Poor Radio Reception

[Tim in NC]

It's a small matter, but I think the radio reception should be better.
Here's what I know:
-On the road, FM reception fades in and out. Sounds like the station is out of range.
-Parked in the driveway, the FM reception is pretty good. If I walk around the bike, it fades in and out.
-If I unplug the antenna lead from the back of the radio, there is no change in reception.
-If I touch the antenna, reception improves.
-On an AM station, if I touch the tip of the antenna to my garage door track, reception improves significantly.

The antenna mount looks normal, and I've removed and reinstalled the antenna at the base, and reception doesn't change.

Can an antenna "go bad"?

[Gator Mike]

check the "local" switch on the radio is not on. Never heard of a solid metal antenna going bad and would suspect that either the coax cable or connector is bad or disconnected somewhere. When did the trouble start? Were you doing maintenance any where on the bike that might have something to do with it?

[Tim in NC]

Hi Mike.
Yes, the LOCAL switch is off. I've had the bike apart and back together several times, and I don't think I ever messed with the antenna lead. I think its a continuous cable from the antenna to the radio, with no connectors in between.
I have a speaker headset in my helmet now, so I can hear the radio clearly when I ride. The cassette player's sound is excellent. But the radio, not so much.

[Tonyvdb]

There is a single connection near the radio, it's located under the right side (when on the bike) upper faring. I had mine become disconnected once and it did not want to connect unless I pushed the ends together hard but after some cleaning and a little care it seems fine now.

[VoyKimmer]

I had a very similar problem on my 96. If your bike had a previous owner you may be having POS ( Pevious Owner Syndrome ) I brought a cheap car antenna at Walmart and plugged it in. All issues went away. So I started splitting the wire from the connector to the radio back ver slowly and checking it for continuity as I went back. I found the cable lead had been stretched to the point that the center lead was breaking apart. I spliced in the amount of cable from the cheap antenna and now everything is good.

[Tim in NC]

Voykimmer:
I was wondering if I somehow had a bad antenna cable. I have an ohmmeter and the troubleshooting guide shows how to check from the antenna to the radio. I'll have to pull the right cowl (again) to get to the connection at the radio.
So are you now using your Walmart antenna? Did you find one that just mounts to the Voyager's mount bracket?
Tim

[VoyKimmer]

No, I'm using the original antenna. I cut about a foot and half from the connector back and spliced in the Walmart wire and connector. Not easy with coax but can be done.

[Mr Jensee]

If Radio Shack still has the parts you can make a splice cable if you have to shorten the existing one. I would suggest if you can get hold of a piece of 50 ohm coax cable, replace the entire cable from the radio to the antenna. Somewhere along the line I am betting the cable got pinched and the inside and outside or touching or the inner cable is broken. I believe all am radio cable is 50 ohm but it has been years since I messed with it. Some 75 ohm cable tv cable may work as well.

[Tim in NC]

If Radio Shack still has the parts you can make a splice cable if you have to shorten the existing one. I would suggest if you can get hold of a piece of 50 ohm coax cable, replace the entire cable from the radio to the antenna. Somewhere along the line I am betting the cable got pinched and the inside and outside or touching or the inner cable is broken. I believe all am radio cable is 50 ohm but it has been years since I messed with it. Some 75 ohm CB cable may work as well.

Exactly right, Mr Jensee.
I put my ohmmeter on the cable, and I have a break somewhere in the center wire. I tried to find it by wiggling and pulling the cable at different spots, but no joy.
The antenna end of the cable is custom. If it's broken there, I'll need to brush up on my solder skills.

[Mr Jensee]

Trust me, it is best not to try to solder the cable. It will just degrade the signal. If you can see if the cable is whole somewhere past the antenna. Best if under the tourpack. First figure out if the cable is an RG58 which is CB type 50 ohm or RG59 which is 75 ohm cable tv type cable. I am betting it is 50 ohm. Purchase a pair of cable tv connectors preferably the kind you don't have to crimp or solder. You will need at least 6ft of the new cable. Get a barrel connector the type that screws into those connectors, again cable tv type, and screw the two pieces of cable together. Tape the new splice tightly with electrical tape to make sure the connection is water proof. IF you end up replacing the cable, you have 2 choices for replacing the connector that goes into the radio. You can buy what is called a Motorola connector from an electronic supply and solder it on or you can get an RG58U CB connector and a Motorola adapter. I am sure they still sell them because people still buy home scanners and they have a Motorola female input in the back. To plug an antenna into them you have to use the CB cable adapter.

[Tim in NC]

Trust me, it is best not to try to solder the cable. It will just degrade the signal. If you can see if the cable is whole somewhere past the antenna. Best if under the tourpack. First figure out if the cable is an RG58 which is CB type 50 ohm or RG59 which is 75 ohm cable tv type cable. I am betting it is 50 ohm. Purchase a pair of cable tv connectors preferably the kind you don't have to crimp or solder. You will need at least 6ft of the new cable. Get a barrel connector the type that screws into those connectors, again cable tv type, and screw the two pieces of cable together. Tape the new splice tightly with electrical tape to make sure the connection is water proof. IF you end up replacing the cable, you have 2 choices for replacing the connector that goes into the radio. You can buy what is called a Motorola connector from an electronic supply and solder it on or you can get an RG58U CB connector and a Motorola adapter. I am sure they still sell them because people still buy home scanners and they have a Motorola female input in the back. To plug an antenna into them you have to use the CB cable adapter.

Thanks for all the information!
I guess I'll start cutting the cable starting from the radio end, 6 inches at a time, until I get continuity on the middle wire. That will be my stopping point, and I'll build a new cable from there.

Ride safe,
Tim

[Mr Jensee]

Good luck with it and let me know your results.

[Tim in NC]

So my cable was broken right at the Motorola plug. I have good continuity from the antenna, for about 4 feet where I cut the cable.
I'll try to get to Radio Shack tomorrow, and see if I can get what I need to splice the cable and put on a new plug. I have the cut cable to take in, so hopefully they can match it.

Ride safe,
Tim

[krasmu]

Please keep us posted on what you ended up using and how it goes. I'm fighting the same issue and will be trying to fix it at a later date.

[Tim in NC]

I went to Radio Shack. They didn't have cable, but they had a Motorola plug that I could put on the end of my cable.
Here's the new plug, terminates under the faux tank.


Then I went to Autozone, and bought an Antenna Extension Cable. It's about 10 feet long, and has a male Motorola plug on one end, and a female on the other.
I plugged the extension into the radio, and plugged my new plug into the other end of the extension. Yatzee!

The new plug cost $4.00 at Radio Shack.
The extension cable cost $7.00 at Autozone.
So for $11.00 and a little of my time, my radio is working great.

[Gator Mike]

Good job. Just can't ride around in a Rolls Royce with out tunes.
Would suggest you water proof your connection with shrink sleeve or atleast electrical tape.

[Mr Jensee]

I am so glad you got it working. I am also proud that you didn't give up.

[krasmu]

So, could a person just use the long cord from Autozone and replace the entire cable from the antenna to the radio on one swoop?

[Tim in NC]

So, could a person just use the long cord from Autozone and replace the entire cable from the antenna to the radio on one swoop?

It's a custom connection at the antenna end. Can't just plug into it with the cable extension.

[Mr Jensee]

I have never had a reason to disassemble the antenna but if you are worried about it, do what I said and cut the cable under the tourpack where there is less chance of it getting damaged later. Put the connectors on like I said then run the new wire in place of the old to the radio. You should have no problem with it after that. Don't forget to insulate the new connection from the weather.