Radio again

[edtvr]

Reading the recent thread on Radio's
reminded me that my radio does not work that well.
I know the V8 pumps out a better sounds than those you hear on Capital or Radio 1, but I would like to have the option when stuck in traffic.
The previous owner replaced the standard radio with a JVC CD / radio unit, the CD works fine but the radio hardly picks up any stations.
It seems as though the aerial is not connected,
So the question is
Where is the aerial, and do they work well on the standard radio units or any others.
Edtvr

[Parrot of doom]

Get a modwise aerial amp kit, and your problem will be solved. Search the site for David Beer.

[edtvr]

Thanks POD,

[tigertiger]

Ed,

If you solve your reception problems please let me know how. I've tried modwise and various other aerial amps with no real success. The signal is improved but so is the interference in my experience and the result is far from satisfactory. After spending ~£70 I gave up...

Best remedy is the Kaiser Cheifs album, buy that, crank it up and all your aural woes will be forgotten...

Tiger

>> Edited by tigertiger on Tuesday 1st November 19:25

>> Edited by tigertiger on Tuesday 1st November 19:26

[rfisher]

Buy a Tamora - radio reception is one of the many improvements TVR have made going from Chims to Tams.

[M@H]

edtvr said:

So the question is: Where is the aerial. Edtvr

The aerial is behind the carpet panel behind the CD changer (above the fuel tank) Its a bog standard telescoping aerial, extended and stuck with tape (or similar) to the fiberglass panel above the speakers.

One of the reasons that the reception isn't great is that the aerial is mounted horizontally instead of vertically. When i re-trimmed my carpet and had this panel out I managed to get a bit of an incline on the aeriel and reception improved a bit. I reckon if you put the car on its side the reception would be perfect, I don't have much hope for the wing mirror functioning afterwards though

>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 2nd November 16:18

[Parrot of doom]

The only interference problem I now have are on MW with the engine running. I put that down to mucho RF flying around the car, most of which is likely to be because its a plastic car, and not a metal one (ie poor earthing). Its still perfectly listenable though. FM reception is superb.

D Beer did suggest connecting the bonnet heatshield to the engine bay which sounds like a good plan

>> Edited by Parrot of doom on Wednesday 2nd November 16:31

[Cider Andy]

M@H said:

The aerial is behind the carpet panel behind the CD changer (above the fuel tank) Its a bog standard telescoping aerial, extended and stuck with tape (or similar) to the fiberglass panel above the speakers.

.

I think someone must have put all those three items (CD changer, telescopic aerial and speakers) in the back of the car afterwards.

[S4CJO]

Fitted Mod-Wise kit in my 98 Chim, took about two hours to fit the front to back cable discretely. As Dave Beer did suggest connecting the bonnet heat shield to the engine bay which sounds like a good plan :bow , did it using some copper braid and now only the occasional bit of interference :smokin .

However only time I seem to use the radio is when the wife's onboard :angel

[edtvr]

tigertiger said:

Ed, If you solve your reception problems please let me know how. I've tried modwise and various other aerial amps with no real success. The signal is improved but so is the interference in my experience and the result is far from satisfactory. After spending ~£70 I gave up... Best remedy is the Kaiser Cheifs album, buy that, crank it up and all your aural woes will be forgotten... Tiger >> Edited by tigertiger on Tuesday 1st November 19:25 >> Edited by tigertiger on Tuesday 1st November 19:26

Hi Tiger, Got home tonight to find a package had been delivered, inside was a Mod wise Aerial amp and Hot start relay,
I have ago and fit them the weekend
I let you know how I get on and what difference they make.

Ed

[edtvr]

Spent the afternoon successfully fitting the Modwise hot start modification and aerial amp.
Both really easy to do even though the instructions for the aerial amp were tailored more for either an older car of a griffith, it tells you to ground the unit out on the filler neck using a jubilee clip, on my car that was not posible with out cutting away the rubber hose around the main fill pipe,
The main wire that is the aerial lead has moulded along its length 2 wires a live feed (RED) and Ground / earth (BLACK), this earth is soldered to the amps base plate so as these wires were taken forward to the radio I spliced the Amp earth wire with the earth for the radio together. I also spliced the live feed from the radio to the amp as per the instructions, I soldered these connections and insulated them with heat shrink tubing.
The amp unit itself was fixed to the inside of the boot behind the removable panel by 2 self tappers and the Copper self adhesive strip which is the aerial itself I fixed up in the recess on the body where the boot moulding is.
All in all I took 3 hrs to do both jobs.
The Radio now works really well it even picks up capital FM out in East Essex.


Edtvr






>> Edited by edtvr on Saturday 5th November 17:19

[MJK 24]

Hi,

can someone please explain what this aerial amp is? I have an Elise and the reception is dire. I've tried an alloy plate under the aerial base, earthing the aerial to the roll bar, and covering the aerial wire with foil tape (it sits over the HT leads). However, it's still crap!

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

[david beer]

MJK, have you tried the ferrite bead on the cable, i say "the" as i thought it was a recognised mod ?

[edtvr]

As your online David Thanks
cheque is in post

Ed.

[SharkyTVR]

I test drove the Tusc II convertible at Racing Green couple of weeks back. I really liked the bootlid beesting arial - I think it would look quite cool on a Chim, and may improve the signal too. Having said that, I'm not drilling my bootlid!

[MJK 24]

david beer said:

MJK, have you tried the ferrite bead on the cable, i say "the" as i thought it was a recognised mod ?

No. What does this entail?

Cheers,

Mark