boombox whip antenna problems

[Ed P]

I have just purchased a cheap mains powered Bluetooth Boombox for a Pi project. As a BT amplifier/speaker it is great, however the Boombox also purports to do FM radio, and in this respect it is absolute rubbish. I’m used to getting better reception by grabbing TM antenna, but this set still just gives a static washed-out signal. I suspect it is the antenna as it does give a faint signal.

Before I dismantle the box to investigate, does anyone have any tips on trouble-shooting an FM radio?

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Now there is a complex subject Ed !

My mother has a proper FM roof Arial so I just plug devices into that and if they still sound rubbish I assume they are rubbish ?

[Ed P]

I’m hoping it is just a carp solder joint or an unintentional short. However before I risk destroying the appearance of quite a nice looking boombox, I just needed a bit of reassurance that such troubleshooting is possible.

[Bob Williams]

I’m with WoF here: we have a FM aerial mounted on the TV mast and I plug our mains music box into that and my record deck. DAB is a no go here, as is 3 0r 4G reception (or any bloody G!) If it wasn’t for JayCeeDee sending me an EE magic box, I wouldn’t have mobile reception anywhere in the house or the village. As it is, we now get 4G via this wonderful box, according to my phone. Thanks, John!

The new Hyundai ix20 has only FM and also has a CD slot, besides USB and media. It has more outlets than M&S used to have. I discovered that if I have Radio 2, Radio 4, 5Live, BBC Radio Lincs and Classic, that’s all I need. Having a dozen stations that I cannot stand, just confuses me. I like FM and it is not going away anytime soon, despite what anyone else may tell you.

http://tinyurl.com/ycufcuma

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

I find that a lot of digital devices these days have really bad analogue input circuits, if they have them at all. Often it is a cheap Opamp ment for digital use pressed into service as an audio amp.

If your device has an AUX input jack try plugging something in there and see how it sounds.

[Tippon]

Daft question, but have you tried it outside to rule out interference in the house?

[Ed P]

I tried it in the position it will be used which is currently occupied by an ancient FM steam radio (that works perfectly!). I did move it elsewhere in the house and it will pick up FM in the 100+ range which isn’t much good but suggests that something is reducing the active length of the aerial.

[Bob Williams]

Ed, that last suggests that the Boombox may not be properly screened. I would investigate the innards.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Les.]

If memory serves, a 27″ whip length is about mid band for FM. If it is telescopic, try changing the length a bit either side of 27″. To be honest, not much modern stuff does a proper job of FM. Decent reception comes from a mid ’60s quality transistor set, and not a lot else.I have a late ’70s NordMende Globetrotter 808, and that will pull in just about anything, but it was an expensive professional set back in its day. I bought it from the importers at reduced price with a minor fault. I must have getting on for ten mid ’60s German trannies plus a NordMende valve set from about ’68. That last however needs a decent aerial where we live, as it is a terrible reception spot for R3 and R4 on FM.

Les.

[Bob Williams]

Les, I have a Pioneer X-CM32BTD-K, ‘CD receiver System’:

http://tinyurl.com/y9rw45fn

Don’t these things have some unwieldy names now? Anyway, mine plays almost anything and is also plugged in to my record deck, for recording vinyl via USB. I can also record and/or stream stuff from the huge music library to a USB drive and play it all through the Pioneer there are RCA Line In sockets at the rear. It is a DAB + FM radio receiver, plugged into its own DAB antenna, but I also had a very good FM circular aerial fitted to the high-gain TV mast some years ago. That has its own FM socket at the rear and reception is great.

I have found that the stupid number of DAB stations that have grown in the UK, together with uncertain reproduction in most, has sent me back to FM. And I am appreciating the better, stable quality of FM reception and sound, plus all the stations we want to hear, are still on FM. The excessive numbers of demented, ad-infested DAB stuff just produced a divorce from DAB for me. It’s great to know that the government is not going to end FM for the foreseeable future: DAB cannot serve some areas well, including my own region, which has high TV masts and no mobile coverage whatsoever.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

I’m in a DAB dead spot. I would have to put in a dedicated DAB roof antenna and cabling – obviously a non-solution!

[Bob Williams]

Grandson in Louth is in a First floor flat and can get DAB with a short length of Coax, all stations.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

The DAB reception on my car is superb. Not really much of a radio listener but the traffic reports can be handy.

[Bob Williams]

I bought my son a DAB radio for his car at Christmas, good antenna to suit and he gets better DAB reception than in the house. His village is 5 miles from ours, suffers the same dead spots for mobile and DAB. He loves the 80’s stations, plenty of them on DAB.

He was 50 yesterday! My lad is 50! Where did it all go? Makes me feel ancient…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[wasbit]

I had a DAB radio in the car about 10 years ago, perhaps more. Ok for Oxfordshire but in Cornwall, go down a hill, lose the station, up the other side & it tuned in to a completely different station. Never again.

Last year, walked in to the local post office & started singing to something playing on the radio. Then I knew the next song so had to ask what station? It was Gold. Only available on DAB & medium wave though, so had to fork out for a new CD/radio for the living room, another for the kitchen plus an outdoor aerial on the roof, & a portable radio for the shed. Normally I would listen to Classic FM but classical music isn’t really conducive to a noisy shed.

 

--
Regards
wasbit

Rig 1: Optiplex 3050 SFF
Rig 2: Asus ROG G20CB (rebuilt wreck)
Rig 3: HP Elitebook 8440P

Dear Starfleet, hate you, hate the Federation, taking Voyager. - Janeway

[JayCeeDee]

@wasbit – my desktop is permanently connected to THIS – it uses Radio Player, which itself has a vast variety of stations for all tastes.

My bedside alarm is also tuned to Gold on DAB, we get a pretty good reception here in Thanet. It doesn’t drown out the wife’s snores overnight, but masks them sufficiently for me to sleep!!?

It annoyed me hugely about 3 or 4 years ago when it disappeared off Global’s playlist for Kent, but it re-appeared about a year later!!

[Tippon]

Bob Williams wrote:

He loves the 80’s stations, plenty of them on DAB.

Heart 80’s has been very good on the few times I’ve been able listen (DAB in Ellen’s car and Alice’s TV, so I get outvoted 😀 ). Ignore the tuning info on the website, as they list the instructions for the bog standard Heart FM station only. It’s one of the few stations where I’ve been able to leave it on for a few hours without getting bored and wanting to switch.

[wasbit]

JayCeeDee wrote:

@wasbit – my desktop is permanently connected to THIS – it uses Radio Player, which itself has a vast variety of stations for all tastes.

Thanks. I was using that on the PC before buying new systems. Tried it on the tablet but the speakers are too small.

--
Regards
wasbit

Rig 1: Optiplex 3050 SFF
Rig 2: Asus ROG G20CB (rebuilt wreck)
Rig 3: HP Elitebook 8440P

Dear Starfleet, hate you, hate the Federation, taking Voyager. - Janeway

[Les.]

Bob, nice looking Pioneer, but too technical for me with Bluetooth and such like.

I have a DAB reciver in the shed, but useless here. I have a JVC Midi in the living room, but reception so variable that I frequently need to re-align the internal house antenna every so often for a few days. About one month ago, it was “relocated” under orders, and I laid out the antenna on a west facing window sill. Perfect results for about 2 weeks, then suddenly poor. I found that by hanging half of one side of it down the wall returned the reception to OK. It all depends on the weather. This current weather demands the “hanging side”, but I imagine it will need laying flat again when the rain reappears.

The problem could be solved if a few of these receivers had the same front end as my Nordmende Globetrotter, or my Grundig Satelit  600. Just looking at the circuit diagrams tells you all you need to know. You don’t need to understand the tech involved, just counting three or more times as many components must be a dead giveaway that some thought went into the design.

You suggest time flies Bob, I reckon it is supercharged. My elder one can give yours five years. He rang me on Saturday, first time for a while, to point out I had forgotten eldest grangson’s birthday. He NEVER sends me a card! My sister always used to remind me of everybody’s birthdays, but as she passed away last year, I am on my own.

Les, who is still being beckoned by the Grim Reaper; I just ignore him. Must finish, out on the ‘bike shortly for a club run. This one is always held mid-summer, and is to remember Absent Friends. Apt I guess.

Cheers, Les.

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