Hi everyone, I'm not strong with electrics/relays and am wondering whether it's possible to simply install a switch between the radio and the antenna so that I can control whether the antenna is up or down when the radio is on.

I don't expect the switch to have any control over the antenna when the radio is off.

This is for an unmodified 1992 XJS with the original sound system.

Thanks for your help!

 

Oh it's possible alright, as a matter of fact I have done it to my 1996 XJS!

What you want to do is pull out your radio and find the wire that sends power to the antenna. I think its the blue one, but for heaven's sake please triple check.

Cut the wire some place that will allow you to splice a long extension wire to both cut ends.

Extend both wires down into the under-ski-slope area and continue to pull it through until you get to the center bin.

Here's the awesomely awesome part. You can pop out one of the two switch fillers in the black (removed) center console cubby. There should be one on each side of the latch. Pop one out from underneath and purchase a switch from Radio Shack. It will fit right in!

It's a red switch. Its part #275-691.

Connect one wire to each of the two contacts on the switch and you're in!

It's that easy and simple. I did it so I can listen to my satellite radio without the antenna being up.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thank you, Vee, that is awesomely awesome. I'll do this in conjunction with the installation of an iSimple Tranzit iPhone adapter that I just picked up.

Update: actually the switch is Radio Shack 275-694, SPST. 275-691 is DPDT. But you got me there!

 

Just curious, can you stop the antenna part way up or does it have to travel all up or all down? I'd like to be able to stop mine mid way, I don't really care for the looks of it fully extended.

 

If you cut all power to the aerial it will stop. But on my car, at least, with the standard jaguar system from that time, the signal to the aerial from the radio goes via a relay that has a delay on it. This causes the aerial to remain up for about 15 seconds before it triggers the thing to descend, and to keep rising once it has been triggered. So in this case, cutting the power to the aerial with a switch in the signal line from the radio will not prevent the aerial descending after a few seconds, or continuing to rise, then decending after a few seconds fully extended.

Greg

 

I love the fact that the antenna is long enough to receive shortwave radio signals from New Zealand.

I don't think it would be worth modifying to stop short.

I just needed to be able to turn on my satellite radio without bothering to have the antenna up every time.