I have been searching and it seems in the hatchbacks the FM antenna is in the rear drivers side window but I do not see any indication that the convertibles are the same, anyone know for sure because the car we just got picks some stations up fine but our fav is weak, the antenna was missing from the roof so we replaced that with a mini antenna but that didn't seem to help at all.

Thanks

 

Only difference between the hatch and drophead antenna is location, back or front.
The antenna is not 'adjustable' so far as sensitivity is concerned. FM reception is influenced by three factors, frequency, output power and distance. FM signals are higher frequency (megahertz), which requires much more output power to carry the same distance as AM (kilohertz). I spent 7 years in the Navy operating and maintaining low frequency transmitter equipment and nothing can change the physics except the media (atmosphere) and physical obstacles.
So, how far up the band and how far away your favorite station is will dictate its reception quality. Nothing you can do will change those parameters except drive closer to the transmitter.
One thing you may notice is that the further away you are from the station while driving, depending upon which side of a hill you are on, the signal will fade in and out.

 

+1 the R57 is on the front above the glass, the R55 and R56 are on the back.

I have an r52 that shares similar set up and compared to the R53 its the same,. I have driven the R57 and its about the same as the R56. With a MINI stubby antenna on the R57 , i did notice some AM loss, but not many people listen to AM anymore, so most people dont notice a change.

Did you install the long or short antenna,

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/65202296772/

Was the antenna base damaged ? Removed at one point ?

 

The base did not appeared to have any damage, we tried a stubby antenna from an auto parts store mainly for appearance, planning to return and try something longer.

 

Try the MINI ones above, i had no issues with them

 

Thanks, anything between the stock 16" and stubby 4" that's recommended?

 

The 83mm and 103mm look great.

 

I added the shorter antenna and no difference than the one I picked up at the local parts store, I guess FM reception is just one of the areas that this car falls a little short on

 

Did you check the base unit and make sure the cables under the base unit are all connected . 65203453892 there are wire that hang down from the base under the top cowl and make sure they are connected.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/65203453892/


Diagram #2 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...14#65203453892

 

I have not, I will take a look to see how to access this

 

Check out this carbon fiber unit:

http://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMA7...-3in-Universal

 

My wife just bought a 2009 R57 and it had a stubby antenna. Would not pick up diddly here in Huntsville except the Huntsville stations and we wanted the Houston stations about 60 miles to the south. I replaced the stubby with the 16" antenna from Amazon and it works substantially better. My wife was very happy.

With all due respect to Fly'n Brick, antenna's typically can influence signal reception and delivery far more than power (every 3db increase in antenna equals an effective doubling of output power). Higher gain antennas are also good for improving reception. The more copper you have out there, the more ability it has to be influenced by the EM passing through the atmosphere, to a point of course.

Of course I certainly am no expert, but I can tell you my wife was VERY happy after I installed a longer antenna for her. That's all that mattered to me!

Allan
WD1R
Amateur radio Extra

 

Is there a write-up or doc anywhere on how to access the underside of the base?

 

I think I finally got to the bottom of this issue, upon pulling the trim out the wiring was routed beside the nut holding the antenna base on and was pinched instead of through the hole in the nut. I was able to remove each of the connectors, route the wiring through the nut, tighten down with a oxygen sensor socket, reconnected the wires and signal is now strong on even the weakest station. I will be testing later this afternoon to confirm that this is the fix. If so it would appear that during production a step was skipped for the install.

 

Also, since I couldn't find a write-up on how to access below are the steps

1. Open Sunroof
2. Unscrew 2 Phillips head screws on sun visor and remove (both sides)
3. Pry back cover on visor clip and unscrew 2 star screws on each side (both sides)
4. Gently twist rear view mirror neck 1/4 turn to release
5. Pop loose upper trim housing (where sunroof and lights are)
6. Pop loose A pillar trim at top of each door
7. Pop loose trim that was located under the visors, 1 clip per side
From here you will be able to see the underside of the antenna base to confirm if wiring is routed correctly

Reinstall in reverse order

 

Glad you figured it out knew it was something at the connection point.

 

After driving a little bit this doesn't seem to have made any difference. On to trying a longer antenna.

 

In this video we demonstrate the Stubby antenna replacement from Mini Mania. This 4" antenna creates a slick look for your Mini! And, if you've ever had your OEM antenna damaged by car washes, this is the replacement you need


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