Going oldskool here ,

BUT! i got a solid state ferris, and back a few yrs ago, maybe 5 or so before the car was on the road and i put it in storage, i rekon it had better reception and volume.

Now, fitted into a repainted dash with new antenna etc, it can pick up mainly only the ABC now and the volume is no where near what i originally had. But is loud enough to hear when parked etc. But dam if i can make out the mumble when the engine is pumping up the highway.

What could cause this poor volume?
at one stage with the antenna plugged in and not mounted i could get it heaps louder if i touch the antenna with my hand, but now its mounted, it doesn't make much of a difference.

thanks,
Chris

mate
ye olde 'ferris' car radio gear wasn't ever a quality statement back in the day
that's how they came outta the box when brand spanking new

Hmm... repainted dash eh... what are all the earth's like ???

You really need to scratch the paint off at each one back to bear metal to get a good earth... even the type that are screwed down rather than push, just relying on the screw threads often isn't enough.

Could be like h says and that you're tryin to push sh!t up hill with a stick, but only takes a few minutes to clean the earth's up...

Ferris! had one in a Peugeot way way back, still looking for a better radio, maybe I had a Monday one. ed it.

your not trying to pump the whopping 5 watts of power through 50 watt speakers are you

Quote:

Originally posted by bajachris88 Going oldskool here , BUT! i got a solid state ferris, and back a few yrs ago, maybe 5 or so before the car was on the road and i put it in storage, i rekon it had better reception and volume. Now, fitted into a repainted dash with new antenna etc, it can pick up mainly only the ABC now and the volume is no where near what i originally had. But is loud enough to hear when parked etc. But dam if i can make out the mumble when the engine is pumping up the highway. What could cause this poor volume? at one stage with the antenna plugged in and not mounted i could get it heaps louder if i touch the antenna with my hand, but now its mounted, it doesn't make much of a difference. thanks, Chris

hmm, will try the earth trick lol.

Yea i got two little 4 inch speakers compared to the original single speaker behind the dash grill.
However, i did have it running 6 inch component speakers back when i first bought the car and was stripping when i was a teenager. And it was tops !! (2 x 6 inch, with 2 little tweeters.) I would listen to this crazy AM station filled with clubbing rave tunes (teenage hypo years) and it was great to crank while taking it apart during the holidays.

Is definitely far from as loud as it used to be, and I had at least 4 audible radio stations to listen to. Now its just the abc haha.

I dunno what the impedence was on those component speakrs but i believe these dirty explods (where dirt cheap) would be around 4 ohms. The components were dirty too, so dirty that when i got it (as part of a deal with a body kit swap) they didn't have any manufacturer brand labels on em lol.

Some possible reasons to consider...

1. How many AM stations still broadcasting?
2. How stong is the signal they now push out?
3. What is the impedance of your speakers?
4. Run your signal through an amplifier!
5. Look into buying a retro digital tuner!

Things just ain't like they used to be!

Cheers

Sounds like the aerial has a bad connection. Is it scratchy when you turn the Volume control. Has variable carbon resistor which may have dirt built up over time. Just take the top of the radio, there is a small opening on the control where you can squirt some metholated spirit in and turn the control a few times to get rid of the film of dirt.

Thanks guys

investigated a bit today. definitely isn't an earth problem. Again, if i hold onto the antenna with my hand, it goes heaps loud and picks up all the 5 pre setted AM radio stations i set into it all those years ago (ABC, 4KQ, 4BC etc.) Once i let go of the antenna it goes to its dull volume.

I put a piece of copper wire on the antenna and extended it out 4 foot, increasing the size of the antenna and made it nice and loud.
Antenna was the normal brand one that autobarn sells, although got it via ebay.
Nah, there is no scratchy noise when i adjust the volume, its very crisp.

Maybe poor antenna?
If i run head unit without antenna, the radio goes flat silent.
when i fit the antenna, it definitely picks up the stations, but just at half to about a quarter the volume i remember it being. :S

If you have a multimeter you may find a short from center pin to the shielding. Certainly sounds like an aerial problem.

Thanks Norbert, will try that!

Yes, sounds like that NEW antenna or the antenna lead may have a short circuit in it...

Radio sounds like its Great...

really sounds like the antenna isn't connected to the inner cable
or shorted to the outer???

LEE

Your right lee, could also be an open circuit.

There should be an aerial trimmer on the rear of the unit, near where the aerial plugs in. It's just an unlabelled brass screw set into the case; and you adjust it to give max. reception -- to tune the radio to the aerial in effect.

Another possible prob would be if the two speakers are wired up out of phase; ie not the same way (or in series!). If out of phase, the sound may 'cancel out'. Can easily check by just disconnecting one.

It can be normal for volume to increase when you grab the aerial, with AM. We have one of the same type of radio, and it's quite good.