Indeed, the antenna itself is always powered, but the three control wires going to the antenna are not. 12V on ANT+ line raises the antenna, grounding it lowers the antenna.

The AMP remote signal from your radio works exactly the same way. When the radio is off, no 12V. When it is on, it puts out 12V.

Connecting the ANT+ signal to the radio will tell it to raise when radio power is on and lower when radio power is off.

In this video he is discussing a customer who did the opposite (he connected the antenna control wire to the amp) and when he listened to the radio, the amp worked well. When he switched to CD, the amp wouldn't turn on.


But as you can see in the video, the amp remote wire outputs 12V when the the headunit is turned on. It is grounded when the power is turned off. This works just like your antenna control, with the only exception being that your antenna will be up at all times the head unit is turned on (ie. listening to a CD)

That's all there is to it. Just connect the ANT+ wire to the blue/white wire coming from the headunit.

 

other than taking apart an nicely installed by others dash stack.

May need to do that anyway as the installer did not hook up the wire for the parking brake sensor.

some functions are "grayed out" on the pioneers menu without the parking brake input.

The auto equalization system and the auto dimmer control settings do not light up without the parking brake on input.

the disconnect allows video dvds to play on the unit while moving and more programming steps allows both the nav and pioneer to play videos.

need a switch showing the parking brake is on without it actually being on.

trying to do the parking brake and antenna control at the same time. Two switches in the glove box?

Just not sure how much antenna control is possible. And how difficult it is to do?

if this stuff was easy little kids would do it.

 

Why do you need a switch for the antenna? Do you want to be able to lower it while listening to CDs? If you can deal with it just being always up when the headunit is on, the AMP remote signal will do that without any need for a switch.

If you don't really care about the antenna, you could just ground the ANT+ to keep it lowered and buy an adapter for the smaller plug to a bigger plug and use your windshield antenna instead of the power antenna.

For the PB control, if you want that on a switch, I would do an OR configuration allowing the headunit to control it unless you flip the switch to bypass it. Connected to ground, it thinks the parking brake is on.

I'll draw a quick schematic. It seems intimidating if you haven't done this kind of stuff before, but this is extremely simple and once you dive in, you will agree.

 

so if I install an on and off switch in the antenna+ wire I could manually control the antenna?

where exactly is the ant+ wire? Never seen the dashs inside other thsn looking over my installers shoulder for a few seconds while apart.

so if my antenna goes up and down on the ignition switch what is controlling it now?

would any plug ends have to be changed on the wiring and/or back of the radio to change over whatever is currently controlling the antenna to the ant+ wire?

The help here is really appreciated as this info on how things actually work and how to mod things to fit is not available

 

Despite those looking like push switches, you want a rocker switch or slide switch. SPST

 

Caflashbob, you really ought to contact your installer and tell him that he forgot to install your antenna control signal and the parking brake line. Those are both something that ought to be a part of a standard install. (Maybe he just forgot because he's used to installing radios on cars without a power antenna.) He will know what to do.

 

It is pin 13 on the main 20 pin connector (where all the speaker wires are.) Remember in the other thread, I posted the picture of the back of the original radio.

As far as what it is connected to now, I am not sure, but it is either disconnected or tied to the ACC wire.

I'll tell you what I would personally do: I would just ground that wire so the antenna stays down and get an adapter to use the windshield antenna. My rear antenna was broken when I bought the car, and this is what I have been doing for over a year. I think quite a few of us are doing that.

Then you don't need to mess with any switches.

 

When I bought my car a month ago the rear antenna was not pulling in any signals despite its going up and down. After tracing the signal line from the back of the radio to the antenna mast I finally found out that the previous owner/installer replaced the rear antenna motor assembly but forgot to hook up the signal line. The rear antenna is needed for AM signal and a better FM reception.
I personally think that if the rear power antenna is broken or a new radio is put in you might as well put in a stub antenna so you get the benefit of both signal in and not having to mess with the antenna power setting.