shark fin antenna

TXRanger83 · Feb 2, 2010

does anybody know if your car came from the factory with an RNS-510 if the VW shark fin antenna houses the GPS antenna, or is it located elsewhere?

The reason I ask is I want to swap my RCD-510 with the RNS-510, but with me taking out the dash vent and adding the dash tray I don't know if there is a good place to mount the GPS antenna, and still be able to receive strong signal. So I was thinking I could just swap out my shark fin for the proper one.

securityguy · Feb 3, 2010

My understanding is that the sharkfin houses the Sirius antenna. A good place to mount the GPS antenna is under the dash's center mounted top grill. Easy to get to, cannot be seen and works great.

Pelican18TQA4 · Feb 3, 2010

The GPS antenna may be located at the rearmost part of the headliner where it overlaps the black ceramic coating that surrounds the rear window. I think that's where it is on the B6 Passats. If it's not there, then I have to believe that it's integrated into the roof-mounted antenna with the satellite antenna. I actually tried finding this in my Bentley manual but couldn't for some reason.

dzcad90 · Feb 3, 2010

The GPS antenna is not part of the shark fin, it is mounted in the location where Pelican18TQA4 stated.

When I installed the RNS-510 I installed the GPS antenna under the dash in the circled location:

I have never had issues with satellite coverage, and get a fix on 9 satellites in my driveway with this configuration. GPS receivers are very sensitive these days and the dashmat really doesn't block the signal at all.

rix337 · Feb 3, 2010

Do you have a tray up there or the original vent diffuser? I have a tray and my wife keeps her phone up there...any chance the phone would mess with the gps signal with it laying right on top of the antena?

TXRanger83 · Feb 3, 2010

I have will have the tray, is currently getting shipped...I handnt thought about any cell phone interference, but that's gonna be what I have to do because I looked on vortex today and it appears that you have to take the roofliner off in order to get to the nut that holds it on.

SRX · Feb 3, 2010

Cut and Pasted

Satellite Radio is available as an optional feature of radio system “Premium Sound System” and available as a standard feature of “Radio - Navigation System”. Satellite radio functions are integrated with radio or radio - navigation head unit controls/display. Satellite radio operation is contingent on market and vehicle owner subscription to a satellite radio service. For example: “XM” or “Sirius” are US satellite radio service providers applicable at time of publication. Satellite radio service unavailable in Canada at time of publication. Satellite reception takes place via antenna installed on roof. Satellite Radio (tuner) is located in luggage compartment under right side of rear parcel shelf. Before troubleshooting or servicing, technicians must be familiar with the functions and operation specifics of the standard or optional radio system and satellite radio system where applicable. Always read the owner's manual and review applicable system functions.

MonkeyDeathcar · Feb 3, 2010

My best educated guess is the phone won't interfere with GPS. I believe cell phones transmit at 900 MHz rarely and 1.8 GHz usually depending on what the area tower is using. GPS receives at 1.6 GHz (I always though it was MHz range, but Wikipedia knows all right?). Phones and GPS also likely use different digital coding.

Besides all that, the phones with GPS wouldn't work as GPS and phone at the same time if they interfered with themselves and I doubt a phone has more filtering than an in-dash GPS unit to prevent such thing.

Just don't place the antenna where there's a lot of metal surrounding it. I probably wouldn't consider a phone a lot of metal.

TXRanger83 · Feb 3, 2010

MonkeyDeathcar said:
Just don't place the antenna where there's a lot of metal surrounding it. I probably wouldn't consider a phone a lot of metal.

how does the antenna attach, I assumed it was magnetic, but if it cant be around metal I guess I was wrong

SRX said:
Satellite Radio is available as an optional feature of radio system “Premium Sound System” and available as a standard feature of “Radio - Navigation System”. Satellite radio functions are integrated with radio or radio - navigation head unit controls/display. Satellite radio operation is contingent on market and vehicle owner subscription to a satellite radio service. For example: “XM” or “Sirius” are US satellite radio service providers applicable at time of publication. Satellite radio service unavailable in Canada at time of publication. Satellite reception takes place via antenna installed on roof. Satellite Radio (tuner) is located in luggage compartment under right side of rear parcel shelf. Before troubleshooting or servicing, technicians must be familiar with the functions and operation specifics of the standard or optional radio system and satellite radio system where applicable. Always read the owner's manual and review applicable system functions.

and yes i knew the antenna on the roof housed the satellite radio antenna, but I didnt know if it also housed the GPS antenna on cars factory equipped with the RNS-510

dzcad90 · Feb 3, 2010

TXRanger83 said:
how does the antenna attach, I assumed it was magnetic, but if it cant be around metal I guess I was wrong

Most GPS antennas you are going to get with Retrofit RNS-510 units are magnetic. In fact, the antenna should be mounted to metal to get the best reception. Look up ground plane

TXRanger83 · Feb 3, 2010

dzcad90 said:
Most GPS antennas you are going to get with Retrofit RNS-510 units are magnetic. In fact, the antenna should be mounted to metal to get the best reception. Look up ground plane

ok thats what I was thinking...and looks like I will be going that route when I do the install, because even if I can get the GPS in the roof antenna it would be a huge pain in the a$$ to do when i can just mount it under the dash...i was just worried about reception

Fixmy59bug · Feb 3, 2010

I can second the dash mounted antenna idea.

I installed one of those magnetic "horse pill" GPS antennas when installed my MFD2. I installed it in the same exact location as the picture above.

I also have the little storage bin up there in place of the vent. I am always putting my phone and wallet up there when I drive. Never had a loss of signal of the phone or GPS.

I should also mention that I have a dash cover and that has not made a difference either.

MonkeyDeathcar · Feb 4, 2010

Note, I said shouldn't be mounted where "there's a lot of metal surrounding it". I guess I could have said don't mount it in something that could be a Faraday cage.

Anyway, I guess my point was a cell phone shouldn't bother a GPS antenna.

shark fin antenna

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