Not sure if this is the right forum and feel free to move it if it isnt. I have been getting a whine while accelerating both while recieving and other people can hear it while I am transmitting. I know I have seen something that installs in the power leads that is supposed to supress the whine but I cant for the life of me remember what it is. Does anyone know?
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Radio/Acceleration whine?
- Thread starter ryan81986
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RayK
Member
Where do you have your present radio power wired from.Normally you would use a feedthru type capactor.What is the make of your auto?
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RayK
Member
Here is some helpful information:
N4JNW
Member
The whine is probably coming from your alternator. When you accelerate, the engine speeds up, which makes the alternator speed increase as well, and that would make the noise increase.
Notice if it changes when your vehicle shifts gears, and the motor winds back down to a lower RPM.
I've heard lots of Patrol car's radio's actually whine ON AIR while transmitting. You could tell when the car shifted as the officer was talking. LOL
Notice if it changes when your vehicle shifts gears, and the motor winds back down to a lower RPM.
I've heard lots of Patrol car's radio's actually whine ON AIR while transmitting. You could tell when the car shifted as the officer was talking. LOL
N4JNW
Member
Power your radio or scanner directly to your battery. Don't power it from the fuse panel or anywhere else. Don't ground it anywhere other than the battery. Note which side of the engine your alternator is on. Run the power wires under the hood on the opposite side of the engine. Get them as far away from the alternator as you can.
Go to RadioShack and grab some ferrite choke's. They're pretty cheap, 3 or 4 bucks for two, and install them on the power wires, right before they go into the back of the radio.
What's going on is, your alternator is making RF noise, and your power wires are acting as antennas and recieving it. You might not be able to get rid of the interference at all, or you might be able to nip it in the bud completely. Make sure you're using good quality coax as well, and inspect it to make sure it isn't knicked anywhere.
Go to RadioShack and grab some ferrite choke's. They're pretty cheap, 3 or 4 bucks for two, and install them on the power wires, right before they go into the back of the radio.
What's going on is, your alternator is making RF noise, and your power wires are acting as antennas and recieving it. You might not be able to get rid of the interference at all, or you might be able to nip it in the bud completely. Make sure you're using good quality coax as well, and inspect it to make sure it isn't knicked anywhere.
Cars are now full of electronics and they all generate RF. Alternators are huge on cars now and generate all kinds of hash. The fact that you have the noise on transmit would say the problem is in your power source. k0bg has a nice site for mobile hams and one section is noise reduction. http://www.k0bg.com/
My first feeling is you have a bad or going bad alternator.
My first feeling is you have a bad or going bad alternator.
N4JNW
Member
Also, check connections under the hood of cables and connectors. Something might be a little loose, or maybe corroded under there.
Although it probably won't help much with your problem, a little preventive maintenence never hurt anything, and you might uncover something small that might be aiding in the noise.
Although it probably won't help much with your problem, a little preventive maintenence never hurt anything, and you might uncover something small that might be aiding in the noise.
My car has a rubber floor on it and it has just about driven me insane. So I will probably wind up getting a nice new carpet very soon and when I do I think I am just going to rewire my entire setup since I have always thought it could be a little neater.
An old time fix that I have used in the past is feed the power hot side through the secondary side of an audio transformer 3 to 16 ohm depending on the type ( be sure to tape the primary side wires ) it always worked for me. The transformer acts as a choke coil. Radio Shack Catalog #: 273-1380 might work although I liked a 3.2 ohm secondary.
If you cant find it someplace else contact the following they should have it and many other parts.
http://www.moyerelectronics.com/
If you cant find it someplace else contact the following they should have it and many other parts.
http://www.moyerelectronics.com/
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n8emr said:
How many times have we heard the strobes flashing in the background
pinetree said:
This is the ticket to rf whine.
Kenwood sell just that packaged in shrink wrap
Yes, please a part number from Kenwood would be nice!!!
mass-man said:
PG-3B is the part number. Works well with TM-D700 and BCD-996T
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The Kenwood device pictured is both a transformer/inductor and a capacitor that make up an L-C circuit. In my experience with alternator whine over many years, an L-C type filter like this is the only sure-fire way to kill alternator whine that enters via the DC power leads of your mobile radios. If it's alternator whine, and it's in your power leads, this type of filter will fix it every time. There are other commercial filters available that are also L-C combos, and they all work. The way they work (simplified) is the fact that alternator whine adds a sine wave variable voltage component to your DC line... which of course should be a steady, unwavering DC voltage. The capacitor/transformer combo serve to "smooth out" the power in DC line, eliminating the "whine" noise that varies up and down with the engine/alternator speed.
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N4JNW
Member
Worst scenario..... You're not recieving the whine through the power wires, but through the antenna. There would really be no cure for this...
Hopefully it's coming through the power wires, which it more than likely is..
Hopefully it's coming through the power wires, which it more than likely is..
Quick way to determine if whine coming in via antenna
A quick way to rule out whether or not the alternator whine is coming in via the antenna: Disconnect the antenna from the radio. Start the engine, turn up the volume on a signal (e.g. National Weather Service or something that opens your squelch without an antenna) and race the engine. If it still whines, the whine is coming in via the power leads.
A quick way to rule out whether or not the alternator whine is coming in via the antenna: Disconnect the antenna from the radio. Start the engine, turn up the volume on a signal (e.g. National Weather Service or something that opens your squelch without an antenna) and race the engine. If it still whines, the whine is coming in via the power leads.
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