QuestionThanks for getting back so quickly Roland....No I didn't change anything but the antenna-power to stationary. The wires that went to the antenna were red, green with red stripe and black. I grounded the black and connect the red and green and theats when I get 5 min. of playing time. When it dies I un-attach the wires and re- attach them and I get 5 min. again. Its totally weird.
AnswerHi John,
I believe what is happening is that the connection that you are making from the red to the green/red is short circuiting the red wire, which after 5 minutes causes the circuit breaker in fuse box position #23 to "open" until you remove the connection at which point the breaker "closes" again for 5 further minutes of operation. The circuit breaker is what feeds the red wire its 12V supply current.
The original power antenna must have an electical component (perhaps solid state, perhaps coil; I don't have the diagram) to which the red and red/green wires are attached, and which doesn't draw as large a current as the direct short that you have created.
My suggestion then is to replace the mast if the original power antenna motor is working, or replace the whole unit if it is not. I still don't know exactly what the red/green wire is supposed to do or what signal it is looking for to maintain the radio "on". But perhaps someone will read this and give us an idea.
One thing you might try is to hook the red, red/green, and black wires up to the original unit and see if that will maintain the radio in the "on" condition. Just don't use its antenna lead for the signal to the radio; use the stationary antenna as the signal wire.
Roland
