radio question

[Ken B]

I am trying to put in an old school pioneer radio in my truck....or should I say back in my truck after 20 years.
My issue while just testing on my workbench , I can only pick up a local HS radio station. No commercial stations. Everything seems to be working ok ,knob and display all seem to be working but I can barely pick up this low power HS station. I have a 5 buck antenna plugged into the unit that doesnt help. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I am trying to put in an old school pioneer radio in my truck....or should I say back in my truck after 20 years.
My issue while just testing on my workbench , I can only pick up a local HS radio station. No commercial stations. Everything seems to be working ok ,knob and display all seem to be working but I can barely pick up this low power HS station. I have a 5 buck antenna plugged into the unit that doesnt help. Any help would be appreciated.

yourre trying on your workbench, can you bring it outside

 

[Doppleganger]

Pioneers and the Super Tuner 3's were know for their FM radio reach. What kind of antenna did you try it with?

 

[Radiohead]

Plus, older car radios had a tuning slug to dial in the antenna. If you've using anything but what it will end up on, tuning the sensitivity will be wasted time. But, tuning sensitivity to the bench antenna will prove out its veracity. Just know you will need to do it again in the truck.

Try looking up your particular radio online and see where tuning slug is located. It's almost always accessible from the outside on the back surface where the antenna cable and wiring go in.

Assuming your bench antenna has both the 'hot' and return circuits in place.

 

[Ken B]

I got a 10 buck cheap antenna from Auto Zone....my truck is in the body shop so keeping busy with little things . got a radio a speaker and a battery on workbench

 

[DoubleDingo]

Check the ohms/continuity of the antenna connection as well. I bought a "resto" antenna for Crusty Biscuit, I think I got it from LMC. Anyhow, it will extend up to like 10 feet in the air. I thought for sure it would pick all kinds of radio stations. NOPE! I couldn't strong signal stations in town. Even when we were in Texas and other states with decent sized towns and cities, nothing. Made for a very long trip. I eventually removed the antenna, and upon removal, saw the connection at the base of the antenna was sloppy. It couldn't get a signal because the antenna technically wasn't even connected, it was just the wire. If I do decide to reuse that antenna, I will solder the connection or something so it'll have some drag tolerance and be nice and snug.

Your 10 dollar antenna should pick up something, unless the connection is bad like mine was.

 

[Rusty Nail]

I got a 10 buck cheap antenna from Auto Zone...got a radio a speaker and a battery on workbench

fvckin metal!

 

[YakkoWarner]

Are you in a metal building (the kind your truck is made of, not the kind you rock out to)? Radio doesn't work well inside an all-metal building, even if you are trying to listen to Ozzy. At the shop space I rent, phones don't even work well inside because its a big (and grounded) steel box. We have an older stereo receiver but mainly use it with iPods because of the indoor reception.

I had a Pioneer with the SuperTuner in a Jeep years ago (still have it but it won't even power up anymore - very sad because I'd love to have one in the Suburban) and it would let me tune in to stations I couldn't even get in the house.
It could be something wrong with the unit, but a metal building will definately make it harder to test.

 

[Ken B]

Not a metal bldg. Just a regular 2 car garage

 

[DoubleDingo]

Interested to see if you are able to get better signal with that antenna and radio

 

[Radiohead]

Im leaning towards a bad connection with that antenna. If you carefully put a foot long piece of wire in the antenna socket center pin area, you should get something more than the college station down the road. There are plenty of blowtorch stations still on the air accessible from your region all day and night.

 

[Ricko1966]

I got a 10 buck cheap antenna from Auto Zone....my truck is in the body shop so keeping busy with little things . got a radio a speaker and a battery on workbench

Be careful, sounds like you only have 1 speaker hooked up. That will many times burn up the output IC on the channel that's not connected. Used to fix them often back in the 80s

 

[AuroraGirl]

Not a metal bldg. Just a regular 2 car garage

That alone can cause a huge change in performance that shouldn’t be overlooked but likely isn’t at fault for the abysmal range

 

[Turbo4whl]

Anyhow, it will extend up to like 10 feet in the air. I thought for sure it would pick all kinds of radio stations. NOPE! I couldn't get strong signal stations in town.

I believe 31" is right for an FM antenna. The cable to the antenna is coax cable. (ground shield around the wire) This is important too. When the antenna is bolted to the vehicle that ground is common with the body.

The hood on these squares is massive. The hood can loose it's ground through the hinges. FM reception is the only reason GM and others bolted a small ground lead from the hood to the firewall.

NOTE: The windshield antenna on a square is really tuned for AM radio, but it works okay.

 

[bucket]

I believe 31" is right for an FM antenna. The cable to the antenna is coax cable. (ground shield around the wire) This is important too. When the antenna is bolted to the vehicle that ground is common with the body.

The hood on these squares is massive. The hood can loose it's ground through the hinges. FM reception is the only reason GM and others bolted a small ground lead from the hood to the firewall.

NOTE: The windshield antenna on a square is really tuned for AM radio, but it works okay.

And FINALLY I know why the gmt800 trucks had that ground strap that often corrodes and falls off. Thank you.