FM booster?

[davejm123]

Hellooo,

wondered if any of you guys know if there is an FM booster that can be fitted to my car aerial? the signals been rubbish since i've fitted a new headunit. been checking all connections etc and they all seem fine. either the headunit is crap at radio stations or the adaptor for it is loosing some of the signal just wondered if you can get boosters for them? also need one for the radio at my house! lol

cheers,
Dave

 

[BrianR]

accessory boosters are rubbish Dave, they increase the noise as well as the signal.
Correct me if I'm wrong but does the 182 not have an amplified aerial anyway ??

Have you checked that the new head unit has an output to power it up, and its connected ? normally blue wire with white tracer.
Although DIN is supposed to be a standard, often certain makers don't comply.

Look in the cars loom plug and see if all the wires are doing what they should.

It must be more than a coincidence that this happened when you upgraded the head unit.

 

[davejm123]

yea it did seem more than coincidence, but to be honest i dont really know what i'm looking for! i'l take it out tomorrow and have a nosey about. i'm not sure about an amplified aerial, there was the standard aerial (coaxial) which had to go through an adaptor (long black thing) before it fitted to my current HU. am i basically looking for an unconnected wire in one of the DIN plugs on the car side? thanks for your help

 

[BrianR]

yea it did seem more than coincidence, but to be honest i dont really know what i'm looking for! i'l take it out tomorrow and have a nosey about. i'm not sure about an amplified aerial, there was the standard aerial (coaxial) which had to go through an adaptor (long black thing) before it fitted to my current HU. am i basically looking for an unconnected wire in one of the DIN plugs on the car side? thanks for your help

Dave, Can you describe this "long black thing" what are its dimensions (approx)

 

[Gaz_]

I seem to remember seeing some components in the mast base on a clio in a scrap yard? would this be an amp of some kind?

 

[BrianR]

I seem to remember seeing some components in the mast base on a clio in a scrap yard? would this be an amp of some kind?

Possibly, its just a small circuit in the base of the antenna power up by the set.
That car must have been rolled then to expose that !!!

 

[BrianR]

Looks like this. the thin lead is the 12v supply in.

 

[davejm123]

its just an adaptor i think. its hardwired to the HU, and about 2inches long and the aerial connects into it. ive just wacked out the installation manual and there is a wire (which is shows as if its in the car's ISO) with a blue and white sheath saying 'to the remote lead of other equipment of power aerial if any'.....hmmmm will the clio one be this colour?

 

[BrianR]

its just an adaptor i think. its hardwired to the HU, and about 2inches long and the aerial connects into it. ive just wacked out the installation manual and there is a wire (which is shows as if its in the car's ISO) with a blue and white sheath saying 'to the remote lead of other equipment of power aerial if any'.....hmmmm

Thats the one, is it connected in the Clios block connector ?

 

[davejm123]

hmm. one minute i'l go and pull the HU out! lol cheers for this btw brian

 

[Gaz_]

watches with interest.....

 

[BrianR]

This is the pin layout:

8-6-4-2
7-5-3-1

And the antenna feed is pin 5.

 

[davejm123]

right. just been out to have a look. where i said earlier that it was power aerial OR remote equip. well it only has one 'sub out' (silly JVC) and no seperate remote lead for the sub so it has been wired into the blue and white cable for the aerial. do you think this is whats making the reception rubbish? is there any other place i can wire the remote lead to the sub into? :S:S

 

[BrianR]

right. just been out to have a look. where i said earlier that it was power aerial OR remote equip. well it only has one 'sub out' (silly JVC) and no seperate remote lead for the sub so it has been wired into the blue and white cable for the aerial. do you think this is whats making the reception rubbish? is there any other place i can wire the remote lead to the sub into? :S:S

There is no harm in wiring them both to the same output.

 

[davejm123]

ah right. well all apart from that it seems ok....! the antenna lead is still in the DIN. the only other thing i can think of would be the co-ax adaptor. it seems to go from the thick co-ax cable into a thinner (maybe single?) cable. oooh, i think i might just buy a 10 foot aerial might catch on

 

[davejm123]

well i've had a fiddle about. reconnected the sub-out and the aerial connector and put the wires in a bit neater behind the HU and it seems to have improved things. i'l see how it does for the week and go from there. thanks for all your help

 

[BrianR]

Keep us posted.