Radio reception is rubbish

[hurricane]

Looking for some advice on a decent radio aerial.
My MH has an internal amplified one fitted onto the windscreen and the reception is so bad I don't bother switching the radio on. Can't get any FM station never mind radio 2... I have checked all the connections and the aerial power light is on.

Can anyone recommend a good internal model or should I be looking at external which I am loath to fit with drilling holes etc.

This is similar to the one fitted.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carpoint-20...420757618&sr=8-2&keywords=internal+car+aerial

 

[Canalsman]

I have a Blaupunkt windscreen mounted aerial. Details can be found here: Blaupunkt FunLine AM/FM Disc internal windscreen antenna

This works well on FM but is not so good on AM (but usable).

I would recommend it, though a good quality externally mounted aerial should be better.

 

[rottiontour]

The best signal you will get with an outside aerial (type metal stick) unhampered by surrounding metal car body or other car parts . It´s physics.... but there must be a hole.

 

[maxi77]

I had been having problems too and finally traced it to one of those 12v usb adapters which was clearly creating a lot of electrical noise,unplug it and it all works fine.

 

[trevskoda]

being a rad ham i can tell you a outide antenna is best ,most are cut to one quarter or half wave which uses the van metal as the other half of the wave ps look up half wave dipole on net all will become clear.
you want the antenna as close to the middle of the roof as posable as this will give you a omnidirection creception .if you have a roof hatch nere you could work from there .a magmount will not work on alloy.
You may be able to make some sort of clip /bracket to mount antenna as long as its grounded it will work fine.
No antenna will work under the roof line as its being sheilded <faradays cage>hope this helps regards trev.

 

[martinr]

I use the same aerial as above but attached it to the wing, radio now works fine all stations

 

[trevskoda]

david this is not fitted correct as the ground plane is not in contact with metal,look up half wave dipole or quarter wave as this is what most car antenna are.my call sign mi 1 dti .

 

[trevskoda]

I use the same aerial as above but attached it to the wing, radio now works fine all stations

correct but will work better if above roof as this acts as a sheild plus on one corner you will be directional.Always put it in the middle of a metal object.

 

[Penny13]

My radio in my fiat ducato is rubbish, fitted a ariel still rubbish they are well known for it ! I plug my phone in the USB and listen to Radio now.

 

[Bigpeetee]

Remember, if a radio antenna is wound into a coil and covered in rubber (Rubber duck) whilst being yob/branch resistant it is less effective as an antenna, but then even the standard rod antenna isn't a usually a quarter wave long (approx 710mm or 28inches) for the middle of the FM band. So is also inefficient in operation.

Most things are a compromise, but an antenna in a tin can isn't best for reception. Even glass/plastic windows etc reduces the strength of the incoming radio waves ( to prove this I operated my external wifi antenna on the table, when the plastic window was opened, the signal strength improved. When my side window was smashed a few years a go, I placed a part of the plastic in an old microwave oven and heated for 30 seconds, it got hot, showing that it was absorbing radio energy or stopping radio energy entering the interior of the vehicle. Whilst it will have a much lesser effect at the FM/DAB frequencies, you still get a poorer signal.

An outside antenna is best and as mentioned, ideal if placed in the centre of a large metal plate, however, as with most things, a compromise has to be struck. If you have a standard antenna, ensure that the metal connector is in metal to metal contact with the steel of the bodywork, when a low resistance is made, protect bodywork to stop corrosion.

Remember also that remote rural areas or screens such as trees, hills etc can drastically reduce the signal strength to the point of being impractical to use.

When stationary, if you hear an FM station, but it's noisy, often moving your vehicle even a couple of feet can bring the signal up quite considerably. If you are listening to a station that is across the sea from you, as the tide changes so can the signal strength (same for TV)

Of course you could always get an auto sat dome and use the radio transmissions (unless you are under trees, behind buildings etc) or just take CDs with you!!

My 14 year old Ducatto has a rubber duck mounted on the wing and a radio, not sure if it is the manuf supplied or not but it works OK, not brilliantly, but more than adequate, it's the speakers in the doors that's the problem. Perhaps the previous owner liked loud music and had blown one of the cones so that at anything more than moderate volume it distorts to hell. Still it'll save my ears!!

 

[flyinghigh]

There is no substitute for a quality external aerial!
On my A class I tried two quality stick on aerials and they were a complete waste of money, I then tried two normal aerials attached to the chassis but under the bonnet, again a improvement but still a waste of money,
Totally peed off so bit the bullet and brought a quality DAB/ FM/ AM aerial with extra long leads from
dabonwheels,
Drilled hole in my GRP roof and fitted the aerial, you must make sure you have a good ground plane,
I used copper tape with adhesive on one side and ran it down inside the wardrobe radiating out from the aerial,
The quality was nothing short of remarkable! Now I can listed to all my program pretty much anywhere in the UK,
Including LBC/magic up to Scotland and Wales,

 

[yeoblade]

Had a terrible problem getting decent reception on mine too, in the end I mounted an aerial up on the roof, also had to isolate the solar system when the radio was on due to the interferance from the MPPT controller.


Aerial is bolted onto solar bracket, the white aerial next to it is for the MiFi unit.
Recently fitted the Snipe flat panel for the sat receiver but didn't have time to route the cables properly yet so they're just going in the roof window at the mo.

Original fitted aerial was on front wing, absolutly Cr@p there

 

[trevskoda]

just to let you know a bit of tin foil or light alloy will work as a ground plane and thats whats under the glass roof of my van from new and it riveted to the frame structure though not required,and yes david i agree with you i do prefer my usb stick running my taste of music compared to the drival radio dj stuff.

 

[QFour]

Got an Alpine Sterio System in ours and its great. We use the arial that came with the original system. Only problem we have is Doris. She always talks over the radio at the most in-opertune moments....

 

[tadpole58]

You need to make an appointment to see your doctor straight away - sounds like a bad case of Van Aerial Disease to me

 

[Ivory55]

If you have a built in regulator bull finch sell a brass adaptor that goes between the bottle and your hose that fits intermarche bottles. Not a lot of money either, and small so less space and weight then hose and regulator.

 

[AIKIDOMO]

Got one of these.....never looked back. I has a mag mount aerial as well.
Sonichi S100 Digital Radio Adaptor iPod AUX FM Transmitter Detachable Faceplate | eBay

 

[trevskoda]

Had a terrible problem getting decent reception on mine too, in the end I mounted an aerial up on the roof, also had to isolate the solar system when the radio was on due to the interferance from the MPPT controller.
View attachment 26965

Aerial is bolted onto solar bracket, the white aerial next to it is for the MiFi unit.
Recently fitted the Snipe flat panel for the sat receiver but didn't have time to route the cables properly yet so they're just going in the roof window at the mo.

Original fitted aerial was on front wing, absolutly Cr@p there

the aerial is to close to the s/panel ,if you could move it about 3 ft away and put a ferit ring on the solar controler and at the end of antenna going into the back of radio this will stop interferance.

 

[yeoblade]

the aerial is to close to the s/panel ,if you could move it about 3 ft away and put a ferit ring on the solar controler and at the end of antenna going into the back of radio this will stop interferance.

I had the interference from S/Panel even when using the wing mounted aerial, ( I even get interference on the radio in my garage 5 metres away from the van !) Will get some ferrite rings and try the on the cables.
You won't believe how many hours I have spent trying to get the radio to work. The aerial I fitted is an amplified one but I found that powering it up made no difference, so I don't.
As Simplyloco said a while back - DAB doesn't have these interference problems.

 

[trevskoda]

I had the interference from S/Panel even when using the wing mounted aerial, ( I even get interference on the radio in my garage 5 metres away from the van !) Will get some ferrite rings and try the on the cables.
You won't believe how many hours I have spent trying to get the radio to work. The aerial I fitted is an amplified one but I found that powering it up made no difference, so I don't.
As Simplyloco said a while back - DAB doesn't have these interference problems.

dont use a amp it only for inificent antenni and is broad banded which will amp up just about anything even the neighbours cat,if you are not using a standard omni stick then a yagi directional would be best as the elements give you a gain,looks like a small tv antenna.but then you have the bother of pointing it in the right direction,i could not be arsed with this myself.hope this helps ,trev.