Weak AM Radio Reception

[birddog]

First, I want to thank all of you for making TBN such a great site. I've learned so much from it since I bought my '04 last September.

Even before I bought it though, I noticed the AM radio reception was very weak as compared to the GM vehicles I'm used to. FM is pretty good, so at first I thought this was just a Ford thing - the AM in my dad's '95 F-150 is also lousy, although mostly because of engine interference - but now I'm not so sure. I read a post from a few days ago that mentions loose antenna leads to the windshield and hood liner grounding straps, and am interested in hearing from anyone who knows exactly how to check these.

Also, if there are any fellow talk radio junkies out there who know the call letters of your favorite stations and about how far you live from them, I could look up the wattage and get a sense of what kind of reception others are getting.

Thanks,
Ted

[007Cruiser]

Re: Weak AM Radio Reception

If all else fails subscribe to XM or Sirius. They carry talk format and you'll almost never be without the signal.

[Wyo_Bird]

Re: Weak AM Radio Reception

Which station is not coming in?
Haven't had any problems getting Cheyenne AM stations.
Can't recall if I get good reception for Denver AM or not.
Next time I drive the Tbird I'll check.

[Sealy]

Re: Weak AM Radio Reception

AM?? Have you checked to see if any of the tubes are burnt out? Could also be the flux capicitor. Seriously, I doubt if the antenna set up is optimized for AM. For all the electonic backup, laminated antennas have always had limitaions. Sirius just added charges, but it's an option. Good luck and let me know what's happening on Dragnet.

[jsinnicks]

Re: Weak AM Radio Reception

I hardly ever listen to AM, but just did on a 1,000 mile road trip to Los Angeles after seeing the other thread about radio reception. Much to my surprise, KCBS (740 AM) from San Francisco was loud and clear in downtown Los Angeles.

The Bird, of course, was a delight coming home up Highway 1 past Big Sur.

[birddog]

Re: Weak AM Radio Reception

Which station is not coming in?
Haven't had any problems getting Cheyenne AM stations.
Can't recall if I get good reception for Denver AM or not.
Next time I drive the Tbird I'll check.

It's been a while since I ran through the entire dial but if I remember correctly, 650 is about the only station I can get - and even that fades out when they cut power at night. I'll check again when I get back in town in a couple days.

Interested to learn what you can pull in from CO (560, 600, 850?).