993 antenna booster questions

dmma163 · 05-11-2011, 04:25 AM

I have a few questions about the antenna booster amplifier on my 1995 993:

1. I see a black wire taped along the side of the antenna coax cable, which I assume goes to the booster amplifier. Does anyone know if this should be at +12 V, or ground, to run the amplifier? (A previous owner did some splicing to the radio connector, and I am not sure the amplifier is properly connected).

2. If power to the booster is not present, is there some leak through of the antenna signal, or will the radio be dead? I get some reception on my radio, but the signal is not very strong.

3. How do I find the booster amp, and how do I get to it? I think it is under the hood, behind the relay-fuse box, but I can't see it anywhere.

thanks in advance.

Decolliber · 05-11-2011, 04:46 AM

If the antenna booster is not connected to a power source you will probably get decent reception of close FM signals but very little AM (no NPR!).
On my 1988 911 the antenna amp is on the right side of the trunk up near the windscreen, tucked under the wheel arch.
That wire could be the power source or it could be a ground. Some coax cables have an extra ground wire attached to the outside of the cable.
The antenna amp on my Carrera has never worked. I bypassed it. I still get OK reception with a newer after-market Blaupunkt. A replacement amp from Porsche is about $150. But Radio Shack sells amps for about $15, and if I ever replace it thats what I will use.