FM Reception

[malcolm1sim]

Although I have had my car for 3+ years now I rarely listen to FM radio.
Today I tried and the reception was appalling!!
OK where I live which is in line of sight to Crystal Palace transmitters, and only about 5 miles for the proverbial crow, but the other side of the north downs, only 5 or so miles the other way, no reception at all for minutes on end. Then when I did receive something, crackling and spitting like fury.
AM works OK subject to the usual problems of AM.

Any ideas or is this the way of things for Audi. Previous Fords, Rovers and Vauxhalls have all been OK.

 

[AndyMac]

Most likely your antenna amp is fried, worth trying an aftermarket aerial amp, only about £15 and easy to fit.
Aerial amp

Could be something worse like a broken aerial cable, just pull the HU, unplug the aerial and try using a screwdriver instead to see if this improves the reception. If it does then it must be a breakage in the cable, which will be a ****** to locate.
If it doesn't improve with the screwdriver then chances are it's the aerial amp.

 

[imported_G4JSG]

How strange.

I have recently noticed the same problem, even though I live hundreds of miles away. My local street has recently noticed the car radio and house radio reception has got really poor, so bad the some stations are not coming on any more.

I wonder if there is some strange atmospheric interference going on?

 

[AndyMac]

No, they're turning down the power to force people to go DAB, it's a conspiracy.
DAB just hasn't taken off, they thought it would be like the jump from vinyl to CD and they couldn't have been more wrong.
I noticed it about a year ago, I do the same journey 3 times a week, the full length of the M3 and FM reception went from being totally fine to being pretty unlistenable in the same car with the same stereo. So it worked I went DAB, but that still cuts out completely in the same 2 areas, that's progress!

 

[audi5e]

Let me guess, you pay for DAB?

 

[AndyMac]

No it's free and it is far superior, but when you move into a weak signal area it cuts out completely being digital, which can be really annoying

 

[malcolm1sim]

This is getting quite interesting.
AndyMac is talking about the south of the country and clearly so am I.
I know that CH5 TV is very poor south of the london transmitters to stop it interferring with European TV. Could the same thing be happening to radio (FM) now?.

MDS

 

[madvw]

nah if it went suddenly, then it's most likely that a transmitter is either broken, on half power, or being maintained. It'll probably be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

as for DAB, and digital TV... unless they sort the coverage out, i can't see it ever taking off. In the east, theres no hills and reception is passable in even the most remote of places. But take Bath for example, its in a dip, and can't get digital TV for $hit, and its a city ***. Pointless

 

[AndyMac]

Digital TV over an analogue signal was never gonna be successful, just a band aid for stupid people who seem to resent paying for 24/7 entertainment, but quite happily waste their money on other things.
As for DAB, it's pretty good from Southampton to Nottingham, only a handful of dips where it cuts out.
Digital TV = satellite or cable, Freeview is not digital
With sky you can buy a sky gnome which then gives you access to all DAB radio (& TV) wirelessly anywhere in the house, so if you can't get DAB the gnome gives you proper satellite radio (many more channels than DAB) and all your TV channels as well

 

[madvw]

[ QUOTE ]

Digital TV = satellite or cable, Freeview is not digital

[/ QUOTE ]

freeview= DBV = digital tv, non?

 

[AndyMac]

Technically it's digital, but digital TV to me means it's actually a step forward and doesn't suffer from the limitations of analogue TV, which Freeview clearly does, and is actually worse as poor reception means you don't just get a fuzzy picture, you don't get anything!

Just gives digital TV a bad name.
When will people realise you have to pay to get something that actually works, and for me £15 per month is a bargain for a month's worth of satellite/cable television, considering a premiership footy match is £30+ for 90mins per person, and a TV licence is a tenner a month for 2 channels

 

[malcolm1sim]

Guys guys, we are getting off the point.

All I am after is acceptable FM reception from my car radio. That is something I have always had in the past. Given that I do not recall, it being as bad (ever) as it was the other day I think I must assume that AndyMac is right and I have a boost/amp problem.

Certainly at the price suggested then it has to be worth a try. If it ends up being a transmitter down then at least I have not wasted too much!!!!

AM, quick question. Your link to an adapter, is that the same thing ie, an amplifier/booster? If it is then I assume the original is part of the radio itself.

Cheers to all for now, it still remains an interesting subject.

 

[AndyMac]

It's part of the HU in later models, but was a seperate item in older cars.
Part of the beesting in A3's and buried somewhere at the back in A4's, but they had so many failures that they changed the design so they could swap the HU rather than rip half the car apart to get to the amp.

 

[malcolm1sim]

Hi AndyMac, and thanks for your continued interest.

Sorry to be a bit of an "Old Fart" on this but what is an older car.

Mine is an A4 3.0L Q on an 02 plate.

Cheers,

MDS

 

[AndyMac]

A later model then (anything 2000 onwards). I think the FM amp is still seperate in the B6 A4, I know in my 01 Avant it is behind the boot trim over the nearside rear wheelarch, have a look on the black power ISO in the back of the HU and see if the power ant pin is wired or not. If it is then chances are it's powering the FM amp in the boot somewhere.
Problem is if the amp is defective who knows what it's doing to the signal.
Unplug the antenna from the HU and stick a small screwdriver or wire coathanger in there and see if it improves reception.

 

[Garber]

I dont know if this has already been posted but i found a blog showing a Procedure for replacing Audi A3 arial bee-sting roof mounted amplifier/base for better FM and AM reception a lot cheaper than the original one i was going to follow the guide but managed to repair mine
the guide is here