Shaker 500 Question
7/20/14, 05:13 PM
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Shaker 500 Question
My Shaker 500 radio works great in FM mode, picks up a lot of stations. In the AM mode, (yes, I still like to listen to AM broadcasts sometimes too) it seems to have poor reception. On other older car radios, there use to be a trimmer capacitor that you could access from the back of the radio to adjust the radio for best AM reception. Basically impedance matching the AM receiver to the antenna. Do any of you know if there is a trimmer cap accessable to do this before I try and get my 6' 2" body behind the radio?
Thanks kindly,
Phil
Thanks kindly,
Phil
7/22/14, 07:49 PM
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I'm another who like to listen to AM often, like anytime I don't have my XM.
I found a thread that started on the subject, but seems they drift .... but the key point is new radios are digital.
http://www.part15.us/forum/part15-fo...eption-am-band
I found a thread that started on the subject, but seems they drift .... but the key point is new radios are digital.
http://www.part15.us/forum/part15-fo...eption-am-band
7/22/14, 08:16 PM
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Yes, even though digital, I would of thought there should be a way to match the digital radio receiver to the antenna. Maybe the radio has a broad input impedence so matching it will not make a lot of difference.
BTW, nice to hear from you and hope your doing well. Been a while and hope all is good!
Regards & thanks again,
Phil
BTW, nice to hear from you and hope your doing well. Been a while and hope all is good!
Regards & thanks again,
Phil
7/23/14, 10:09 PM
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Oh, all is well here ..... haven't forgotten y'all ..... 
Back in the day, AM worked best with the antenna pulled all out while FM likes the 18-20" shorter length. I wonder how well a longer antenna would work with the AM? Longer can be just a piece of wire attached to the antenna tip for trial.
Back in the day, AM worked best with the antenna pulled all out while FM likes the 18-20" shorter length. I wonder how well a longer antenna would work with the AM? Longer can be just a piece of wire attached to the antenna tip for trial.
7/24/14, 05:00 AM
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Oh, all is well here ..... haven't forgotten y'all .....
Back in the day, AM worked best with the antenna pulled all out while FM likes the 18-20" shorter length. I wonder how well a longer antenna would work with the AM? Longer can be just a piece of wire attached to the antenna tip for trial.
Back in the day, AM worked best with the antenna pulled all out while FM likes the 18-20" shorter length. I wonder how well a longer antenna would work with the AM? Longer can be just a piece of wire attached to the antenna tip for trial.
Therefore, the longer the antenna for AM, the better the reception. (Up to a point).
A 24" antenna on a car is great for FM. No way a 160 foot antenna will work well on a car
So, your idea of extending the length of an antenna is spot on!
7/24/14, 06:30 AM
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Recalling back a bunch of years, I recall AM antennas with tuning coils which in effect lengthened the electrical length without extending the physical length. My dad made some for AM (as well as HAM or CB) as he liked getting Nashville's WSM or KDKH out of Shreveport or WWVA out of Wheeling at night ..... but I also know you used to be able to purchase ready made ones. I'm talking 50s or 60s.
In the early '80s (before XM) when the Department first allowed us to install our personal radio I installed a am/fm in my '80 Plymouth and installed a Chrysler base on the left frt fender opposite the Sirs antenna. It used a 1/4-20 thread whip or antenna ... and I used to experiment with it using cheap CB loads I rewound .... sucked for FM always, but I used to listen to some pretty far stations late on Midnight shift as I patrolled on AM.
In the basement of my house is a BC-348C former U S ARMY signal Corp SW receiver that dad bought at a sale on base in the '50s, it's WWII era stuff. It is currently wired to work off 110VAC and I have a speaker to it and the ground is via a 10' copper clad ground rod, the antenna is my houses heat / AC duct work. I listen to Europe and South America easily.
In the early '80s (before XM) when the Department first allowed us to install our personal radio I installed a am/fm in my '80 Plymouth and installed a Chrysler base on the left frt fender opposite the Sirs antenna. It used a 1/4-20 thread whip or antenna ... and I used to experiment with it using cheap CB loads I rewound .... sucked for FM always, but I used to listen to some pretty far stations late on Midnight shift as I patrolled on AM.
In the basement of my house is a BC-348C former U S ARMY signal Corp SW receiver that dad bought at a sale on base in the '50s, it's WWII era stuff. It is currently wired to work off 110VAC and I have a speaker to it and the ground is via a 10' copper clad ground rod, the antenna is my houses heat / AC duct work. I listen to Europe and South America easily.
7/24/14, 09:59 AM
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Recalling back a bunch of years, I recall AM antennas with tuning coils which in effect lengthened the electrical length without extending the physical length. My dad made some for AM (as well as HAM or CB) as he liked getting Nashville's WSM or KDKH out of Shreveport or WWVA out of Wheeling at night ..... but I also know you used to be able to purchase ready made ones. I'm talking 50s or 60s.
In the early '80s (before XM) when the Department first allowed us to install our personal radio I installed a am/fm in my '80 Plymouth and installed a Chrysler base on the left frt fender opposite the Sirs antenna. It used a 1/4-20 thread whip or antenna ... and I used to experiment with it using cheap CB loads I rewound .... sucked for FM always, but I used to listen to some pretty far stations late on Midnight shift as I patrolled on AM.
In the basement of my house is a BC-348C former U S ARMY signal Corp SW receiver that dad bought at a sale on base in the '50s, it's WWII era stuff. It is currently wired to work off 110VAC and I have a speaker to it and the ground is via a 10' copper clad ground rod, the antenna is my houses heat / AC duct work. I listen to Europe and South America easily.
In the early '80s (before XM) when the Department first allowed us to install our personal radio I installed a am/fm in my '80 Plymouth and installed a Chrysler base on the left frt fender opposite the Sirs antenna. It used a 1/4-20 thread whip or antenna ... and I used to experiment with it using cheap CB loads I rewound .... sucked for FM always, but I used to listen to some pretty far stations late on Midnight shift as I patrolled on AM.
In the basement of my house is a BC-348C former U S ARMY signal Corp SW receiver that dad bought at a sale on base in the '50s, it's WWII era stuff. It is currently wired to work off 110VAC and I have a speaker to it and the ground is via a 10' copper clad ground rod, the antenna is my houses heat / AC duct work. I listen to Europe and South America easily.
That WWII receiver sound neat. Sounds like the vacuum tubes are still working! Glad your having fun with it!
Phil
7/24/14, 07:28 PM
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Yep, tubes still OK for now. 20-30 years plus ago it was more fun as more English language broadcast over the world .... now .... fewer stations. When I was a teen and my Dad still living, he'ld turn it on in his basement workshop and I'ld scan the airways as he worked on some project / radio / etc. I liked to spin the tuning wheel and soon found I enjoyed some of the music I heard, still like that from south of the border.
The radio can be rewired on it's power supply for many different power sources, it's the same receiver that was used in B-17s and B-24s and B-29s and B-25s and many more in WWII. They were made by several outfits under license, mine is a RCA.
I have a kit with insolators and wire and stuff to build a real antenna aray .... just never took the time. Just need to run from the house over to a tall tall tree .... or three ....
The radio can be rewired on it's power supply for many different power sources, it's the same receiver that was used in B-17s and B-24s and B-29s and B-25s and many more in WWII. They were made by several outfits under license, mine is a RCA.
I have a kit with insolators and wire and stuff to build a real antenna aray .... just never took the time. Just need to run from the house over to a tall tall tree .... or three ....
Last edited by tbear853; 7/24/14 at 07:29 PM.
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