Optimizing Radio Reception: Trimming Antennas for Modern Cars

[mtworkowski@o]

Both my and my wife's car are fairly new. Yet the radios are very bad. In the old days there was some adjustment that could be made called trimming. Does anybody know if there is a procedure for optimizing on todays radios? AM.

 

[berkeman]

Both my and my wife's car are fairly new. Yet the radios are very bad. In the old days there was some adjustment that could be made called trimming. Does anybody know if there is a procedure for optimizing on todays radios? AM.

Weird that they are so bad. If the cars are still under warranty, try taking them back and asking for replacements. Listen to the radios in the showroom cars of the same make, to see if they all sound that bad, or if you just got a couple of lemons.

There is some alignment that can be done generally in the RF front ends of the radios, but that takes special equipment and the factory alignment instructions in order to perform the alighment (it's basically tuning several variable inductances and capacitances to work best together for passing and filtering the RF signals).

 

[NoTime]

In the old days there was some adjustment that could be made called trimming.

I haven't seen that trimmer in a long time, but it was for antenna matching.
One of the problems with newer radios is that the antennas are optimized for FM.

 

[mtworkowski@o]

Thanks for the response. I knew I was screwed. I should get myself an after market radio for myself since my wife is oblivious to radio reception. Should I throw this over to EE or what?

 

[berkeman]

Should I throw this over to EE or what?

You are in EE

 

[mtworkowski@o]

You are in EE

It say's general E.

 

[berkeman]

It say's general E.

Ack! You're right. Jeeze, I need to slow down and read the daisies... or something like that. Moving thread to the actual EE forum.

 

[mtworkowski@o]

It say's general E.

And I did not mean to insult anybody. I think I did. Sorry. I went to what I thought was general because I thught it was the right place to go.

 

[berkeman]

BTW was my suggestion of heading back to the dealer for a comparison listen practical?

 

[berkeman]

And I did not mean to insult anybody. I think I did. Sorry. I went to what I thought was general because I thught it was the right place to go.

No insult taken at all. We aim to help get you the best answer. I just was reading too fast, and thought it was in EE already.

 

[mtworkowski@o]

BTW was my suggestion of heading back to the dealer for a comparison listen practical?

I always think the dealer is full of *&^%, so I try my own way first. But thanks, it makes sense.