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05-03-2017, 12:11 PM
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#21
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1 Rivet Member
2017 23' Flying Cloud
Lakeport
, Michigan
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 19
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On the interference topic.. today I went looking for the satellite connector in the stereo cabinet (I'm adding a Pathway X2 for Dish) and found the most amateurish rat's nest of wiring, loose audio cables, wads of electrical tape, poor grounding, etc. Just slightly moving the DVD player caused severe radio interference. I moved one power wire and my LED lighting interference on AM radio went away.
Amazing to me to find this on a brand new factory fresh AS.
Fortunately I do have the skills to clean it all up when I have an afternoon free.
Just throwing this out there, as there may well be multiple causes to your AM radio issue.
Hope you solve yours!
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05-03-2017, 01:02 PM
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#22
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Rivet Master
1962 24' Tradewind
Buffalo
, Wyoming
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 686
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I've got a similar problem in one of my cars. Drives me nuts because I almost exclusively listen to AM radio. I've been researching the problem, and almost all references suggest that it is a poor ground to the radio. I haven't tried to fix it yet because I have to dismantle half the dash to get to the back of the radio just to check the ground. If you can get to the back of the radio, it might be as simple as attaching a jumper wire to test.
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05-03-2017, 02:45 PM
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#23
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The Aluminum Tent 3
2014 23' Flying Cloud
Park City
, Utah
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,157
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoResults
I can't get my 8 track to work either.
Dave
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Gold!
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05-03-2017, 07:13 PM
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#24
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Rivet Master
2015 25' Flying Cloud
2016 30' Flying Cloud
Blenheim Ontario
, Ontario
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,263
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Quote:
Originally Posted by franklyfrank
I am completely stumped by the AM radio not working in our 2017 30' Classic.
FM reception is perfect. On the AM channels what we get is mostly loud static very limited voice. This problem exist with the built in Polk radio and any other radio I plug into a receptacle on the trailer.
What I know about radio signals and reception wouldn't fill a thimble. So I need some help understanding and hopefully solving the problem.
It will be a couple of months before we make it to JC for some warranty work.
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WHO listens to AM any more? I just use mine to detect thunderstorms in the area.
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05-04-2017, 01:20 AM
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#25
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The Aluminum Tent 3
2014 23' Flying Cloud
Park City
, Utah
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,157
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Quote:
Originally Posted by franklyfrank
I will be firing of an email to JC.
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Good luck with that!
p.s. I scroll though FM stations endlessly when traveling and hear Rush all the time. Seems most of those shows turn up on FM as well.
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05-04-2017, 04:44 AM
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#26
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3 Rivet Member
2014 22' FB Sport
2017 28' Flying Cloud
Southwest Ranches
, Florida
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 170
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Radio is fast becoming obsolete. If you have reasonable cellphone coverage where you are going you can get almost any station you want.
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05-04-2017, 06:51 AM
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#27
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
Mantua
, Ohio
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,062
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I have a cell phone for emergency use only. It's a nuisance to have one and to be bombarded with the rudeness of those who can't put theirs down,
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05-04-2017, 07:11 AM
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#28
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4 Rivet Member
2016 30' International
Florence
, Alabama
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Motown
The LED lighting wipes out AM radio reception on our 2017 FC 23FB. Lights out, AM radio works fine. FM not affected by the LED lights.
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DC LED lighting should not affect AM reception; only AC sources.
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05-04-2017, 07:14 AM
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#29
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Rivet Master
2017 30' Classic
Anna Maria
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,642
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KJRitchie
What is the Firefly control panel?
Kelvin
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I don't know about other models but the 2017 Classics come without individual switches for the lights and other things. The Firefly is a touch plate switch panel that I believe works wireless and it allows you to turn on the lights and other functions, from different locations. There are three of them on our trailer.
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05-04-2017, 07:27 AM
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#30
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3 Rivet Member
2014 22' FB Sport
2017 28' Flying Cloud
Southwest Ranches
, Florida
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 170
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Quote:
Originally Posted by avionstream
I have a cell phone for emergency use only. It's a nuisance to have one and to be bombarded with the rudeness of those who can't put theirs down,
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Yes it's annoying. The good news is that few people talk on the phone anymore. They text.
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05-04-2017, 08:43 AM
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#31
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
Mantua
, Ohio
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,062
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Texting is just as annoying as talking, maybe more so.
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05-04-2017, 09:46 AM
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#32
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4 Rivet Member
2014 28' International
Blacksburg
, Virginia
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 308
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Am
Quote:
Originally Posted by joshjack
DC LED lighting should not affect AM reception; only AC sources.
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True, its when you have to convert AC to DC that causes the noise. ( That can be minimized as well)
I don't know for sure if the power converter will allow a direct pass through from batteries to LED lights. It should. But like the 'OP' said its that it is the 'firefly control panel' ( That's a pretty fancy control panel ) which could be causing the RF interference.
The ways of RF interference are varied an many.
__________________
Ra & Chelle
For my next trick, I will use my new AS & Dodge Ram CTD to make this pile of money disappear.
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05-04-2017, 11:15 AM
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#33
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Regular Guy
1978 31' Sovereign
Hot Springs
, Arkansas
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 603
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AM radio is dependent on antenna efficency. Remember the "old" transistor radios? When you opened it up there was a ferrite bar wound with copper wire. One of the properties of these antenna is that they are directional to a great degree, especially for distant stations. CCrane.com has a couple of solutions that can greatly boost AM performance. The ferrite bar works great, and there is a model called the Term that uses a coil of copper wire and a tunable capacitor to isolate the frequency that you want to listen too. CCRANE is a great company that loves terrestrial radio.
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05-05-2017, 07:49 AM
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#34
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Vintage Kin
Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,014
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Past the RF interference, I'd look to upgrade the exterior antenna, assuming there is one.
In days of yore it was the 102" whip. Now THAT is an AM antenna.
Closer to today I'd want an extending antenna. FM pretty well calls for 31", and AM is best with longest length (as a rule of thumb).
On our trailers this antenna was nearly always mounted at the street side front corner. A short length from there to the radio.
As with the television antenna, one has a travel position to which to retract.
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05-06-2017, 07:15 AM
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#35
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Rivet Master
2017 30' Classic
Anna Maria
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,642
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Quote:
Originally Posted by franklyfrank
I had LED lights in our previous 2013 30' International and the AM reception was fine. What puzzles me at no end is that it isn't just the built in Polk radio that gets a serious static interference with the AM reception. I experimented with my stand alone portable radio. I had it plugged into a 110 receptacle on the trailer and I was getting very poor reception wit a whole lot of static. I than turned it on powered by its batteries only, unplugged from the 110 outlet. Same heavy static interference. I also suspected the LED lights and turned them off, no difference. Outside of the trailer no problem the reception is clear as a bell.
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Judging by the response received from JC they aren't very concerned about making sure that everything works as it should. IMHO why install a FM/AM radio if half of the radio doesn't work.
In the 2017 Classic the Polk radio is mounted on the wall enclosing the refrigerator. The antenna is mounted way in the back end of the roof.
On the 2013 AS the radio was mounted in the front and the antenna was practically on top of it on the roof.
Basically I was told that they are sorry that the radio doesn't work and to find a different way of listening to AM.
A new 30' Classic is not exactly a bargain basement priced travel trailer.
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10-22-2023, 04:10 PM
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#36
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2 Rivet Member
2016 25' Flying Cloud
Lake Jackson
, Texas
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 32
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I have the same problem in my 2016 Flying Cloud. Worked just fine for a few years and replaced the antenna last year. FM works fine. No stations on AM.
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10-23-2023, 08:14 AM
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#37
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4 Rivet Member
2014 28' International
Blacksburg
, Virginia
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 308
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try with AC unplugged from the trailer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taroni
I have the same problem in my 2016 Flying Cloud. Worked just fine for a few years and replaced the antenna last year. FM works fine. No stations on AM.
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Try the AM radio when not connected to AC. That way the radio can draw from a nice quiet battery power source and see if it picks up anything.
Especially if you know of a frequency that has a station broadcasting locally, like find it on your truck radio and then go to the AS radio and try the same frequency.
AM radio used to be so cool. You would have those megawatt clear channel stations, to listen to at night. Each one had a different tone, & style from a different region of the country. Each region sounded different.
After the 90's, one owner can own multiple stations in many cities, they all the same format & sound the same. Cookie cutter format/sound, meh.
How the mighty have fallen.
Yeah, you may have to put a 'filter' like a ferrite choke on the input power wire, if it works decent when not connected to AC.
You could get a cheap car radio antenna, plug it in the back of the radio in the AS, and hold the antenna outside and see if it picks up anything?
Ours is a Sony radio and its right when you come in the door. Unplug the current antenna and plug in the test antenna. Don't be touching that 'test' antenna, hold it by the insulated wire or get you some good rubber gloves.*
see if it picks up anything. If it still doesn't, could be the radio. My old man ran a radio & TV repair shop way back in the 60's & 70's. I had radio's everywhere, & antennas on the house and back yard everywhere. Fun stuff.
Things have really changed since I was a kid.
Post back when you get to try. I don't know how hard it is to remove the radio in the AS or get to the power/antenna connections. I never messed with mine.
Let us know
best regards
__________________
Ra & Chelle
For my next trick, I will use my new AS & Dodge Ram CTD to make this pile of money disappear.
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10-23-2023, 05:54 PM
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#38
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Rivet Master
2019 22' Sport
Port Coquitlam
, British Columbia
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 1,315
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Do you have a smartphone with a data plan?
Try one of those radio player apps that have Fm and AM stations. Those would be crystal clear if your cell phone works.
When I bought my BMW i3 (Electric) the AM radio was not available. BMW didn't want to sell the car with crappy AM reception. I was able to turn it on with a programming change. It is pretty crappy but does work if I really need it.
__________________
--------------------
Peter.
"Live Long and Prosper \\//" - Spock
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