Hi all, I have done a search and cant find any information on the problem of AM reception in our van. It was working OK until the middle of our trip last year when it started to fail. We got part reception, but we now get nothing, FM works fine.
On talking to people, I am told it could be the aerial, others say it is the radio, and others advise there is widespread problems with am radio. I enquired with a car radio fitter who told me there is no way to test the aerial. ( he wants to sell me a new unit) I am reluctant to have a new unit fitted if it won't fix the problem.
If fm works I would highly doubt that it is the aerial but I'm no radio tech just a old farmer that knows a little bit about a lot but an expert in nothing but life experiences
perhaps you could call in to a car wreckers and ask if you could plug in another radio and see if you get am on it ?
I would have thought that most radio places would let you plug in another aerial to check before making you buy it anyway go to a small town place and see ?
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When the power of Love becomes greater than the love of power the World will see peace ! 24ft Trailblazer 5th wheeler n 05 Patrol ute and Black Series Dominator camper trailer ( for the rough stuff)
I seem to recall that radios have two separate aerial systems, one for FM and one for AM. The FM is often contained within the device and the AM requiring an external attachment of some sort. I'd be substituting leads or aerials to see where the problem lies. My bet would be a rusty connection on the lead that connects your external aerial to the radio.
I agree that you don't test an aerial, you replace it or the leads with known good parts that you borrow from gullible neighbors, and by this process of elimination you'll eventually isolate the problem.
An easy cost free way of telling if your aerial is working on AM is simply to tune midway between station with volume up and plenty of background static and then get a piece of metal - bare wire, large screwdriver or whatever and scrape it against the aerial....if you hear a change in the static you can be assured that the aerial is making good contact with the radio. If not then it is a loose/corroded/broken aerial lead-in cable.
Good Luck.
if the aerial is one thar mounts at an angle on the side (I think the call the a pillar mount on cars) you can get one cheaply from
supercheap or autobarn etc and plug it in easily . if it makes no difference they are very easy going on returns or exchange for another product
you may be able to use
brian
Thanks for your replies, and will try some of them, but it is not easy getting the radio out to test another, so I will try Hako's suggestion and see what transpires.
Yes we get no am reception in any area including capital cities.
Thanks for your replies, and will try some of them, but it is not easy getting the radio out to test another, so I will try Hako's suggestion and see what transpires.
Yes we get no am reception in any area including capital cities.
Thanks again
Tamey
Hi Tamey
If you can get access to the aerial input socket of the radio, remove the existing cable & just push in a length of insulated copper cable to make contact with the centre pin of the socket
If you do not get any sound ,it would indicate the fault is in the radio.
I would not be buying a new aerial until you have confirmed the aerial is the problem!
Thanks PeterQ, That's the darn problem, the radio or the aerial, which both seem difficult to test due mainly to the degree of difficulty gaining access to the back of the radio and the aerial connections, but I will try to give your suggestion a try if I can gain access.
Cheers,
Tamey
