Antenna options for better reception?
Senior Member
Joined: 02-27-2012
Posts: 136
From: upper midwest
The connector from the antenna side came off, do that it's what's causing the problem for me. Anyone know I'd it's possible to just put the original connector back on and crimp it? Has anyone has to fix the actual connector? I'm half asleep, sorry if I missed a post on this.
I have had better results solder splicing a short new wire with factory installed antenna plug for car radios than I have with resoldering an end back on. Small shrink tube around the center conductor to insure it does not contact the shield wire.
Member
Joined: 10-17-2013
Posts: 34
From: California
It's a bit more entailed than that, if I understand your question correctly. While the end connector does crimp against the shield wire, there is also a center conductor isolated from the shield wire that is soldered to the pin at the end of the antenna lead.
I have had better results solder splicing a short new wire with factory installed antenna plug for car radios than I have with resoldering an end back on. Small shrink tube around the center conductor to insure it does not contact the shield wire.
Last edited by bigwillyg; Jun 2, 2014 at 09:00 PM.
Thread Starter
Joined: 04-05-2014
Posts: 9
From: Florida
A little update for you guys :)
Radio reception is MUCH better now but I got it working totally by accident. I even bought a new antenna but that did nothing so I put the original back on.
I ended up getting another Pioneer higher end radio (but not because of the reception issue) and I had the same reception problems. A little extra info for you is that I was having issues getting my steering wheel controls to work as well. With all the issues I was having I think I have had my radio in and out probably no less than 15 times! One of the times I had it I think I was hooking up my XM radio and I noticed that when I turned the key OFF and RAP (retained accessory power) was powering the radio, the static in the station I was listening to WENT AWAY! From there I tried some different stuff and sure enough, whenever even the was in ACC or ON or the car was running, I had crappy reception and whenever the key was OFF but the radio was still on (hadn't opened a door yet) the radio was OK.
What was weird is that I don't know exactly what I did to fix it. Having the radio in and out so many times I messed with and relocated the wiring bundles several times and nothing changed. I think it got better when I changed out the ASWC-1 (steering wheel control box) for a different one and when the steering wheel controls still didn't work with the new one, I took it out and redid the ground wiring back to the way I originally had it with all grounds connected at the same ground (ASWC-1 tech support people told me to have a separate ground for that device... why, I don't know but since nothing else worked I tried it). I think it was after that and I re-routed the running of some of the wires to be a little "cleaner" that the static went away.
I've heard of engine noise and stuff like that so found it odd that my radio reception went to crap when just the regular car power was ON with no engine running. I have no idea why it did what it did nor exactly what fixed it (could have been a ground issue or maybe a power wire was running next to something that was causing the noise?) but my radio reception has been good now for a few weeks :)
Radio reception is MUCH better now but I got it working totally by accident. I even bought a new antenna but that did nothing so I put the original back on.
I ended up getting another Pioneer higher end radio (but not because of the reception issue) and I had the same reception problems. A little extra info for you is that I was having issues getting my steering wheel controls to work as well. With all the issues I was having I think I have had my radio in and out probably no less than 15 times! One of the times I had it I think I was hooking up my XM radio and I noticed that when I turned the key OFF and RAP (retained accessory power) was powering the radio, the static in the station I was listening to WENT AWAY! From there I tried some different stuff and sure enough, whenever even the was in ACC or ON or the car was running, I had crappy reception and whenever the key was OFF but the radio was still on (hadn't opened a door yet) the radio was OK.
What was weird is that I don't know exactly what I did to fix it. Having the radio in and out so many times I messed with and relocated the wiring bundles several times and nothing changed. I think it got better when I changed out the ASWC-1 (steering wheel control box) for a different one and when the steering wheel controls still didn't work with the new one, I took it out and redid the ground wiring back to the way I originally had it with all grounds connected at the same ground (ASWC-1 tech support people told me to have a separate ground for that device... why, I don't know but since nothing else worked I tried it). I think it was after that and I re-routed the running of some of the wires to be a little "cleaner" that the static went away.
I've heard of engine noise and stuff like that so found it odd that my radio reception went to crap when just the regular car power was ON with no engine running. I have no idea why it did what it did nor exactly what fixed it (could have been a ground issue or maybe a power wire was running next to something that was causing the noise?) but my radio reception has been good now for a few weeks :)
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