked very well this morning. However, I still think there's going to be a problem down the road. I believe the fix for this would be to change the angle on the flange to change the amount of pressure being exerted on the wires. But until it poses a problem, I think we'll leave it alone. Finish is absolutely fantastic, with no signs whatsoever that anything has been done to the antenna. But until I am absolutly certain that this modification is 100%, I don't think I would be comfortable showing people how to do it. In fact, unless you have experience in electronics, I don't think that the mod would be very practical.
I've been trying to decide whether or not to offer an "antenna modification" service, whereas I would make up Mini Antennas with Sirius, XM, or GPS reciever antennas built into them. Or perhaps a quick turnaround, where Mini owners that would like this done could send me their antennas, and I would integrate them, for a fee. I'm still on the fence on that.
What do you folks think?
What's the easiest way to reattach the antenna base with no modifications. R56 MCSa. Don't want to add anything special to the antenna, something hit it and loosened it and I have to get it refastened flush with the roof without paying the $450 requested by the dealer. Basically it's a wobbling roof antenna base now. Let me know thanks.
Update on this thread. I just perfomed the install/modification, got the camera out and got everything apart and ...Battery in the camera died..I know I suck...
BUT...I got this antenna in my XM kit and found that whence you dis-assembly it (and cut and splice the coaxial cable), it fits perfectly into the recess in the stock MINI antenna. Just cut and splice the antenna cable about 2 feet into the car, this way the splice isn't under any load and tucks neatly into the headliner.
Here's the antenna I recieved with my Onyx kit and the pic of the coaxial splice I got to repair the cut cable. (You can't desolder this mini-bud" antenna, the wire extends under the circuit board). Cost nothing for the antenna (came with the kit) and was $3 for the cable splice from Radio Shoack. Took about an hour including routing the antenna cable to the front of the car.
BTW..Mounting the Onyx car kit directly onto the power plug cap (located in the boot but re-located/re-purposed this to the front power outlet, put the lighter in the rear boot to cover the hole)It sits nicely in the front power outlet and can be easily removed if you need to use the outlet for something..Will follow up with pics of the radio install if requested..
Last edited by jasyatz; 03-05-2011 at 08:36 PM.
Reason: Was even more useless without the product pictures..
