I noticed I have no AM radio reception on my front radio and thought that was odd since my rear radio still has AM reception. While up on the roof today I noticed the front radio antenna is gone, probably the victim of a tree limb. It seems like the more I camp in the woods the more contact I have with tree limbs, who knew? :) Looking at the underside of the antenna mount I notice it has a ground wire on it so I'm thinking it may be a no ground plane antenna due to the fiberglass roof. I presume someone on this forum must have replaced their antenna. What antenna model(s) have worked best? The front radio's reception was never as good as the rear radio. It still works about as well as before on FM even without any antenna so this isn't a big emergency or anything.
An even more doubtful thought is ...where is the AM antenna for coaches in the age of 2002? There is a 8" loop antenna for FM in the compartment above the entry door. Noting my AM reception for the dash radio is terrible, I just wonder why.
Jim
Chuck,
AM for local weather and programs.
Besides the weak reception there also is a varying whine that seems unrelated to the engine speed. Portable AM radios used in the coach work well. So where is the antenna or is it just a bad receiver? FM works well. Anyone else notice this? Jim
I have two whip antennas, one on the roof in each front corner. One is CB and one is AM. Both are designed to fold down if going into areas with low clearance. The front right is the AM antenna.
Rich
One reason is for Handel on the Law on Saturday mornings (AM 640 in the Los Angeles area, but have gotten reception for this channel for hundreds of miles from LA.) This is a great show hosted by Bill Handel, a lawyer who takes calls from listeners with legal questions. While he is an actual lawyer, he admittedly "knows nothing." But this show is hilarious, and you always just wait for the inevitable advice of, "You have no case." Anything from tree limbs hanging over property, to will issues, you never know.
The second person I seek out is Clark Howard. While he's out of Atlanta, his show sometimes airs in California. I love this guy. He is a consumer advocate and offers great tips and advice on all sorts of financial subjects.
For us redneck's, Walton and Johnson out of houston.
Have the AM band police stolen this thread or are we still talking about a replacement radio? I think that's the original question and I think that nobody needs to justify his reason for wanting AM radio. Just sayin!!!
I have opposite problem, I get good AM but no FM !!
Was considering a new dash unit but just want simple , everything thing I looked at was a mass of buttons and lights !
Actually, the OP's original question was "What antenna model(s) have worked best?" Also, see Topic: (subject)
I removed my off-topic posts...sorry 'bout that.
I did a bunch of radio antenna research today ...while listening to AM radio on my rear radio :) ...and now I think my CB antenna should be a "no ground plane" (NGP) antenna. I think this only matters for radios that transmit, like the CB, but not for radios that only receive. I don't really think the antenna matters at all for FM reception because my front antenna is completely gone and I didn't even notice any difference in FM reception. I think I'm gonna try to install a new AM/FM antenna and then swap out the whip with a looong telescoping AM radio whip from my 1965 Chevrolet that's been in storage since I bought my coach. Obviously I'll only extend the whip when I'm sitting still in the campground and I'll retract it before I drive my coach. I go up on the roof to check my canoe and other stuff before I drive my coach each day so it's no biggie to fold down the antenna while I'm up there. I think Foretravel installed the wrong CB antenna as original equipment. I think they should have installed an NGP antenna but it appears that I have the ordinary Firestik antenna instead of the NGP Firestik. I sent an email to Firestik but they haven't responded yet. My CB receives signals from other CB radios within sight of my coach for about a mile. I don't think it transmits a voice signal though. It sounds like it's transmitting a signal with no sound, like maybe it's got a bad microphone or something? Maybe I'll find a CB radio shop at a truck stop and have them test it. I have no idea why Foretravel mounted my CB antenna, or any other antennas, on the passenger side of the coach where they constantly get whacked by tree limbs. Maybe I'll move it to the driver's side if I do replace it with an NGP antenna. If the rear AM/FM antenna eventually gets ripped off by a tree limb I may use an internal antenna or move it to the driver's side, which could make it easier to get the canoe on and off the roof... I dunno, just thinking ahead.
I think you can get rid of your AM radio whine by using an in line coil on the power line to the radio. Of course you'll also need a decent AM antenna if you don't have one.
In addition to my controversial AM radio listening I also intend to eventually replace my front radio with an AM/FM/SW radio cuz I wanna be able to listen to shortwave from foreign countries too. :)
My CB / weather radio just went off when the national weather service set off an alert from Mount Washington NH, which must be well over a hundred miles away from where I am now ...so the incorrect CB antenna is working reasonably well. :)
@Scott,
Here is the direct replacement for mine. YMMV...
Amazon.com: Metra 44-US71 Side/Top Mount Universal Replacement Antenna for... (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LU8ON4/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_81)
see ya
ken
Ken, I bought that "exact replacement" antenna you suggested.
Does anyone know how the front AM/FM radio antenna wire is routed into the dashboard area? I just need to pull a few more inches of antenna wire into the dashboard area to reach the new radio I installed.
@Scott,
Mine is routed under the dash to the passenger side. Then thru a cable chase that follows under the passenger window around and up to the cabinet above the passenger seat. See pics.
see ya
ken
Ken, in my 2002 U320 the loup antenna for FM (and maybe a.m.?) is located, just floating in the small cabinet above the entry door. When I replaced my front TV all the wires went up behind the top of the windshield to that little cabinet, obviously directly forward of the cabinet at the windshield - on the passenger side. Clear as mud Ha! Jim
I think I fingered it out. :) The antenna cable comes out in the far left front corner under the dashboard, then connects to an extension cord, which is secured to the wiring harness with a gazillion zip ties so the whole dashboard will probably be overrun with loose wires if I cut them all... so now I gotta find about a three foot antenna extension cord to make it over to where the new radio is.
For the benefit of future readers, the "exact replacement" antenna is somewhat underwhelming in quality now. It may have been a top quality antenna back when my coach was built but it's a cheapo now. I just need to whack it on a tree limb or two and it'll be a goner. Maybe I'll look into moving the CB antenna to the driver's side and splitting it with the AM/FM radio or something? Maybe I'll get a couple of weeks out of this new antenna to think it over. :)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/metra-universal-antenna-extension-cable-black/9436595.p?skuId=9436595
The Metra "exact replacement" antenna for my coach that turned out to be a cheapo impersonation of what may once have been a quality antenna did in fact break on its maiden voyage down to the grocery store and back. The mast is still okay so I'm saving it as a possible replacement for the rear antenna which is kinda bent up from countless tree strikes over the years. I bought an antenna splitter and hooked my new AM / FM / shortwave Sony stereo to the existing Firestik CB antenna and suddenly it works. I'm able to pick up way more stations than I could with the old AM / FM antenna. The new cheapo antenna didn't seem to work at all, even before it busted. The CB seems unaffected by the antenna splitter and radio being hooked to its antenna. I can pick up two Nashville radio stations and a Miami station clearly on shortwave here in Zion national park (southern Utah) even in the daytime. At night I can pick up European stations depending on the cloud cover. I ordered a 102" steel whip quarter wave CB antenna mast that will screw into the Firestik's mount when I'm sitting still. I'll either clip the looong antenna back before I drive my coach or put the Firestik back in. The top of the 102" antenna will be almost 20' high so there's no way I can drive with it up. The Firestik on my coach apparently is not a "no ground plane" antenna. The base of the antenna appears to be grounded to the steel structure of the coach's wall with about a ten gauge wire. This would only matter for transmitting with the CB and probably wouldn't affect the shortwave or AM / FM reception. This shortwave radio addition and getting rid of the AM / FM antenna has already shown itself to be a worthwhile upgrade. My goal is to be able to get news from overseas that hasn't been tainted by our US news media, and also to have radio reception anywhere I ever camp, even Big Bend national park. I considered satellite radio but decided against it for multiple reasons after investigation. The new Sony stereo has the ability to answer a cell phone call while I'm driving, which I seldom do. It's possible that'll be a nice feature while I'm traveling but I honestly had no idea it could do that when I bought the thing, so it had no influence on my decision to purchase it. I just wanted shortwave radio and to swap the cassette deck for a CD player that can play .mp3 discs. The rear Sony stereo still has a working cassette player, which I've used in the past for listening to audio books that some campgrounds have for loan... Okay, so I doubt any of you care about this but I shared what I learned to this point.
The non-ground-plane CB antenna is primarily used in boats because most boats do not have much ground plane material.
A NGP CB antenna will never transmit as well as a GP CB antenna. Foretravel used the aluminum square tubing roof structure for the CB antenna ground plane (no, the ground plane does not have to be magnetic). Just be sure that the ground wire has good electrical contact with the aluminum in the roof and use an SWR meter to confirm. Also the electrical contact between the antenna mast and the coaxial lead is critical. I use a K40 CB antenna which is tuned/cleaned annually using an SWR meter.
The AM/FM antenna does make a difference to radio reception, particularly for FM. I use a Fanfare FM-2G antenna with good results.
It is important for CB transmission to keep the AM/FM antenna away from the CB antenna. For some reason my 1996 U320 had the AM/FM and CB antennae only two feet apart. I replace both antennae and moved the CB antenna to the other side of the roof.
I use flexible, stainless, antenna masts which just bend back when making contact with a solid object. After six years and many tree branch strikes they are still working. The Firestik (wound fibreglass tube type mast) is a good antenna but not good for a motorhome because it will break, not bend when struck.
Ours works fine on both sides, and that is something I never thought about. Thanks! ^.^d
On my coach the antennas are grounded to the steel, not the aluminum. I can see where they're grounded. I no longer have an AM / FM antenna because the antenna splitter uses the CB antenna for both radios. There's a huge improvement in AM / FM / shortwave performance with no noticeable change in CB performance. I'll let you know how the 102" quarter wave antenna works. It should be here soon. My Firestik has hit every tree limb in the country just about and it hasn't broken yet. It's showing a lot of battle damage but it still works great. I'll keep the Firestik and put it back on when I'm doing long distance highway travels. I'll just use the big antenna when I'm relatively stationary. It's super easy to unscrew one antenna and screw the other one back in. They both fit the same mount. Why compromise with only one type of antenna for every situation? My CB has a built in SWR calibration and I'll use it each time I change antennas.
The 102" quarter wave antenna is so tall and heavy that the Firestik's spring can't hold it upright if there's a strong wind. There is a noticeable improvement in shortwave reception with the 102" antenna instead of the Firestik. I can almost always pick up shortwave stations in China, Vietnam, Cuba, and other favorite commie countries. :) The Firestik can pick up those countries sometimes, depending on atmospheric conditions. There are a lot more stations on the dial with the taller antenna though. Overall there isn't much on shortwave nowadays except crazy preachers, commie news, survivalists, and some talk shows that were previously unknown to me... and there are music shows from Nashville sometimes but the Firestik picks up the Nashville and Miami stations. The Miami station broadcasts Radio Slovak International which is probably the most interesting show, and it's on every evening. The best commie news is Radio Havana Cuba. I change the station when they start talking about Castro but they do seem to be especially truthful about US news. Radio China teaches a course on how to speak Chinese each day right after their commie news from Beijing. I still can't speak any Chinese but I feel so cultured. To be honest I took the 102" whip off and put the Firestik back up because I can drive with the Firestik and shortwave radio doesn't have the programming I remember from when I was a kid listening during the Cold War... scary stuff back then :o