Sound Advice
or
"How to Have Excellent Audio With Original Appearance"
By
Shaun Laughy
Feb. 2003
Page 5:
The Proof is in the Pudding
The very first time Bruce switched the new system for me, I knew we had a winner. The sound was simply incredible, with lots of bass, a full midrange, and fantastic clarity in the highs. The best proof of concept is that the music sounds just perfect no matter what speed the car is traveling (volume adjusted accordingly, of course), and I would have to say that the angle-adjustable tweeters are key in getting the sound to the ears, instead of the feet.
One of our original goals was to be able to hear the system clearly at freeway speeds, and I am very pleased to report that the music is still quite clear at over 100 mph (this is only a theory, of course, as I have never actually driven that fast).
The bottom line is that I now truly have the best of both worlds. I can choose to leave the system off, and simply enjoy that twin-tailpipe, V8 symphony. Or, if I choose, I can crank the tunes, relax, and hear those wonderful 60’s and 70’s classics just as they were intended to be heard. Sometimes, life is pretty darn good.
The Antenna, and what to do!
The antenna is a necesary evil in order to actually get reception. The installation in a Tiger is problematic, as no adequate provisioning has been made. The usual fender mount or the period is made difficult by the lack of under fender space for the rigid swing mount, and especially room for the cable to pass through to the interior. Besides, that stick is a plain eyesore.
The "Electronic Antenna"
I found a wonderful alternative that is located under the upper dash roll (above the heater controls) and is only visible if you look up from the floor. It is cleverly named "Electronic Antenna", probably by the same marketing genius who brought us the "Fair Lady" sports car! The bright black strip, located between the center plastic antenna housing and the dash roll, holds printed circuit antenna wires in dipole configuration for good reception.
The Final Result
Seated in the car, or from outside the car, it is totally out of sight. This seemed to be the best solution to getting the antenna located as high as possible without making it obvious. The attached pictures should make this evident. Please note, though, that the flash makes the unit really stand out. Without this intense light, you really don't notice that the antenna is there even when looking up from below. Please ignore the red foot warmer on the passenger side, it is not part of the radio installation.
Good Luck to you all,
Shaun Laughy
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