Reception problem in my car

readingdispatcher · #1 (**permalink**) 03-14-2013, 7:16 PM

Hello. I'm new to the forum and hope I have picked the right one to ask for help. I have a Motorola HT1000 in my car to scan railroad transmissions. There is a glass mount antenna on the side window and up until December when I had a lot of aftermarket stereo equipment installed, it worked great with excellent reception from great distances. Now I can hardly pick up anything. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can look for to correct the reception problem? Thanks

LtDoc · #2 (**permalink**) 03-14-2013, 7:41 PM

Was anything with the antenna, the feed line routing or radio changed?
- 'Doc

readingdispatcher · #3 (**permalink**) 03-14-2013, 8:02 PM

Hi Richard. Not sure what you are asking. Yes the antenna cable was re-routed under the rear seat but someone ran a test on the antenna and according to him it is fine. The Radio changed you ask? You mean my car radio? Yes, a whole new head unit with GPS, Trunk has a new amp and sub-woofer.

WA0CBW · #4 (**permalink**) 03-15-2013, 10:16 AM

If I had to guess I would say they may have pinched or crushed the coax when re-routing it under the seat. If it was the stereo installers that told you the coax was ok I would doubt that they would have had the equipment (SWR meter/Power Meter) to test the coax. I would re-inspect/test the coax to the antenna.
BB

ridgescan · #5 (**permalink**) 03-15-2013, 11:26 AM

Since the antenna and its position havent changed at all, it most likely is the antenna's connectors or a crimp in the feedline (coax)
Sometimes, like in my case, it can also be the center conductor contact at the antenna terminal INSIDE the radio has moved because of too much connecting/unconnecting action, and just needs to be repositioned so it touches the center pin on the coax again.

Bottom line-connections.

readingdispatcher · #6 (**permalink**) 03-17-2013, 5:15 PM

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Unfortunately I'm not sure that is the problem as far as the antenna cable or the center pin. Yesterday I removed the antenna cable that had been connected to the radio and replaced it with the cable from my mag-mount antenna. Same problem. No reception. However when I removed the radio and mag-mount from my car and placed it outside, it worked perfect. There has to be something inside the car that is causing this. The new stereo components perhaps?

jfhtm350 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-20-2013, 10:52 PM

Try unplugging the fuse to the amplifier or unhooking the cable and then check your radio. Then try taking out the fuse to the fm radio/cd player unit. What kind of GPS unit is it? Do you have a capacitor installed for the amplifier?

krokus · #8 (**permalink**) 03-20-2013, 11:56 PM

It sounds like a de-sense issue. The instructions provided, above, will let you isolate which piece(s) are causing the offending interference.

LtDoc · #9 (**permalink**) 03-21-2013, 11:53 AM

" However when I removed the radio and mag-mount from my car and placed it outside, it worked perfect."
I'm afraid I may be misinterpreting that. You didn't have the antenna inside the car, right? And if not, then I would have to think it may be some problem associated with how things were mounted or situated in the car? Keeping the radio's wiring away from any other device's wiring that could produce a signal is a good idea. May not 'cure' the problem, but it at least eliminates one possibility.
- 'Doc

jim202 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-21-2013, 12:36 PM

What are you using to connect the outside mag mount or glass mount coax cable to the HT1000?

There is the possibility that your problem is in the antenna connection at the radio.