I've been thinking about upgrading the non-nav radio in my SRT to the factory nav system. Of course, almost everyone selling one of these radios does not include the GPS antenna because it's too hard to get to/don't know where it is/too lazy to remove. As the lack of a GPS antenna is a common stumbling block with this upgrade, I thought I'd do some research on antenna options.

I learned that the factory antenna is a Wisi AG 13 made in Germany by Wisi. It is an active antenna with a standard SMA male connector. The data sheet says it's "compatible with all common systems." So, that implies that the nav head unit doesn't require some kind of proprietary antenna. A general-purpose GPS antenna should work.

As is often suggested by sellers of antenna-less nav units, I called my local Chrysler dealer and asked if I could order the GPS antenna. The dealer said no. He could sell me the $2,000 radio which would include an antenna but he couldn't order just the antenna. As we know, dealer quality varies widely so perhaps others have had better luck. For me, the "just call your dealer and order a replacement for $60" plan doesn't work.

I called Becker North America and asked if they could get me a Wisi AG 13. The friendly operator said he could sell me a GPS antenna that he guaranteed would work with the Becker Traffic Pro from the Crossfire for $59.95. He said it's not an AG 13 but it will work. This is my second clue that we don't need a proprietary GPS antenna for these units.

So, I started looking for possible third-party antenna options. I think the Titan III might work. It is a universal antenna and you can buy a male SMA adapter for it. Its electrical characteristics are roughly equivalent to the AG 13 except it draws less current. The AG 13 draws 18 mA but the Titan only draws 7 mA. Otherwise, it has the same impedance and signal gain with a wider operating voltage (so it should operate at whatever voltage the Becker unit offers). Unfortunately, the Titan III is more expensive than the Becker antenna. I'm not sure if it will work as I haven't tried it but it seems like it should.

Please provide any comments or corrections to what I've written here. I think if we can come up with a standard, easy solution to the missing GPS antenna problem, it would help both buyers and sellers.

 

I pulled the nav radio out of my Limited and took another look at the antenna jack. I'm not sure it is an SMA connector after all. SMA connectors are threaded. The GPS jack in the BE6811 is not. I'm not sure just what it is. However, I am sure the antenna is a Wisi AG 13.

 

I don't know if this helps but when I installed the stock nav in my xfire there was an adapter that attached to the GPS antenna to be able to connect it to the radio.

 

That does help. Perhaps the adapter converts the SMA connector on the AG 13 to the SMB (maybe?) connector on the radio.

 

I think I figured out what kind of connector it is. If you look at the attached .pdf, the last item (AY 994) is an adapter cable for Becker GPS units. It has an SMA female on one end and a male WICLIC connector on the other. So, the factory GPS antenna is a Wisi AG 13 with a male WICLIC connector. This means the jack on the BE6811 must be a WICLIC female.

 

Now that I think about it I'm not sure if the adapter goes for the radio antenna or the GPS antenna. I'll pull the radio tomorrow and post where the adater is exactly.

 

Googling around, I can't find any places in the US that sell WICLIC adapters or GPS antennas with WICLIC connectors. They seem common on European eBay sites. Right now, I think the best bet is to call Becker North America.

 

With A Little Searching I Found The Part Number For The Gps Antenna #5161763aa $61.00 List Price Hope This Helps........

 

That is a huge help! Thanks!

 

Are there any specific instructions on removing the GPS antenna? I have a deal going with another forum member and he informed me today that he had ran into a snag with removing the antenna. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Sorry, I've never removed one. The instructions seem to show the antenna afixed with some kind of adhesive.

 

When I installed mine new from dealer it came with velcro that attaches to the center ac vents inside the dash. I don't really know if they came that way from the dealer or not.

 

They guy that I am corresponding with says that he had the actual unit itself professionally uninstalled today; however, he learned that from factory, the antenna is installed up behind the speedometer...

 

Did you ever end up installing a nav unit?

 

Not yet. I've been assembling the supplies. However, I may opt against it as I kinda like having one Crossfire with the nav unit and another without.

I did order the GPS antenna using the part # listed above and it was as described. If you're going to install the nav unit, you should also get the AM/FM antenna adapter (the antenna connection on the back of the nav unit is different than the non-nav unit) and check that your wiring harness is pre-wired for the backup and speed sensors. If not, you'll have to order wires with the correct connectors from Becker. They're 87 cents apiece and I can give you the part #s if needed.

 

For those who are interested, the Becker part #s for the wires are 5002.607 (gray/blue) and 5002.608 (gray/red). The part number for the AM/FM antenna adapter is 1215.663.

 

Radmanly,

Thank you for sharing the part numbers. How much did you spend for the antenna adaptor? I'm selling a NAV head unit and I'm getting a bunch of questions about the 2 antennas from non NAV owners wanting to upgrade. Thanks in advance.

 

I don't recall exactly how much I spent on the antenna adapter but it was somewhere in the range of $5-$10.

 

That's cheap enough, muchos gracias!