no radio reception

[fla 9]

Just changed my old Kenwood for my old Pioneer DEH P85BT. Problem is that i cant get any radio reception in the Pioneer - well its barely there just a lot of interference, as though theres no aerial. This is MW by the way. FM is also pretty rubbish. I've added an additional earth behind the unit (which was also fitted to the Kenwood) but it doesn't seem to have done much at all.

Any suggestions? Otherwise, the cd player is fine, not checked anything else! Anyone else who had one fitted - did you need an additional booster of sorts? Thanks

[Jim Bowen 1]

I've never had radio in the corrado. It didn't come with a headunit and I've had 2 or 3 in there and radio hasn't worked or been really weak signal.

 

I did check all the wiring so assumed it must be something to do with the base or the aerial and gave up.

[MZpog 10]

When I bought my early valver the reception was there, but crap like you seem to be experiencing.

 

I swapped out the original aerial for a Hertz of similar design (can't recall the model but was recommended on here) with the booster in the base (I seem to recall later cars have an inline booster but don't quote me on this).

 

Swapping my aerial/booster immediately fixed my reception issues.

 

Before swapping an aerial, it may be worth checking the one fitted is getting 12v to it's booster by removing the rear hatch trim and gently accessing behind the head liner. If no voltage, then you may need to check your radio connections.

[MarkR 11]

If you are fitting an aftermarket radio you will need an inline booster.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antenna-inline-Signal-Amplifier-Booster/dp/B009AQEMHM

[fla 9]

thanks chaps. I've got an inline booster, but i'll check the aerial booster - got a replacement so it worth swopping over just to rule it out. I'll also check that the inline is getting power.

 

I also saw (and then bought) one of those slim strip aerials that you can hide under the dash, not sure whether thats a feasible replacement though.

[fla 9]

Ok so the inline booster is ok. Changed the roof aerial as the vw one doesnt seem to have an amplifier. The connector is also different to the one on the new aerial.

Where should the red fly lead from the aerial amp be connected?

[fla 9]

How do you connect these two? One is from the roof aerial (with red wire) the other from the head unit. Is there an adapter of sorts?

 

Edit: I'll need to reduce the pic sizes

[Tigerfish 10]

Can't see any pics yet, but do you mean one of these adapters?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300389853222

 

Or the other way round

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321347922788

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[fla 9]

sorry, my phone saves them as huge images so had to reduce on my laptop.

 

Anyway, here are the pics (the last two are what i have at the roof and need to be joined somehow!)Looks like a RAKU 2 connector:

 

Key is what to join the red wire to - does this need to extend to the blue wire from the inline booster?

Edited September 2, 2016 by fla

[MZpog 10]

sorry, my phone saves them as huge images so had to reduce on my laptop.

 

Anyway, here are the pics (the last two are what i have at the roof and need to be joined somehow!)Looks like a RAKU 2 connector:

 

Key is what to join the red wire to - does this need to extend to the blue wire from the inline booster?

 

Where does the red wire go to? If it's an old feed for a boosted aerial then you don't need to link it to anything if you've now swapped for a non boosted base.

 

I've given your plugs names 1 and 2 as per the image below.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]84452[/ATTACH]

 

Plug 1 - I assume this goes to the inline booster but I've not seen a plug like it.

 

Plug 2 - This is a normal aerial lead plug that either plugs directly into your radio (sometimes requiring an adaptor like tigerfish posted) or it would plug into an inline booster, which in turn plugs into your radio.

[fla 9]

Thanks MZ.

Plug 1 is from the head unit and is near to the roof aerial. Number two is the lead from the new aerial base, with amplifier, which as you rightly say has the connector to plug into the head unit. In this case it wont reach beacuse the lead from the aerial is too short. The previous aerial base did not have the additional power wire, which the new one has so there is nothig to 're-connect' to. What would you advise? I was thinking that, being a red wire, it must be +ve hence would need to go to a switched positive, so the same as the blue wire from the booster behind the head unit?

 

I've got one of these boosters behind the head unit:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antenna-inline-Signal-Amplifier-Booster/dp/B009AQEMHM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1472830557&sr=8-4&keywords=aerial+inline+booster

[MZpog 10]

Thanks MZ.

Plug 1 is from the head unit and is near to the roof aerial. Number two is the lead from the new aerial base, with amplifier, which as you rightly say has the connector to plug into the head unit. In this case it wont reach beacuse the lead from the aerial is too short. The previous aerial base did not have the additional power wire, which the new one has so there is nothig to 're-connect' to. What would you advise? I was thinking that, being a red wire, it must be +ve hence would need to go to a switched positive, so the same as the blue wire from the booster behind the head unit?

 

I've got one of these boosters behind the head unit:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antenna-inline-Signal-Amplifier-Booster/dp/B009AQEMHM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1472830557&sr=8-4&keywords=aerial+inline+booster

 

If the new base has the wire then it's more than likely an amplified base and will require a switched live.

[fla 9]

Thanks for the help so far MZ. Where would you suggest? Do you think that connecting it to the same power as the blue wire to the inline booster will be ok?

[MZpog 10]

Thanks for the help so far MZ. Where would you suggest? Do you think that connecting it to the same power as the blue wire to the inline booster will be ok?

 

You only need 1 inline booster connected however 2 may work and yes I'd link to the same switched wire from your head unit. Head units often have 2 switched lives, 1 for the aerial and for the amp but either will do.

 

Shame your not round here as I'd have wired it in for you in no time.

[fla 9]

Well this aerial connector adapter is a real pain to find the right one as the piece i ordered doesn't fit. So I'll be replacing the original aerial cable with one with normal iso connections.

[fendervg 33]

AFAIK most of the late 'raddos had amplified aerials (mine certainly does) - reception usually fails when water gets into the base and wrecks the electronics, or if the base doesn't have a good earth to the body any more. The ISO radio harness plug has a power out from the OEM head unit to the aerial. With an after-market unit you would have to feed the aerial with switched power directly from somewhere else in the loom.

[fla 9]

thanks Fender. I'll be running another wire alongside the new aerial cable from the aerial base to the connector for power. I dont think by aerial was grounded to the body as the hole in the roof was fully painted. Unless the ground was elsewhere?

 

Incidentally how long should the wire be - 2m or 3m? Don't want to run short neither do i want a whole lot of aerial wire that needs wrapping up somewhere!