AM Reception? External Antenna?
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
AM Reception? External Antenna?
Baseball season kicked off into full swing yesterday. I haven't used my AM dial that much since I got the car, except for the occassional traffic report. So I tune to the Giants' station hoping to hear Barry hit 2 to tie Mays. But instead I got static, low volume, and coverage dropping in and out. It got so bad that I had to tune it out. My FM is fine. Any others have AM reception problems? Any one add an external antenna?
Luckily I came home in time to catch him hit #659. I'd love to see him hit 660 and 661 against Clemons...if the guy ever has the balls to pitch to him.
Luckily I came home in time to catch him hit #659. I'd love to see him hit 660 and 661 against Clemons...if the guy ever has the balls to pitch to him.
#3
Team SSM driver
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
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I was listening to the Giants game with no problems. My old car (99 Volvo S80-T6) had horrible AM reception. I am bringing my car in to get the windows tinted in 2 days & the installer told me with the metal tint I'm getting I might have some AM problems, but he told me KNBR should be fine. I hope so!
The only time I really listen to AM is when the Giants are playing!
Go Barry!!
The only time I really listen to AM is when the Giants are playing!
Go Barry!!
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
I didn't know window tint can have an effect on radio reception. I thought it was just the Nav. I just had mine tinted last weekend, but they're not metallic. I wasn't listening to AM before, so not sure if it's actually the tint or not. It's gonna be a long season if I don't have my KNBR. :banghead:
#5
i had a z-28 with window tint from llumar and it was a titanium film. it killed my am reception. the am radio has an internal ferrite bar antenna. no external antenna can be added. Just one wave length at am frequencies is about 320meters long, so that is why they use a bar antenna with hundreds of feet of wire on it. I have owned 2 tl including the 04 and both have excellent am reception. I will never tint my windows again. I hope that helps.
#6
Senior Moderator
Two things I know for sure...
1) Nobody makes a decent AM radio receiver for a car anymore.
2) Metallic tint is going to interfere with RF signals including the AM radio which is a sorry POS to begin with.
They worked better when there was "diversity " antennae: both an outside mast and the rear window printed one with the receiver picking the stronger of the two. I had that on my last Maxima and it wasn't too bad.
2) Metallic tint is going to interfere with RF signals including the AM radio which is a sorry POS to begin with.
They worked better when there was "diversity " antennae: both an outside mast and the rear window printed one with the receiver picking the stronger of the two. I had that on my last Maxima and it wasn't too bad.
#7
Am
BigBluu: I had your same problem. I could turn AM volume all the way up and could barely hear the talking. I also has very very slight static on FM. It was like the old FM dials that weren't tuned in all the way.
When I took my car in, they replaced the antenna cable and AM and FM now sound great. The service manager said if these cables get bent too much during install that it can damage the cable and cause bad reception.
I would have them check it out.
When I took my car in, they replaced the antenna cable and AM and FM now sound great. The service manager said if these cables get bent too much during install that it can damage the cable and cause bad reception.
I would have them check it out.
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#8
Originally Posted by TXTL
BigBluu: I had your same problem. I could turn AM volume all the way up and could barely hear the talking. I also has very very slight static on FM. It was like the old FM dials that weren't tuned in all the way.
When I took my car in, they replaced the antenna cable and AM and FM now sound great. The service manager said if these cables get bent too much during install that it can damage the cable and cause bad reception.
I would have them check it out.
When I took my car in, they replaced the antenna cable and AM and FM now sound great. The service manager said if these cables get bent too much during install that it can damage the cable and cause bad reception.
I would have them check it out.
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