# Poor radio performance



## austerj5v (Feb 2, 2009)

We, like many others are having to put up with really poor cab radio reception. Ours is a new Autotrail Chieftain on a Ducato chassis. so you can imagine how miffed (I am trying to be polite) we were when we cannot listen to the radio on a new and expensive vehicle. 
I must stress that this phenomena is not isolated to any one manufacturer. For all you other owners having similar problems, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It may however be a long tunnel!. 
I have been in touch with Autotrail and can confirm that they are in the process of getting this sorted. It does involve third party electrical specialists as well. The process will involve many trials on various different models from many manufacturers. 

It appears that it is also not isolated to one particular manufacturer/model. Some models of the same type are ok and some are not. So before a fix is published I has to be a guaranteed fix to all.
At least we now know that something positive is being done.

Regards to all

Roger and Jane


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## PeteandMe (Sep 19, 2010)

Hard to imagine that fitting a decent external aerial is so difficult at the build stage. As for trails there must be loads of willing motorhome owners who would allow the temporary fitting of an aerial to sort this everlasting problem. Providing no holes are drilled! Free radio as an incentive perhaps?


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## ColinYellowspanner (May 19, 2008)

*Poor Radio Perfrmance.*

,On the original chassis cab supplied to the converters, there was probably an aerial fitted on top, which was removed by them to fit the overcab moulding. This was the case on my Autocruise Starburst. The aerial had been replaced with an INTERNAL one behind the L.H. screen pillar trim (cotaining the Remis Blind) giving rubbish reception. I removed the moulded headlining to attempt a cure. I found the original (Fiat/puegeot) aerial lead disconnected, left in space, above the screen. I made a large flat U shaped length of 10mm copper pipe, wide enough to go across inside the overcab. Each short side leg was screwed to the timber each side. I finally connected the original lead , inner conductor to the copper pipe, outer "screening" to the steel van, Just above the LH grabhandle. Result- FANTASTIC reception, no holes in van, weatherproof, & not prone to damage. Result!


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Swift have had many complaints about the same issue. You can read all about it on the Swift-Talk forums.
Swift, and Autotrail, use Sargent for their electronics and have undergone extensive tests in conjunction with Sargent to try to resolve the issue.
The solution that Swift/Sargent have come up with is an unamplified Di-Pole aerial that is fitted within the windscreen and door rails of the Ducato cab. Needless to say, fitting an aerial inside a steel enclosure doesn't work and sure enough there are many who have had this fitted and report no improvement.
I have fitted an external aerial to the plastic plate between the nearside headlamp and the windscreen. To create a ground plane, on the advice of a local in car entertainment specialist, I installed several layers of kitchen foil to the underside of the plate (it does not need to be earthed).
Now for the first time, I can enjoy unbroken Radio 2 anywhere in the Country.
Photos attached.
Gerry


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

On the older Fiat/Peugeot vehicles, with steel wings, the answer is to fit a Bosch/Blauplunkt Boosted Autoflex aerial. 
If difficulty in finding a supplier, google Autosound Limited - Bradford, Yorkshire.

I answer this with experience of having had one fitted.


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## grandadbaza (Jan 3, 2008)

Dont like to keep repeating it , but since I wired my radio to the Status tv aerial I have not had a problem , and I have been in quite a lot of reception grey areas in peak and lake district , why bother with a separate aerial why dont the converters wire the radio and the Tv to the status


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## tyreman1 (Apr 18, 2008)

Its very wrong though when we`re paying 30,40,50k for a motorhome and the converters cant even be arsed to worry about if the radio works.


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## grandadbaza (Jan 3, 2008)

tyreman1 said:


> Its very wrong though when we`re paying 30,40,50k for a motorhome and the converters cant even be arsed to worry about if the radio works.


I agree it is wrong , but life is a b-tch and if the people that are ripping us off dont care then we stop buying or adapt and invent ourselves , lets face it I am sure we would all agree that we could design a motor home better that their so called experts , we live in them and know how they should be , btw I have cause to be annoyed that they cant be arsed as I paid 60k+


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

grandadbaza said:


> Dont like to keep repeating it , but since I wired my radio to the Status tv aerial I have not had a problem , and I have been in quite a lot of reception grey areas in peak and lake district , why bother with a separate aerial why dont the converters wire the radio and the Tv to the status


One reason is the status booster is wired to the 12v supply in the habitation area, and certainly on uk vehicles, the hab. electrics are isolated when the vehicle engine is started.
I tried this with mine, by running a loose co-ax to the radio, and reception was still poor, even with the booster switched on, so gave up on that idea.

I am still amazed how good the reception is with the Autoflex aerial - on top of high ground just north of Bradford, at Dubrudden Camping, I picked up Capital Radio - from London!


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Antenna*

Hello,

I have two MB Sprinters, both with comand. Both with diversity Antenna Systems.

MH has a powered Screen antenna and Blaupunkt screen antenna.

Window van has a standard fit MB Roof Antenna and a Blaupunkt Screen Antenna.

Both have rubbish reception. BBC Radio 2 will not auto re-tune and local stations fall away even on flat motorways.

Just cannot seem to find a solution to this.

TM


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## bigfrank3 (Mar 26, 2007)

I have had radio reception problems so today I have just fitted a windscreen aerial I bought from fleabay for £3.85 postage paid. Click here

The difference in reception is fantastic while I am parked at the side of my home. My next trip out is the Lincoln show so I cannot give a moving report until then.

bigfrank3


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

just a reminder of how I sorted mine with a powered wing aerial, scroll down to the bottom to the pictures. you can contact autosound for the aerial.

clicky


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## grandadbaza (Jan 3, 2008)

TR5 said:


> grandadbaza said:
> 
> 
> > Dont like to keep repeating it , but since I wired my radio to the Status tv aerial I have not had a problem , and I have been in quite a lot of reception grey areas in peak and lake district , why bother with a separate aerial why dont the converters wire the radio and the Tv to the status
> ...


Forgot to mention I wired the Status booster to the ignition circuit, btw do you have the Status with the telescopic chrome pull outs , because I have spoken to Grade who make the Status and they said that only the ones with the telescopics are suitable for radio reception


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## PeteandMe (Sep 19, 2010)

Some of the windscreen "amplified" aerials are a con. Just because it has a LED. No amplifier Just the dipole and the nice red light.


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## Senator (Apr 24, 2008)

Radio reception is the one thing that drives me mad when we are in our motorhome. Generally the reception is very poor with the signal dropping in and out.

I know that if I was to drive along the same route in my car the reception would be perfect. :!: 

Why do the manufacturers of Motorhomes expect us to put up with such poor performance from the radios after we have forked out so much money on the vehicle? :evil: 

What ever the reasons, it is not acceptable and they should come up with a solution.

Rant over. :x 

Mark


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

grandadbaza said:


> TR5 said:
> 
> 
> > grandadbaza said:
> ...


Yes I do, and no it did not improve the reception significantly!
I second the post by *Sprinta*. I also tried a Blauplunkt boosted windscreen aerial, and although it improved the reception when stationary, was of little help when driving, and picked up interference from the van.
The ultimate solution is the Helix wound Bosch boosted wing aerial!


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

I've given up.

Have tried two different amplified windscreen mounted aerials (inc Blaupunkt) - still terrible. New head unit...for ease of use as well as to try to improve performance...no change. I now have an amplified wing mounted aerial...still not very good. Have run out of options (short of getting a sat dome that works on the move).

There seem to be huge variations from unit to unit. Others have tried the options I have, and reported great results. Not so on my cab. Also, I previously had a Compass Avantgarde on the same cab, and while not brilliant, that was at least usable. All very strange.


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## PeteandMe (Sep 19, 2010)

So all these amplified windscreen and wing mounted aerials appear in most cases not to work. Having spent all that money buying your pride and joy why not spend 20 pounds at your favorite car shop. buy a bog standard aerial and an extension coax. Fix it to the roof with a large of bluetack then go for that long drive and see if Terry Wogan or your other favorite disc jockey can be heard.If successful then it's off to the car radio installer for a permanent fix. Don't worry about holes in the roof plenty of holes are made for sat dishes solar panels and the like.


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

PeteandMe said:


> So all these amplified windscreen and wing mounted aerials appear in most cases not to work. Having spent all that money buying your pride and joy why not spend 20 pounds at your favorite car shop. buy a bog standard aerial and an extension coax. Fix it to the roof with a large of bluetack then go for that long drive and see if Terry Wogan or your other favorite disc jockey can be heard.If successful then it's off to the car radio installer for a permanent fix. Don't worry about holes in the roof plenty of holes are made for sat dishes solar panels and the like.


There are two main issues here.

Firstly, you need a good ground plane for an aerial to work efficiently, that means metal bodywork.

Secondly, you'll need a high gain aerial with a boosted signal, if you have a coach-built with only the cab area in metal, and that is why the helix wound Bosch Autoflex aerial works well, mounted on the front wing (assuming it is metal). No-one has stated poor reception with this aerial properly fitted.

An aerial 'stuck' on the roof of a GRP bodied motorhome would be totally useless, and the only way to fit a roof aerial in this fashion would be to glue, or otherwise fit as large as possible metal plate to the roof, and mount the aerial in the centre of this, providing a good earth to the metal.

If you have a converted metal-bodied van, then most aerials will work well.

If you have an A Class that is all GRP, then you have an even greater problem getting a decent reception.

As stated earlier, a boosted windscreen aerial works well when stationary, but being internal, it also picks up interference from the vehicle electronics when the engine is running, which weakens the signal considerably.


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

If an aerial needs a ground plane (to be effective) why does the radio in my SAAB estate work so well with the aerial embedded in/stuck onto the rear window glass?

Cheers

Dave


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

TR5 said:


> that is why the helix wound Bosch Autoflex aerial works well, mounted on the front wing (assuming it is metal). No-one has stated poor reception with this aerial properly fitted.


Agree with everything else you've said, but read my post above, I'm afraid I've still got cr*ppy performance with that solution. I've concluded something must be interfering with it, but not worked out what.


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

Rosbotham said:


> TR5 said:
> 
> 
> > that is why the helix wound Bosch Autoflex aerial works well, mounted on the front wing (assuming it is metal). No-one has stated poor reception with this aerial properly fitted.
> ...


Maybe a visit to Autosound, Bradford, Yorkshire sometime, is on the cards.
They are excellent and very reasonably priced.


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