• You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

AM car radio antenna upgrades

Mudfoot

Elmer
Jun 17, 2009
10,917
6,290
698
62
Southeast Ohio
I still enjoy listening to AM while driving. I'm interested in antenna ideas for improving reception in my car. I'd like to have something that doesn't elicit to many finger-pointing and jeers while driving.

Big loop on top?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rwb

I still enjoy listening to AM while driving. I'm interested in antenna ideas for improving reception in my car. I'd like to have something that doesn't elicit to many finger-pointing and jeers while driving.

Big loop
mudfoot i agree on am.i listen to it lots when truckin.wish kenworth had put better antenna on their trucks but they think we just listen to fm
 

Attachments

  • 20190313_095839.jpg
    20190313_095839.jpg
    661.8 KB · Views: 299
  • 20190313_095810.jpg
    20190313_095810.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 278
  • Like
Reactions: 357magnum
I'm mainly interested in increased daytime reception. I might look at putting something up on luggage rack. My little SDR Play takes care of my home based AM/Fm needs. I put up an outside old school FM stereo antenna for my SDR. Works great
 
  • Like
Reactions: 357magnum and Rwb
I still enjoy listening to AM while driving. I'm interested in antenna ideas for improving reception in my car. I'd like to have something that doesn't elicit to many finger-pointing and jeers while driving.

Big loop on top?

Two most effective things I found as a car stereo installer was improving ground at the radio chassis and choosing a brand with a good receiver usually Sony and pioneer. I suppose if a guy was really serious you could mount a variable capacitor in line maybe mount it in the junk box of your rig but Ive never tried it. Are you going for DX or just better local reception?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 357magnum
It has been literally decades since I installed and serviced car audio. Back then, every 'car radio' that had the AM band had a mica compression trimmer cap, usually accessed through either the cassette door, or the rear panel of the radio.

This served to "tune" the front end of the AM-band receiver to the vehicle's antenna and coax. You tuned in a weak station near the middle of the band and peaked it for max signal.

Could be the installer forgot this step in your car?

Could be that tweaking it for the station you want might improve it?

Cheapest thing to try first, anyway.

73
 
It has been literally decades since I installed and serviced car audio. Back then, every 'car radio' that had the AM band had a mica compression trimmer cap, usually accessed through either the cassette door, or the rear panel of the radio.

This served to "tune" the front end of the AM-band receiver to the vehicle's antenna and coax. You tuned in a weak station near the middle of the band and peaked it for max signal.

Could be the installer forgot this step in your car?

Could be that tweaking it for the station you want might improve it?

Cheapest thing to try first, anyway.

73

I’ve never seen this feature this could be from before my time. I’m doubtful that radios nowadays have this tuned circuit but maybe so. Worth a look in the destruction book. I suppose one could bond all the body panels and the exhaust if they were serious on this road but I still lean towards a good chassis ground and if you’re looking for a mod try a matchbox in line with the coax.
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • dxBot:
    Tucker442 has left the room.
  • @ BJ radionut:
    LIVE 10:00 AM EST :cool:
  • @ Charles Edwards:
    I'm looking for factory settings 1 through 59 for a AT 5555 n2 or AT500 M2 I only wrote down half the values feel like a idiot I need help will be appreciated