antenna location - again & manifold question

[Weaz]

Before I pull this thread too far off topic, does anyone know for certain if Karl should mount the antenna on the driver's side or...?

I would like to see some more info on the limo. 

[Fid]

I have a copy of the Henry J Radio instalation instructions, which came from KF. In the antenna section it says "Install antenna  using instructions packed with antenna assembly..." so it was a seprate manual which I do not have. I does state in the install instructions to "dress the antenna cable over the instrument cables and braces which would indicate the cable comes in from the driver's side, just as on the 1949 in the photo.
I also checked my copy of the instalation instructions for the 1947/48 KF radios. Regarding the antenna, it says the same thing the Henry J manual says and that is "Instructions are in the antenna kit..."  But, it shows a picture of the antenna and it is mounted on the driver's side in the same location it is on that limo in the photo so that is very likely the correct location.

[Randy K]

Antenna installation:  The factory put them on the right fender and dealer installs put them on the left fender.  Don't know why the difference.  All factory photos and all pictures of cars on the K-F assembly line have them on the right fender.

[Weaz]

So if Karl's didn't originally come with a radio and antenna, it would be more correct to have it on the driver's side like it was dealer installed?

[Roger]

Hello
   The reason the Dealers installed the antenna on the left side to make it  a lot harder for the kids to break them off when parked on the street.
   Roger

[709karl]

Just for the sake of interest,  My Kaiser is exactly like the green 49 pictured next to the blue 'J'.   ...right down to the wheel treatment & floods.  Looking closely, it appears to have an antenna...on the driver's side.  What do you think?   Will any auto speaker work for the 6 volt radio?   Karl

[Fid]

The KF radios all used a 4 ohm speaker.  It would be best to find a 4 ohm, however, with vacuum tube circuits it is not that critical that it be exactly 4 ohms. If you used an 8 ohm it would work OK but the output tubes may wear out a little sooner than they would using a 4 ohm. The original ones were 4 ohm, 9 inch oval, but a round one would work OK, it's just a matter of finding a good way to mount it.  Voltage is not a factor, ohm rating and watt rating is and since car radios of the day were very low watt output that really won't matter either.

[Logan]

It is interesting that dealers would have put the antennas on the left to make them harder for kids to break off.  If so, why didn't the factory do it too?  How would placing it on the left side make it more difficult?

[ben-tex]

Parallel parking??

I don't see that the idea of factory doing it one way and dealers another to be likely true.

[Gordie]

I agree, there was a template and instruction in the antenna kit for installing the antennas.  There are no instructions in the radio owners manuals nor any mention of instructions in the service bulletins for the antennas.  If the dealers did in fact install them on both sides we would have to go with that unless someone has original antenna instructions. In looking thru factory photos the antennas were all installed on the left side including the first prototype cars thru 1951 except for the Henry J's which seem to be on the right side.  1952 cars show them on both sides and 1953 up seem to have them on the right side.  That makes it easy doesn't it?

[mbflemingkf]

I think we've run this topic to ground!!!