AM Radio Reception

[jimshoen]

I have three Clarion AM/FM CD radios on my coach. They all have small antennas on the roof of the coach and get decent FM reception. However, the AM reception is pitiful. Does anyone have a solution?

[Jerry Winchester]

I had the same issue. I now have XM radio instead.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Jim, if you have decided that there is something worth listening to on AM then you next must be in the range of a good signal from that station.
If you think that is the case and you still are not getting a clear signal then your antenna may need an adjustment.
In the old days (just about the time when FM was transitioning into entertainment radio, ARO 1961 ish ) there was on/in the radio an antenna adjustment that you turned with a screwdriver to adj. the "aerial", the old fashoned word for antenna all but more correct, antenna are found on BUGS :eek:

You might just have that adjustment on YOUR radio.

I don't prefer the 95% commercial content of AM so I don't bother with it.

JIM

[tdelorme]

I have often wondered the same thing. One of the high school football teams I pay attention to has the broadcast in AM and it's almost impossible to pick up. AM radio is a great way to learn Spanish down in this country.

[Jerry Winchester]

Mel,

When WBAP took Sam from Sales off the air, I quit listening to AM.

[tdelorme]

Jerry, my brother and I went to sleep every night listening to the Bill Mac Show on WBAP. Got my picture taken with him at the Ft. Worth Stock Show when I was ten or eleven and remember thinking my life was now complete.

[truk4u]

Jim S,

I have the same issue! I can be coming through the city of Atlanta and can't get my favorite AM that's transmitted from downtown. I also have XM, but there are local AM programs (Neil Bortz) that are a must when I'm home.

Jdub quit listening when Hee Haw was done!:D He still has the hots for Minnie Pearl.

[jimshoen]

Ok, yes I have Sirius sateite radio etc. However, there are a few AM stations I like. When I get this figured out I will report back.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

DOCTOR LAURA, anyone.:p

;)JIM:D

[gmcbuffalo]

JIm I have a Clarion PC radio and no AM reception. Jim I don't this there is a adjust screw on these things anymore. Sorry to say I was once told "none of these coaches get AM reception" and I took it as BS answer. I might have jumped to conclusions thinking that. I was going to try one of those "fire stick" CB antanae spliters to see if it would make an improvement. Might save my money and let someone who knows what they are doing, like Jim S., work it out first.
Greg

[Steve Bennett]

I have noticed that virtually every bus we have had, including my own have very poor AM reception. Jim, I think you could plumb in an amplifier into the antenna on the radio. I know Radio Shack, and others sell AM booster amps?

[Jerry Winchester]

Mel,

I hate to tell you but Bill Mack is on XM Radio - Willie's Place. Not quite the "Midnight Cowboy" show, but I don't miss the Rip Griffin's commercials.

[mike kerley]

One major problem with the AM band is the potential for interference that exists at those long wave lengths, low frequencies. It will pick up the computers in the overhead, behind the dash, in the galley and even in the engine compartment. I heard the SMX (cruise air) controls on a portable AM receiver. So, as you improve the antenna to "pick up a better signal", it also picks up more noise. There are filters and better receivers that can minimize the problems, but I doubt anyone will ever be happy with AM reception in a steel shell full of microprocessors.

Try your AM radio in or near a big hospital sometime.

Just my 2cents.

[sawdust_128]

http://www.ccrane.com/library/am-reception.08.25.03.aspx

I grew up outside NYC when AM was king and FM was for the staight pinkey crowd.

I missed it when I moved to NC. However, I noticed at the coast, I could just get a "glimpse" of my old favorite AM signal. I got one of these Twin Coil Ferrite AM Antenna (http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/antennas/am-antennas/twin-coil-ferrite-am-antenna.aspx) and low and behold AM magic at the coast from over 550 miles away.

[gmcbuffalo]

Mike
how can you tell it's the SMX?
Greg

[stevet903]

I get good AM reception with this antenna:

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volkswagen/Golf/Body/7/2

It's amplified on both AM and FM. It's short so there are no clearance issues. It's black and angled back (you see it on many VW products) which might not be your taste, but it works...

Without getting too much into antenna theory, the issue is that the roof is not solid metal and is a poor ground plane. Your current antennas might work better if you could put 6 or 8 rods connected together or a large piece of sheet metal and connected to ground underneath them - I think the optimal size for AM radio is about 18" long - getting shorter as the frequency gets higher.

Sort of like this:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l172/FrancoShots/Gndplkaneside.jpg

You'll see a lot of marine antennas designed to be used on fiberglass boats that have the rods sticking out from the bottom to act as a ground plane -

http://www.etronixstore.com/servlet/the-5904/CELLULAR-HIGH-dsh-GAIN-MARINE-ANTENNA/Detail

For $65, I thought it was easier to replace the antenna....

Steve

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Mike
how can you tell it's the SMX?
Greg


Greg, you can do the search the same as you would in a house or building, but easier.

Pick up a cheap sensitive battery powered radio.

Drive the bus to a clean area, that is out in the country side away from power lines and other electrical devices that might possibly cause RFI (radio frequency interference) park the bus and turn all electrical and electronic devices off.

Systematically scan the bus with the portable radio listening for static.

If the bus is clean then begin to turn on different devises one at a time and eliminate them or confirm them as RFI sources, by scanning around them.

The SMX control would be one such thing.


JIM

[mike kerley]

What Jim said. Also, the older CC conversions have a small computer located in the overhead (just under the antenna and next to the cable) that monitors the doors, tanks, basic house functions ect.. It creates all kinds of RF noise. Even our cell phones (and now we have range extenders/amplifiers) to add to the noise. LCD televisions create lots of noise. AM radio is on its way out, not soon, but its fading away. Several new receivers dont have the am band on them.

[gmcbuffalo]

Too bad, the only way to get a talk radio station is on AM.
Greg

[CAPT MOGUL & Sandy]

I think that if you contact RUSH LIMBAUGH he would take care of the reception problem!!;)
Sandy

[sticks]

On the same subject of interference noise, I,m experiencing noise when watching cable or local channels, but never with satellite. Any suggestions?