I am planning on doing this too. I was reckoning that the little cubby hole where the cigarette lighter resides would be a discrete jet easily accessible location for the switch.

 

I installed the switch this evening and it works like a charm!! I used a black rocker switch and mounted it inside the console at the front. The hardest part of the job was crimping the wire connectors to the green/black wire ends. As previously stated there is not a lot of slack to work with. All in all it was an easy modification and I like the results. My wife thinks it`s ultimately **** to care about the antenna issue but.....

 

Here is my switch:

I wanted to keep it hidden and looking as factory as possible, so I put it at the very rear of the console. I hardly use it, so I wasn't concerned that it isn't that convenient to reach. I figure close to where the tapes would be stored it would be like switching tapes. The switch I found blends well with the existing switches and has a little light...that would light if I put about 10x more power though the switch I couldn't find one in this design without a light at Radio Shack.

 

Is your switch an LED K.W? Any amount of power should lite that puppy up.

 

It is LED, and I'm sure it lights, but with so little power I can't actually see it. I can't remember what this switch is rated for, but it was a lot higher than I needed. I'm actually happier that it doesn't light up.

 

This is my next Spring project after the exhaust mod. I really like the little black rectangle switch in the front of the console. How did you cut the hole? X-acto knife or Dremel??

 

Hi hlgeorge...I cut the opening for the switch by first scoring the outine with an exacto knife blade. Then I used a wood burning kit (like a soldering iron) which had a knife blade tip on it. It worked out great. The edges were a little rough, but the slightly wider edges of the switch cover it completely and it looks like it was factory fit. A dremel cutter would do a good job too...

 

lol my wife was the one pushing me to do the mod. She said she would turn the radio off when she pulled into a parking lot because it was embarrassing to have such a big antenna.

 

Where did you find the switch? I went to Radio Shack and they didn't have that switch.

 

I bought the exact black rocker switch shown in DALEN`s photos at PEP BOYS auto parts.

 

Thanks!

 

Yeah I got mine at a Kragen/O'Reily auto parts.

 

Done this mod this morning. Put the toggle switch inside the small cubby hole where the lighter resides (and slipped with the drill and cut the leather on the console )

One thing I hadn't realised: if I'm listening to the radio then switch to CD or another source, the aerial still stays up. There's no way to put the aerial down without switching off the headunit, is there?

 

Flip the switch off

The way the system works is that whenever the headunit is on, it sends power to the antenna. The antenna motor raises the antenna then stops when the antenna reaches the top. When the antenna is no longer powered (either by using this new switch, or by shutting off the headunit) the motor retracts the mast and then stops.

Prior to doing this modification, I was under the impression (and I'm not sure why) that switching on the headunit sent an impulse of current to signal the antenna to raise, and switching it off would send an impulse to lower it. I thought the switch simply stopped this from happening, but this not the case.

 

Ta-da! I was just being too impatient. It does retract when the switch is flipped - there's just quite a lengthy delay. An it doesn't half creek and grind when it's going down - what should I lubricate it with?

 

I lube the antenna with a very light coat of wd 40. I think any light oil would do. I`ve got some real thin sewing machine oil that I may use the next time. Also...if you mix a little viagra in the oil the antenna will rise twice as high next time. (sorry I just couldn`t resist)!

 

I used some car wax. It won't get grimy from the oil collecting dust particles etc. put it on and polish it off.

 

I just added the antenna switch today. I picked one up at a local electronics parts store for $2.50. The insert in the center console of my '98 XK8 is a bit different from the one pictured earlier and has a small black rectangular insert that looks like it's covering an opening for a switch. I removed the plastic piece and drilled a 7/16" hole in it to mount the switch. Works perfectly and looks like an OEM install.

 

I'm getting ready to install the switch like the one that Dalen used. I bought it at Pep Boys for about $2.50. I've got the console liner out and looked at the wiring that I have to splice into, but OMG what a small wire and I could barely reach in to touch it. How do you get to it? I snapped off the back of the console, but that doesn't help any.

Oh, and BTW, what is that little speaker thingy on the back of the plate that I removed on the back of the console. Don't remember hearing about it.

 

I didn't see the speaker thing in mine ('98) but I didn't remove anything other than the console liner. To get easy access to the wire I unplugged the connector. First I pulled on the connector and the entire connector (both halves) slid forward. Then I simply unplugged it and snipped the wire about 2" from the connector. I pulled the other end out from the wrapping tape about 2" back from the cut so I had plenty to work with. I soldered a 6" "pigtail" to the switch and attached the free ends to the cut wires with bullet crimps (stripped about 1/4" and twisted). Then I plugged the connector back in to its mate, slid the whole thing back into place and buttoned up the console insert. Total time was less than 20 minutes. The switch I used, while rectangular on top, has a round body and mounted in a 7/16" round hole I drilled in the removable plastic blank. Wherever you mount it, a round mounting hole is easier to make than a rectangular one.
Here's a photo of the finished installation: