Topic: DAKOTA DIGITAL ANTENNA HELP!! (Read 9722 times)

electra88 · « **on:** August 01, 2008, 09:15:14 AM »

HEY GUYS

I JUST HAD HARLEY DEALER INSTALL A DAKOTA DIGITAL ANTENNA ON MY 2006 SCREAMING EAGLE ULTRA. i LIKE HAVING NO ANTENNA IN THE BACK BUT MY FMRADIO AND AM RADIO WORK LIKE CRAP. I GET ABOUT 3 STATIONS ON FM THAT COME IN CLEAR. ON AM I ONLY GET 3 ALSO. THE RECEPTION IS HORRIBLE.

IS THIS NORMAL FOR THIS ANTENNA? WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO?? I AM DEF GOING TO BRING IT BACK TO HARLEY BUT I WANTED TO GET SOME INFO FROM THE REAL EXPERTS (THE GUYS ON THIS SITE) FIRST.

THANKS
MIKE

hd-dude · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2008, 12:50:41 AM »

Get your money back if you can and get a Tune Trapper. About $40.00 and works much better. Some here have had mixed results. I have installed many without a single complaint. Some even say that it works better than the whip......

JCZ · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2008, 07:26:54 PM »

It may be the location of where they put it, inside your fairing.

I have a Dakota Digital. Jim installed it and I'm not even sure where but I do remember him telling me that it has to be away from other metal (stereo, etc.) and I believe he said it was to the outside of the fairing.

electra88 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2008, 11:50:39 PM »

How does your dakota digital work JCZ?

JCZ · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2008, 11:40:44 AM »

Quote from: electra88 on August 02, 2008, 11:50:39 PM

How does your dakota digital work JCZ?

I don't have any problems with it. Of course I don't use FM near as much, since I got the XM. However, back when Jim put the Dakota Digital Antenna in my bike, I remember thinking (and said) that it actually worked better than the stock antenna.

Maybe Jim will come back in here and comment on the location inside the fairing.

kojak · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2008, 08:03:31 PM »

If you want fm, nothing will work as well as the oem antenna.

Puzzled · « **Reply #6 on:** August 03, 2008, 10:04:45 PM »

My Dakota Digital antenna is in the tool box now. I went back to a short whip antenna.

Cvostu · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2008, 10:16:01 PM »

those things are garbage, they don't work. use the whip or something like that.

electra88 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2008, 10:03:23 AM »

I am going to replace my speakers soon. When I do remove the fairing I will try to see where the dakota is located and see if it is by any metal.....

hopefully this will help....

Puzzled · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2008, 10:05:42 AM »

I was curious if it was worth trying to mount outside of the fairing somwhere.

Cvostu · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2008, 01:15:09 PM »

I hear those things never work anyway. Cut down the oem antenna and just live with it.

TN · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2008, 12:51:43 PM »

my dd sux but i live in rural area.

don't use fm much since xm.

TN

Cvostu · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2008, 04:39:40 PM »

i don't either. and the ipod cuts down listening to fm also. when will we be able to get sirrius? can't wait for that.

Texas 103 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2008, 07:06:19 PM »

Quote from: JCZ on August 02, 2008, 07:26:54 PM

It may be the location of where they put it, inside your fairing.

I have a Dakota Digital. Jim installed it and I'm not even sure where but I do remember him telling me that it has to be away from other metal (stereo, etc.) and I believe he said it was to the outside of the fairing.

I talked to their tech guy an he said make sure and mount it at least one inch from ANY METAL, radio, braces etc: Just installed in my SERG and works great . Stuck it on the left side of the inner faring about a foot from the radio, make sure you have the obvious,a good connection for power ...Greg

electra88 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 11, 2008, 10:07:17 AM »

Thanks for the info!!

Jim Kerr · « **Reply #15 on:** September 15, 2008, 11:11:38 PM »

The Digital Dakota's seem to be a problem for most everyone. From what I've gathered it is partially because they are powered. They end up over-driving the amp to the point nothing comes in. The amp already has an fm preamp. Secondly it is because the signal is blocked due to metal interference. The best place to mount them is as high as possible above all metal. Basically on the faring.

That said, however, the best hidden antenna to use is the Tune Trapper (http://www.ecshylites.com/page/page/603561.htm). I installed one on my bike and haven't had any issues whatsoever. I was skeptical at first, so I did a somewhat scientific test before I committed to the install. I put the bike inside a closed garage that is under my 3-story brick & steel house and closed door. With the factory antenna I counted every station I could receive (25). I then installed the TT antenna. I can pull in 27 stations with it in the exact same location. In my particular circumstances the TT is better than the OEM external antenna. The stations also come in clearer and stronger. The radio is much better now.

Here's a pic of where I mounted it on my 09 SERG. Notice how it follows the curve of the faring. It can be bent up to 30 degrees on each end no problem. It can easily be mounted above everything else. It's also completely waterproof.

cus · « **Reply #16 on:** June 10, 2009, 06:25:14 AM »

Hey gang - this month's American Rider advertises an internal fairing antenna from eGlideGoddies.com Any comparison to the tune trapper? Any experience? Looks like a new product.

ad2 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2009, 11:01:36 AM »

I have the Deadcenter fairing with a Pioneer am/fm/satellite radio. Although I listen to xm almost exclusively, when I do switch over to fm I have a strong signal across the dial. Don't know what kind of antenna they use, but it's inside the fairing and it works.

electra88 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 15, 2010, 05:54:25 PM »

2 years later and im still messing with this antenna!! It sucks!! About to rip it out!! My dad and I just did a test and used regular wire going direct to the back of the radio and whalla it worked great. I am thinking of just using a regular wire and tape it to the inside perimeter of the faring. Well see how it goes.

If not I will pick up a tunetrapper.

Trapperdog · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2010, 07:43:55 PM »

Just to be different, I installed a marine glass antenna on the inside of the outer fairing on both our bikes. I don't listen to the radio much unless the Ipod dumps and Xm is intermittent (which is most of the time on back roads here in ca) but they both work fine after about 3 years. It's a 3' clear tape with embedded antenna elements attached to a 6' antenna lead. Pic below doesn't show much of the clear tape. Got ours at Marine Wherehouse

http://www.northeastmarineelectronics.com/shakespeare4353amfmantennaonglassmount.aspx

grandpadoc · « **Reply #20 on:** February 16, 2010, 08:36:46 PM »

I've been using this one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110462607989&crlp=1_263602_263622&ff4=263602_263622&viewitem=&guid=2d7880891260a0266b742d64fff98525&rvr_id=&ua=WXI7&itemid=110462607989

and it seems to work fine. Since I have one TP without a antenna and one with I used a splitter to cover both applications. Most of my listening is with a MP3 though. Doc

MKW · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2010, 11:44:42 PM »

Don't lose hope with the whole hidden ant thing. I had one installed when I bought the Hawg Wired amp and speakers. I trusted my parts guy and he supplied me with one that ran 79.95 and it works well. Sorry, but I don't know exactly which one it was but I do plan on pulling the fairing this weekend and I'll let you know then if still interested.

Author Topic: DAKOTA DIGITAL ANTENNA HELP!! (Read 9722 times)