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#1
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Antenna Booster for 2002 Golf
My 2002 Golf has a factory radio (non-Monsoon system). It works fine, except some nearby stations really fade quickly as I leave town. I drive 45 miles to a nearby town a few times every week and these stations are nearly gone after about 20 miles. These are both AM and FM stations with talk radio programs that I like. I suppose the problem could be that these are just low-powered stations and I am out of luck (can't amplify non-existent signals). Anyway, I visited a local car stereo place today and in a moment of weakness I bought an AM/FM antenna booster for $20. I've never installed any kind of car audio equipment. Is this sort of thing easy to do? Will I need to remove the radio? If so, will this cause problems with the radio (password/whatever)? Do I need special tools? Also, someone told me my car already has an antenna booster. How do I check for this? If so, I guess I should get a refund for my booster (unless it's okay to use two boosters). I appreciate any help anyone can send, as I am clearly a rookie and need help! Thanks. -- David Swanger |
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#2
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There's a amp built into the factory base. Also, power for this amp is sent
down the OEM ant cable. Don't think adding an amp will help. > wrote in message ... > > My 2002 Golf has a factory radio (non-Monsoon system). > It works fine, except some nearby stations really fade > quickly as I leave town. I drive 45 miles to a nearby > town a few times every week and these stations are > nearly gone after about 20 miles. These are both AM > and FM stations with talk radio programs that I like. > > I suppose the problem could be that these are just > low-powered stations and I am out of luck (can't > amplify non-existent signals). > > Anyway, I visited a local car stereo place today and in > a moment of weakness I bought an AM/FM antenna booster > for $20. > > I've never installed any kind of car audio equipment. > Is this sort of thing easy to do? Will I need to remove > the radio? If so, will this cause problems with the radio > (password/whatever)? Do I need special tools? > > Also, someone told me my car already has an antenna booster. > How do I check for this? If so, I guess I should get a > refund for my booster (unless it's okay to use two boosters). > > I appreciate any help anyone can send, as I am clearly a rookie > and need help! > > Thanks. > > -- > David Swanger > |
#3
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"Woodchuck" > wrote in message ... > There's a amp built into the factory base. Also, power for this amp is sent > down the OEM ant cable. Don't think adding an amp will help. Possibly worse than that. It may not pass the power through to the antanna-base amplifier so the AM stations would become even weaker. Possibly worse that that. It might even short the power, possibly with unpleasant results. You can download my display software and a listing of all the US and nearby Canadian/Mexican broadcasting stations from http://home.earthlink.net/~lvehorn/ The listing includes power and antenna directional patterns. You can plot transmitter locations on Street Atlas maps. |
#4
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#5
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In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Mike Smith wrote:
> >My reception sucks too. I just bought a new antenna from VW for $75. >and it did not cure the problem. I also have a new Sony Radio so I am >at a loss as to what teh problem is. I would suspect that the Sony radio does not superimpose the power over the coaxial cable that the amplified VW requires. > I toyed with the idea of just >installing a regular antenna on the fender or something but I wanted >to try the booster deal first. I think it is simple to install but >you have to open your dashboard and grab the radio. The plugs are >inline but you may need to grab a hot lead to power it. |
#6
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I would suspect that the Sony radio does not superimpose the power
> over the coaxial cable that the amplified VW requires. Yep, you got it all figured out. |
#7
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None of my recent VWs had a working radio in them, but here's a thought that
used to apply to some radios, and all old ones. There was a small trimmer capacitor on the radio that was adjusted when the radio was installed and connected to the antenna (and power, ofcourse). If such a capacitor is there, adjust AM to the highest frequency station at the 1600 kHz end of band and adjust capacitor with small flat-blade screwdriver for best signal. I was "matching" the radio to the antenna installation and it usually made a big difference. If there's no trimmer capacitor, you might want to check that d.c voltage is getting to the antenna base. If d.c. is present the amp may be dead. At this point you're going to have to get a Tech to help you with the radio itself -- new or used, the connector on the cable, radio or crimp/solder points might be bad -- ofcourse there are always semiconductors to mess with too, but since you're getting some stations, I'll bet the amp isn't working for one of the above reasons. > wrote in message ... > > My 2002 Golf has a factory radio (non-Monsoon system). > It works fine, except some nearby stations really fade > quickly as I leave town. I drive 45 miles to a nearby > town a few times every week and these stations are > nearly gone after about 20 miles. These are both AM > and FM stations with talk radio programs that I like. > > I suppose the problem could be that these are just > low-powered stations and I am out of luck (can't > amplify non-existent signals). > > Anyway, I visited a local car stereo place today and in > a moment of weakness I bought an AM/FM antenna booster > for $20. > > I've never installed any kind of car audio equipment. > Is this sort of thing easy to do? Will I need to remove > the radio? If so, will this cause problems with the radio > (password/whatever)? Do I need special tools? > > Also, someone told me my car already has an antenna booster. > How do I check for this? If so, I guess I should get a > refund for my booster (unless it's okay to use two boosters). > > I appreciate any help anyone can send, as I am clearly a rookie > and need help! > > Thanks. > > -- > David Swanger > |
#8
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I will keep this short, I know of NO aftermarket radios that work on AM with
the factory radio! "Jim Lacko" > wrote in message news:1106620261.a3394d27a675911accb170c0783f365c@1 usenet... > None of my recent VWs had a working radio in them, but here's a thought > that > used to apply to some radios, and all old ones. > > There was a small trimmer capacitor on the radio that was adjusted when > the > radio was installed and connected to the antenna (and power, ofcourse). > If > such a capacitor is there, adjust AM to the highest frequency station at > the > 1600 kHz end of band and adjust capacitor with small flat-blade > screwdriver > for best signal. I was "matching" the radio to the antenna installation > and > it usually made a big difference. > > If there's no trimmer capacitor, you might want to check that d.c voltage > is > getting to the antenna base. If d.c. is present the amp may be dead. At > this point you're going to have to get a Tech to help you with the radio > itself -- new or used, the connector on the cable, radio or crimp/solder > points might be bad -- ofcourse there are always semiconductors to mess > with > too, but since you're getting some stations, I'll bet the amp isn't > working > for one of the above reasons. > > > > > wrote in message > ... >> >> My 2002 Golf has a factory radio (non-Monsoon system). >> It works fine, except some nearby stations really fade >> quickly as I leave town. I drive 45 miles to a nearby >> town a few times every week and these stations are >> nearly gone after about 20 miles. These are both AM >> and FM stations with talk radio programs that I like. >> >> I suppose the problem could be that these are just >> low-powered stations and I am out of luck (can't >> amplify non-existent signals). >> >> Anyway, I visited a local car stereo place today and in >> a moment of weakness I bought an AM/FM antenna booster >> for $20. >> >> I've never installed any kind of car audio equipment. >> Is this sort of thing easy to do? Will I need to remove >> the radio? If so, will this cause problems with the radio >> (password/whatever)? Do I need special tools? >> >> Also, someone told me my car already has an antenna booster. >> How do I check for this? If so, I guess I should get a >> refund for my booster (unless it's okay to use two boosters). >> >> I appreciate any help anyone can send, as I am clearly a rookie >> and need help! >> >> Thanks. >> >> -- >> David Swanger >> > > |
#9
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Tom's VR6 wrote: > > In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Mike Smith wrote: > > > > >My reception sucks too. I just bought a new antenna from VW for $75. > >and it did not cure the problem. I also have a new Sony Radio so I am > >at a loss as to what teh problem is. > > I would suspect that the Sony radio does not superimpose the power > over the coaxial cable that the amplified VW requires. > > > I toyed with the idea of just > >installing a regular antenna on the fender or something but I wanted > >to try the booster deal first. I think it is simple to install but > >you have to open your dashboard and grab the radio. The plugs are > >inline but you may need to grab a hot lead to power it. If using an after market head unit (that does not put power on the antenna cable) you can use on of these: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-AFAzTv7...400&I=097DIN12. If that link does not work, search for part number 097DIN12 at http://www.crutchfield.com. |
#10
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In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Woodchuck wrote:
>I will keep this short, I know of NO aftermarket radios that work on AM with >the factory radio! That's to the point! |
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