Just did SteveJacks procedure to bypass the aerial. Same Tune Trapper Marine, same hand splice of the coax to the factory adapter. Reception good, although I will test the distance later. Many thanks to the inventor!

Only continuing problem is my aerial got stuck in the up position before the antenna bypass. I tore into the motor assy and removed the toothed spline entirely, but the thing still won't drop to flush - about half-inch still up. Removed the motor assy completely and fooled around with it ad nauseum with no improvement. Any ideas?

Also, any tips on getting the washer/grommet on the outside of the wing to seat right and stay flush? It looks OK-ish but just doesn't seem to have seated exactly right.

 

Follow up: my reception was not that great. I live in semi rural area (Iowa) and stations more than say 20 miles away did not come in well, and AM was also bad.

I've replugged in the factory antenna, but pulled it out of place, and set it in loosely on top of the wire bundles in front of the top hydraulic pump, with the antenna deployed sideways across the top of the front trunk liner. Reception is very good, much improved over the marine antenna, maybe as good as it was with the antenna properly in place.

Just need to get a blanking grommet plug to cover the hole in the wing!

 

Here’s a solution if your power quits raising/lowering and you can’t get to the antenna mechanism to remove it (mine is blocked by disk player, GPS module AND after market Sirius radio receiver)...and you know what happens when you start disassembling electrical components in a Jag. Tried the FM 75/300 ohm “T” antenna hack... not a good solution where I live.
So, I could reach power connection, which I disconnected, leaving original mast lead attached. Then manually pulled antenna mast about halfway up. Works great...full extension not necessary. But I’m ‘old school’ and have no problem with the aesthetics of an antenna mast showing. It’s a classic ‘05 XKR, folks...it has a cassette player and no Bluetooth, so...
Just gotta remember to push it down (not flush ‘cause gotta have something to pull it back up by) before going into one of those demon car washes...

 

Glad that this thread has been revived. The power antenna on my '06 goes up but when retracting makes horrible noises and nearly won't stop. I rarely even think of turning on my radio so if I do I will have forgotten about the nasty antenna problem and hate myself. In the four years I've had my Jag I have not gotten around to trying either the anachronistic cassette player or the CD unit (so don't even know for sure that it works). I guess the simplest solution for using those would be to disconnect the antenna entirely.

However, I would prefer to have a working antenna for the occasional whim to listen to one of the few FM stations serving my remote area. Some of the discussion in this thread seems a bit over my head. The antenna in the bumper appeals to me, especially as mine is a coupe, limiting my placement options. Just for grins, though, is replacing the power antenna so prohibitably expensive that everyone has automatically ruled it out? Is it NLA?

Since my XK8 is a coupe, what about a tape-in wire antenna in the rear window? My Land Rover LR3 has something of that sort from the factory, as did my '92 Range Rover that preceded it. Both worked just fine.

Granville

 

I somehow posted the above message twice and couldn't find a way to delete the 2nd so this "edit" was nessecary, as a shorter replacement. Mods, please feel free to delete this one.

Granville

 

Not sure I understand desire to ‘hide’ the classic factory power mast in vintage Jags. Do we imagine that knowledgeable observers won’t see the mast grommet ‘bump’? If it’s broken off and you don’t want to spend a day trying to remove it or spring for $600-1000 at dealer, that’s understandable. However, going for hacks that place a poor substitute inside the metalwork (shielded from the radio waves) rarely works unless you live in the radio station parking lot.
Everything becomes “anachronistic” at some point... most recently, that CD changer blocking the antenna in the wheel well.
Fortunately, the radio, cassette, and CDs all sound the same with the top down at 70mph.