Brainstorm: Poor aftermarket radio reception
 

I know we've all dealt with it at some point (owning nissans and all), that terrible radio reception issue with aftermarket decks.

So lets brainstorm here and consider why this might be happening and what YOU may have done that has helped or has not done jack :).

1) One suggestion I had and was made previously was combining the remote turn on wire and the antenna wire because of a built in antenna booster from the factory (at least on the 3rd gen alti). Was mentioned that the booster requires 12v constant to get good reception, and people have tried to wire the constant power to the antenna wire to get a constant 12v with some postiive results. Any truth to that?

2) Would a relay on the antenna wire provide more juice and possibly get the booster powered up? Would it even be worth trying?

3) Any other helpful tips/ideas/brainstorms?

my antenna is broken and i have better reception with my new headunit lol.

i suppose you could get a line driver and amplify the signal?

The antenna itself is gathering the signal so a crappy antenna will produce a crappy signal.

something such as this may be a helpful item
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-JGKwCp8...px?I=12044UA60

essentially, the radio wire is a ground in my car, so yeah i dont know. these are the guesses and suggestion that i think might work

A line driver on the antenna? No....? lol My problem is mainly with AM stations only.

well a line driver amplifies signal lol, i dunno. am station issues, hmmm, i never listen to am, no ideas for that

The reception for both AM and FM in my car has always sucked. The F150 gets double the amount of stations and they all come in clear. Good thing I don't listen to radio much.

I would like to see what you come up with and if it is effective or not.

Thanks, will keep you all posted.

glad i'm not the only one that's getting crap signal for AM stations. i've tried the remote wire thing, didn't really help. :slant:

All I had to do is use the Metra adapter and my AM reception is stellar. Was crappy, for the first few days until I realized that they designed the cap on the adapter poorly and had to force the wires to make contact with the factory adapter.

Not providing a technical wiring solution here or anything of the sort, but in the owners manual it states that a dirty antenna will not help any, and maybe a possible cause of bad reception :D. lol just a thought...

In my experience, antenna boosters don't do a damn thing. Ive tried a few different brands, and i can plug them in, take them out, and NO difference what so ever. I think they're a just another marketing scam.

trying to hook up the blue antenna wire wont hurt, but it probably wont do anything..

A relay would provide more power, but i dont think it would make a difference either, if the booster jammy powers on, its on, wouldn't work better with more power.

On my 4th gen I always had the stock antenna mast that goes in and out, and the reception completely sucked. I replaced it with a black solid mast, and the reception was twice as good. So as much as you dont want to hear it, I think thats your answer. Most people don't want a solid mast antenna on their car, but I dont care about looks anymore...

Or you could just get Sattelite. wtf are you listening to on AM anyways?

Baseball games, traffic reports :D

both you can get on sat. :D

No power antenna on the alti, at least not one that moves up and down. I wonder how much voltage the antenna wire is providing... maybe weak or something...

So is it built in to the glass? or just a black stub on the roof somewhere? Not too firmiliar with them.

Im sure Nissan chose 'sexy looks' over AM-functionality. If there was a mast, I think you'd be fine (or it would improve). Am reception pretty much requires an outside mast.

too prove this, you could always take your radio out (leave it plugged in), and plug in a mast and hold it in the air..

[threadjack]

http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/at...ed-wtf_hax.jpg

[/threadjack]

ok, i really just wanted to subscribe for the results but i just found that pic on tamparacing and thought it was funny.

:)


On the topic of antennas though, I have had some customers come back to cc after we install plug n play sat radios on stock head units (with antenna adapters and a modulator) saying they lose a bit of am reception as well. I guess it just depends on the style of stock antenna?

Why pay for it, when I can get it free? :D

i know the newer corollas get ****ty AM reception with aftermarket HUs. i installed a pioneer unit into my cousin's 04 corolla and the AM reception is just pure crap. FM works fine though.

The reception is just plain poor. There is no magical cure for this without reinventing the wheel.

If your going to attempt something as silly as 'combining ANT and AMP' outputs then at least isolate them. Otherwise its like plugging an outlet into another outlet. In either event it will yield zero results as both provide 12V. No more, no less.

Serves him/her right for buying a Toyota! To top that off, the entry level model!

Just kidding, of course (well, not really but yeah j/k).

In the glass. Am was great with the factory radio... all aftermarkets blow. There must be SOME reason for this.

I'm not too sure, it blows though.

Just realized after I put the 6610 in, that the FM signal was weak for me in certain spots. I thought it was just me at first. Didn't realize this was a common issue til this thread. At least I know now it's not just me.

Its common in Nissans since your removing the Diversity antenna.

Personally? I would say run your own aftermarket antennae and lose the BS that nissan installed.
Install an aftermarket booster, but again those offer limited results
Trade the nissan for a dodge stratus as this was never an issue there ;) http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...83_40_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...83_38_full.jpg

There is nothing BS about a diversity antenna. In urban areas you, will not get better "free" FM reception than what you can with the stock radio and antenna system. You simply cannot get any protection from multipath signals with a single antenna setup.

What is BS, is the companies like Metra (and others) that advertise antenna adapters than retain the diversity function. All it does is split your two antennas off to two separate connections. Without the diversity circuit that is built into tuner board in the stock clarion stereo, the dual antenna setup is useless.

Is the unit fully installed or just electrically connected? The ground is through the radio chassis so it needs to be bolted right in.

I would first verify that the replacement unit is supplying your antenna amp with battery power. If that checks out ok, then I would temporarily swap your original unit in. If that works OK, then something is wrong with the tuner in your ebay unit.

which as stated to me is bs. I look at "adapters" as a band aid. People trying to make money off of stupid designs by the manufacturer (Have you seen the ford taurus dash kits? or try installing ANYTHING into an 08 legacy, I cant fault metra for adapting to the lunacy the dealer put together). knowing that there is a HUGE possibility that the technology will not be used, IE Aftermarket radios will replace that Hecho En Mejico setup in at least 50% of your vehicles why not stick to the industry standard, unless you have something to turn the industry on its ear, dont build into a corner. The diversity setup did not do that. Upon getting my car I knew it was going to be an issue. I listen to a classical station locally ( I know), and a top forty/rnb, other than that sirius because i know the design flaw is not going to allow me to get ALL of what i have gotten in Every other car i have owned, which in turn makes it...bs to me...for lack of a better...word?
Not to be snippy, just to explain. Install a standard antennae and call it a day...

I understand your take on this because you are looking at it from an aftermarket perspective.

No automotive manufacturer makes selections for their audio system components based on the premise that it will ever be replaced in whole or in part.

For the most part this is a valid assumption on the part of the manufacturer.

Let's face it, the vast majority of new car owners do not change any of the components in their audio systems. It is generally only after the car changes hands and is sold, to typically a younger demographic, that aftermarket audio components come in to play. Manufacturers do not care (and they shouldn't) about the car at this point. Their only focus is revenue from new car sales.
Sure you may say that a lot of new car owners get aftermarket stereos installed, but what negligible percentage of the total number of new vehicles sold is that?

I stand by my original post in that you cannot beat a diversity type antenna setup for conventional FM signal reception in urban areas. I appreciate the fact that Nissan went with that particular setup. I enjoyed the benefits of it for the first six years I owned the vehicle.

However, it is time to move on and replace the headunit with one that offers more up-to-date technology. I will be replacing the antenna with an aftermarket one and understand why it is necessary.

BTW there is nothing wrong with classical music. I find it very relaxing especially when the three kids are acting a little unruly.

definitely. those are my main two points although we have a six year gap in meeting the same conclusion ;)

which radio are you looking to go with?

Performance was the priority for the first six years. I rarely turned the stereo on except to listen to the local morning show during my morning commutes.

Now, I have a longer commute on the highway and the tire noise gets irritating after awhile.

I have a 9887 although it is not currently installed. The interior has been gutted for sound deadening.


OP, I apologize for the OT.

With my aftermarket radio in my 2001 Maxima, reception gets static when I turn on the A/C or heat (not the defroster though). I'm still trying to determine why this occurs.

i have a 95 maxima and up until i replaced the original radio (lcd screen died) i got great reception. now it sucks to the point i have maybe 2 fm stations and i get no hd stations. i just braught it to the person that installed the radio and they said it was because the cd player in the trunk was interfering with it even though it wasnt on. he "disconnected it" and now it is better but not by much. i am still working out why this is.

an aftermarket cd player with tuner is never going to sound as good as the stock radio tuner. the tuners they put in a/m radios are smaller (they make them this way to save money, most people care less about radio than they do cds/mp3s etc).. also the fac radio was designed to work with the fac antenna. Id suggest you get an aftermarket powered antenna.

the installer was probably referring to the cd changer in the trunk, as it probably used a break-open direct in style FM transmitter to get the best sound without aux in. but if it isn't on it shouldn't be an issue, you're right. I have seen them go bad though

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....edd87eb929.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....efa78195a3.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....efa78195a3.jpg

what aftermarket wire is this and what does it do as far as static/noise suppression?
static has become a big problem....just in the last few days. sony hu has been fine for than 6 mos. help!!!