Shark fins . . .

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Apart from SWMBOs, I don't really see many Mk5s, of any flavour, with a shark fin aerial.

Discuss . . .

[08micsta]

Perhaps its cos the roof  lining is such a pain to remove? I read a thread about it and its quite a job.

To be fair I think the Beesting arial finishes the car off. I sharfin would make the car look too rounded.

Mike

[Teutonic_Tamer]

The shark fin on SWMBOs is factory fitted.  Anyway, the roof lining is easy to remove.

And beestings are more prone to vandalism, and create extra drag - which is why many manufacturers now use shark fins, or integrate the aerial in the heated rear or side windows.

[08micsta]

Extra drag? Really? I didnt realise something as thin as half a cm could do that?

I checked the options for our GTi the other day when finding out about the washers and never saw a sharkfin option so not sure.

Mike

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Extra drag? Really? I didnt realise something as thin as half a cm could do that?

Yup, anything in the airflow can create extra drag.  Windscreen wipers, window seals, door handles, even bonnet emblems such as the Mercedes three pointed star can cause drag.  And don't forget the base of the bee sting - much more than half a centimetre!

I checked the options for our GTi the other day when finding out about the washers and never saw a sharkfin option so not sure.

That is the concern.  The "shark fin" itself was never was an option.  I just think it depended on what other equipment you have fitted - such as SatNav or GSM prep.  SWMBOs just has the factory SatNav, but has the shark fin, as well as the aerial elements in the rear screen.  Yet my RS4 has the same spec (factory fit SatNav, no GSM), yet has no external antenna at all.  Even if I had TV prep, it still uses the "diversity" antenna embedded in the rear screen.

So I just wondered why some peeps had bee stings, and few had a shark fin?

[The wheel man]

I diddnt have the OEM sat nav fitted as standard but i did have the Phone prep and i do have the shark fin ariel.  Do you think that the year of the vehicle had anything to do with it??  Mine is a 55 plate..

[SteveP]

There is also two types of the shark fin aerial, the older fin only type (like your's T_T) and the newer combined shark-fin and bee-sting type that is fitted to newer cars like mine. 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I diddnt have the OEM sat nav fitted as standard but i did have the Phone prep and i do have the shark fin ariel.  Do you think that the year of the vehicle had anything to do with it??  Mine is a 55 plate..

Yeah, ETKA shows two types of fin, one for GPS only, and another for GPS and GSM.  And mine is a 56 plate, model year 2007.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

There is also two types of the shark fin aerial, the older fin only type (like your's T_T) and the newer combined shark-fin and bee-sting type that is fitted to newer cars like mine. 

I ain't seen a combined fin and sting? 

I do know that on the Audi shark fins, the GPS only ones have a very slim "base", whereas the GSM and GPS fins have a much wider base at the front of the vertical fin. 

[neg]

Vtec has a combined one - I noticed it last Saturday.

[182_blue]

like this TT

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Ahh, thanks for the pic.  Guess I'd better post a pic of the other type too!

[SteveP]

Also cars with the dual fin/sting aerial also have the rear window diversity aerial too.

The only reason I found this out was when my dealer replaced the rear screen on mine they managed to disconnect it which was then found as a fault with VAG COM by VrStu, they have since resolved this and the receiption is the best I have every had on a FM radio. 

[v2brett]

heres a pic of my shark fin guys

[vRStu]

I looked up the prices of them a while ago and was quite surprised at home cheap they were.