Landrovernuts Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Can anyone help with a radio signal problem? Ever since I have had the chassis done on my 110, the radio recption has been rubbish to non existant. I thought that the aerial may have been damaged so got another plug and rethreaded the cable behind the dash and plugged it straight to the radio - better but not right. I checked the earth at the aerial end, and no problem. I then got one of those cheap boosters and wired it into a 12V ignition feed - no change! Then I broke the aerial (one of those pull out ones) so got a smaller rubber one just to try - again no change. I know I live in an area where radio reception is poor, but I always used to get it and now very little - just electrical noise even with the engine off. Please can someone let me know how to get my radio reception back?!! I was thinking of getting a longer whip type aerial next but fear it will still be the same. Toby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Sounds like you need to try another head unit first to eliminate the obvious..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Take about a metre of automotive wire, strip about half an inch off, and bend it back on itself, then shove it into the aerial socket on the head unit -this will be as good as most aftermarket aerials, if it fixes your problem, look elsewhere, if not, then as above, head unit.... (Yes, I have run cars like this for years....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrovernuts Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 Thanks - I will have to try when I get home. Got to go to South Africa for work again. Toby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 What are you trying to receive? MW/LW AM broadcast stations? FM? DAB? Shortwave? CB? First thing I'd check is that the antenna is properly grounded to the body at the antenna-base itself: corrosion, paint or insufficient clamping tightness here can cause all sorts of reception issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrovernuts Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 Just FM. I have put a separate ground from the aerial base and it made no difference. Will have another go with Bowie’s make shift aerial and try another head unit when I get back from work in two weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW8IZR Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 There is something else to check, from what you have said, you have tried a few antennas and the results are similar but it was working before. Is it possible that part of your re chassis work involved other changes? did you replace any lights with LED, have you fitted anything like a usb charger, some electrical accessories can create local noise which interferes with the radio reception. Things like power adapters for satnavs / phone chargers are all prime candidates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 11 hours ago, GW8IZR said: There is something else to check, from what you have said, you have tried a few antennas and the results are similar but it was working before. Is it possible that part of your re chassis work involved other changes? did you replace any lights with LED, have you fitted anything like a usb charger, some electrical accessories can create local noise which interferes with the radio reception. Things like power adapters for satnavs / phone chargers are all prime candidates. Interestingly I discovered this at work this week. I wired up some led lights on a boat (24v and the boats not plugged in to the mains). The radio is a mains dab 25ft away. When you turn the lights on the radio goes quiet with some interference noises, turn the lights off the radio is fine again. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW8IZR Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 The lights often use PWM to control the brightness / heat, this is effectively switching the light on and off many times a second. The transition between on and off is very short and the LED is a none linear device so there is the mechanism to create harmonics of that switching period well into the VHF radio spectrum. I have a worklight on the 90 that creates noise well into the UHF spectrum, I rarely use it but its overdue replacement.... Chinese E-bay specials :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrovernuts Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 No LED's (yet!) and no other changes. I have a USB charger plugged into the cigarette lighter but have always had that and didnt stop the radio working before. As for other work done during the chassis change not that I know of. The head unit is a possibility and something I wil look into when I get home. Hope it is not as it is a good Sony one - but even good ones fail at some point. Toby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete3000 Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Was any welding done on your chassis? just wondering if so it could have fried the rf input to the radio (easily damaged by overvoltage). Have you tried another radio to make sure the reception is as bad with the same antenna? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrovernuts Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 Home again now. I turned the radio on and managed to get one local radio station with only a little static noise after letting it have a search. Unplugged the aerial and got nothing. Connect a length of wire as Bowie suggested and got the same station as before and nothing else so looking like the head unit is toast, so time to get another! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrovernuts Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 I have purchased an all singing all dancing brand new head unit. Fitted it and no radio!! It is DAB and thinking I may just get an aerial for this instead! I will take the FM aerial off today and try another other than that I am really stumped now. Toby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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