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08-04-2007, 10:28 AM
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#1
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 32
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My 2001 Journey does not get very good radio reception. It has a Sony radio with surround sound. I have checked and tightened the antenna to little avail. Any ideas of what may be causing this?
Thanks, Randy
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2001 Journey DL LD 330 Cat
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08-04-2007, 10:28 AM
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#2
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 32
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My 2001 Journey does not get very good radio reception. It has a Sony radio with surround sound. I have checked and tightened the antenna to little avail. Any ideas of what may be causing this?
Thanks, Randy
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2001 Journey DL LD 330 Cat
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08-04-2007, 12:05 PM
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#3
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Back at the ranch
Posts: 2,041
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Gain access to the rear of the radio and try a six or eight foot piece of wire in place of the fixed antenna. Fold over the end of the center conductor and stick in into the antenna jack so it comes in contact with the center conductor and doesn't touch the outer shell. If there is any improvement, then you probably have a problem with the factory antenna or feedline. If it sounds the same or worse, you might have a radio problem.
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--John
2005 Horizon 40AD, 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
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08-04-2007, 01:06 PM
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#4
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 32
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Thanks for the quick reply John. I will give that a try and then know better which way to proceed.
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2001 Journey DL LD 330 Cat
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08-04-2007, 03:13 PM
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#5
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Dixie !! (north Georgia) USA
Posts: 140
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Will this work with AM?
I'm sort of a talk radio fan and listen to AM when it is available from Atlanta stations. Problem I have is with the engine or genset running I have to be sitting in yard of the station almost. Seriously, with the radio set on main or aux. batteries I get almost no reception on AM. I know nothing about radio.
Suggestions to fix this. Thnx in advance
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08-04-2007, 03:59 PM
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#6
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Back at the ranch
Posts: 2,041
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by doc:
Will this work with AM?
I'm sort of a talk radio fan and listen to AM when it is available from Atlanta stations. Problem I have is with the engine or genset running I have to be sitting in yard of the station almost. Seriously, with the radio set on main or aux. batteries I get almost no reception on AM. I know nothing about radio.
Suggestions to fix this. Thnx in advance </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The ideal antenna required for AM is extremely long (I forgot the formula - but the antenna would be at least dozens of feet long) but the station transmitters make up for the less than ideal receivers by blasting out lots of power with a good transmitting antenna. The old radios used to have a little hole somewhere in the radio face that provided access to the "trimmer capacitor" which needed to be adjusted to peak the signal for AM reception. I doubt if this adjustment still exists and most likely the FM and AM tuners are mostly digital with no adjustments.
Your radio might greatly benefit from a much longer wire for the antenna. I know in my coach, Winnie uses these little rubber ducky for the radios which are pretty anemic for FM and totally inadequate for AM reception.
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--John
2005 Horizon 40AD, 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
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08-04-2007, 10:42 PM
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#7
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Santa Clarita, CA.
Posts: 1,222
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a 1/4u is on the order of 370'
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Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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08-05-2007, 06:07 AM
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#8
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Dixie !! (north Georgia) USA
Posts: 140
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Thanks John, I think I will pull the radio out and experiment a bit with different wires. Look out radio shack!
Jeff I am sort of radio ignorant. Are you saying an antenna 370 FEET long? Could I use and insulated wire and maybe wrap it in a big coil?
Thanks
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08-05-2007, 07:07 AM
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#9
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Destin, FL
Posts: 494
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">snip....but the antenna would be at least dozens of feet long) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
How come the 2 foot antenna on my Jeep works well?
Thudman
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03 Adventurer 38G, W22, 22.5 Whls
Koni FSD's, TracBar rear, SteerSafe, 50A SurgeGuard, Eternabond; 2012 Honda CRV EXL w/Nav & AWD
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08-05-2007, 11:25 AM
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#10
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Santa Clarita, CA.
Posts: 1,222
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by doc:
Thanks John, I think I will pull the radio out and experiment a bit with different wires. Look out radio shack!
Jeff I am sort of radio ignorant. Are you saying an antenna 370 FEET long? Could I use and insulated wire and maybe wrap it in a big coil?
Thanks </div></BLOCKQUOTE>That's how it's done. They're called "loaded" antennas. Receivers don't much matter, although they will perform as designed if you give them what they expect for an antenna. Guaranteed if you feed your AM radio a proper impedence 1/4u antenna you probably wouldn't be able to listen to it since it would perform so well, all you will hear is hetrodynes from co-channel transmitters all over the world. People pay big money for ultra-selective hi-gain pre-amps to DX these stations. I carry a portable SW radio and pre-selector and occasionally play with it when we're at the beach with no powerlines or running cars nearby.
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Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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08-05-2007, 03:07 PM
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#11
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Back at the ranch
Posts: 2,041
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Thudman:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">snip....but the antenna would be at least dozens of feet long) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
How come the 2 foot antenna on my Jeep works well?
Thudman </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Jeff - thanks for the formula reminder!
A short receiving antenna works well due to: a decent receiver and the transmitter putting out massive amounts of power due to power and the antenna design which is referred to as ERP - Effective Radiated Power.
To receive a very weak signal, you would need: a good receiver and a tuned antenna, preferably one that is a wavelength multiple or fraction of that particular frequency and one that is directional.
Antenna discussions are a little complicated and of little consequence for most people but we hams can spend hours debating this and that about the topic.
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--John
2005 Horizon 40AD, 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
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08-06-2007, 03:18 PM
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#12
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Dixie !! (north Georgia) USA
Posts: 140
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* scratches head says 'uh huh'*
More than ole doc needs to know. But I do think I will play with the antenna plug at the rear of the radio.
Thanks guys
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08-07-2007, 06:42 AM
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#13
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Buxton, North Dakota
Posts: 1,037
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Here is a good trouble shooting article from C.C. Crane who are one of the last companies really specializing in AM radio
C.C.Crane AM Radio Trouble Shooting
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2003 Winnebago Adventurer 38G F53/ V10 605 watts of Solar
1999 Winnebago Brave 35C Handicap Equipped
F53/V10
1999 Jeep Cherokee & 1991 Jeep Wrangler Renegade
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08-07-2007, 08:10 AM
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#14
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Santa Clarita, CA.
Posts: 1,222
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by doc:
* scratches head says 'uh huh'*
More than ole doc needs to know. But I do think I will play with the antenna plug at the rear of the radio.
Thanks guys </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Sorry... We were just goin' off on a nerd tangent
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Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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