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08-29-2019, 08:23 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19'er + 2018 Highlander
Posts: 300
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Boss BV6656B Radio - Poor Reception
The Boss radio (model BV6656B) that ETI installed in our Dec 2018 19’er seems to have exceptionally poor reception. FM radio stations that my 2018 Toyota Highlander can easily receive, are fuzzy or not received at all with the Boss radio.
The Boss radio has a short (maybe 12”) antenna slanted at about a 30 deg angle (backwards) on the upper side the our 19’er.
What’s your experience? How’s your Boss radio’s reception? Is this an anomaly? Are you getting better reception?
Might you have suggestions on how to improve things.
Thank you, in advance, for your thoughts.
__________________
... Greg
2018 Escape 19'er & 2018 Highlander
Not all who wander are lost
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08-29-2019, 08:47 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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I recently installed a Jensen marine weather radio inside the E21 and laid the antenna wire all along the upper cabinet inside, seems to work. Since you already have the hole, I would invest in a new and longer antenna.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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08-29-2019, 11:52 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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monopole aka 'whip' antennas need a ground plane for best reception... on a car, this is provided by the metal body. on a fiberglass trailer? nada.
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08-29-2019, 12:24 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19'er + 2018 Highlander
Posts: 300
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Ground plane... That’s one of the things I’ve been thinking about. My thought has been... Since the Jensen antenna appears to be designed for (small?) boats, which tend to be fiberglass, I’ve been wondering if they’ve done something “tricky” to negate the need for a ground plane. So before I randomly try different things, I’m just wondering that other’s experiences have been, and what’s been tried.
I am a radio amateur (WT0M) so kind of understand those kind of things... But of course by the very “definition” of amateur, it probably means I think I know more than I actually do.
__________________
... Greg
2018 Escape 19'er & 2018 Highlander
Not all who wander are lost
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08-29-2019, 12:32 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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one approach to a monopole is to have a ground plane in the form of 4 (or more) radial wires at the base of the antenna. I forget what this configuration is called.
another approach is a center loaded dipole
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08-29-2019, 12:35 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19'er + 2018 Highlander
Posts: 300
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Yes. Maybe a longer antenna, and the best I can do with a ground plane inside the trailer might be the best. ‘Just wondering what others have experienced / done.
__________________
... Greg
2018 Escape 19'er & 2018 Highlander
Not all who wander are lost
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08-29-2019, 12:40 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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my experience has been that Boss brand car stereos are essentially junk. If you want a good FM section, go with Pioneer or Kenwood or Alpine or whatever.
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08-29-2019, 01:02 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19'er + 2018 Highlander
Posts: 300
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Hm... Boss... Maybe that’s really the problem!
__________________
... Greg
2018 Escape 19'er & 2018 Highlander
Not all who wander are lost
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08-29-2019, 01:12 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Santa Rosa County, Florida
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 Tow: 2024 Toyota Tundra
Posts: 3,105
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If you want to try to swap out the antenna before swapping out the radio, go to a West Marine and buy an FM antenna made for use on a boat. It won't require a ground plane.
I am also an amateur radio operator (KB3SHN) and the "amateur" is strong within me also. I know how you feel.
__________________
Mike Lewis
She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie-- propane
Photos and travelogues here: mikelewisimages.com
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08-29-2019, 03:35 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19'er + 2018 Highlander
Posts: 300
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Now that’s a grand idea. Get a boat antenna!
__________________
... Greg
2018 Escape 19'er & 2018 Highlander
Not all who wander are lost
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08-29-2019, 03:58 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder
Now that’s a grand idea. Get a boat antenna!
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Seriously, our trailers are pretty much a boat anyway. Patch up the drain holes and clamp an outboard on the bumper - you could almost make it both.
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
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08-31-2019, 07:33 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Cottonwood, Arizona
Trailer: 2019 5.0TA pulled by Ram 3500 diesel dually
Posts: 286
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The boat antenna is the route I'll likely go. I did not get the ETI radio so I don't even have the antenna ETI puts on. I'm putting in an A/V control box (Jensen JWM90A) that includes FM. Sometimes just a wire does a fair job but if I ever want fm instead of my usual XM then I would think that a mount and even a ground plane could easily be fabricated to use the solar panel as a mounting base.
__________________
Tom W
( 5.0TA, "Gray Ghost" )
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08-31-2019, 07:57 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 -- The Skylark. Towed by a 2014 Highlander
Posts: 1,159
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You might also see if turning the LED lights off makes any difference. On our 2012 Escape we had a Jensen radio that got orrible reception inside but worked well outside the trailer. Then I happened to turn the lights out and the reception improved dramatically. The LEDs were generating radio interference. I re-routed the antenna wire and replaced a couple LEDs with dimmable Leds and that solved the problem
__________________
Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.
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08-31-2019, 08:33 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19'er + 2018 Highlander
Posts: 300
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Hm... LED lights creating interference. Thank you for the reminder. I remember that in our Scamp trailer (sold last summer), the LED lights created interference. Good thought!
__________________
... Greg
2018 Escape 19'er & 2018 Highlander
Not all who wander are lost
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