Radio reception

[Gizmo750]

Hi all,

I have just had a new car-kit fitted to my motor and since this the radio on my Comand unit is refusing to pick up a signal. I can get Radio 1 and 2 sometimes although the reception is not good and it fades in and out but nothing else. If I do a station search (which usually brings up loads of local stations) then I get either none or Radio 1 / 2 showing only.

I have checked that the aerial lead is conneected properly at the back of the Comand unit - where do I go next?

Any advice gratefully received as I miss Steve Wright in the Afternoon! ! !

Cheers

Guy

 

[sym]

Guy

I had some intial problems with radio reception on my comand . . lots of fiddling around traced it to the aerial connector on the back of the unit .... when pushed fully home I was receiving only the nearest local radio station . . when pulled out and twiddled about a bit, I'd get the full reception.

Still never managed to work out whether it was in the plug, or the connector, but its been fine for a couple of months now . . . very strange !!

S.

 

[fuzzer]

Originally posted by Gizmo750


Any advice gratefully received as I miss Steve Wright in the Afternoon! ! !

And thats a bad thing??

 

[Gizmo750]

Guess that all depends on your age!

I remember it the first time round - and it was exactly the same, same music everything! ! !

Am I getting old? ? ?

 

[fuzzer]

Originally posted by Gizmo750
Guess that all depends on your age!

I remember it the first time round - and it was exactly the same, same music everything! ! !

Am I getting old? ? ?

Nah , i listen to radio 2 as well , just really don't like Steve Wright .

 

[lotusmark2]

so what does that say about someone who listens to Jazz FM an Classic FM?

 

[simonl]

since we seem to be confessing our radio station preferences, i've recently started listening to Radio 4. News going to work; comedy on the way home - (switching to CD's once the Archers starts).

 

[jaymanek]

Hi mate,

goin back to the orig problem (by the way i listen to choice, kiss or capital... if im up north then usually one of the broomy ones like galaxy)

Fitting a car kit shouldnt interfere with the ariel, he would have disconnected the command to give him space to work, so its gotta be to do with the aerial plug there...As sym says, play with it a bit with the radio on if theres enough wire on the loom to let you...

Otherwise i guess he could have inadvertantly stretched the wire...

Unlikely theres anything wrong with the reaer screen aerial..

 

[clegsr]

I had a similar problem in my other car when the mechanic swopped the radios over - I had great reception, but with the replacement radio it was really crap- I finally sourced it to the aerial connector -he had snapped off the middle part of the plug in taking it out and putting it back in again - I fixed it by cutting the end off the aerial cable and fitting a new plug

 

[sym]

Originally posted by clegsr
I had a similar problem in my other car when the mechanic swopped the radios over - I had great reception, but with the replacement radio it was really crap- I finally sourced it to the aerial connector -he had snapped off the middle part of the plug in taking it out and putting it back in again - I fixed it by cutting the end off the aerial cable and fitting a new plug

clegsr . . . I'm 99% certain thats the problem with mine . . the connector seems flatter than I remember on other cars . . . time to fit a new one and see if that sorts the problem out for good.

S.

 

[clegsr]

yeah, it should look like this:

maplins

 

[Gizmo750]

Cheers for the replies chaps (and the radio preference admissions too - very interesting!!!)

Finally got time to pull the unit out and as Sym (and others) suggested I "buggered about" with the connector at the back of the Comand but it didn't seem to help. So, I borrowed an FM aerial from my stereo in the house and when I put that to the back of the Comand all was fine and reception great.

OK, so the unit is fine but the aerial is not!

Checked again on the aerial connector and found the centre piece was not really connected properly - in fact whilst fiddling with it it fell off! ! !

Down to Maplins for a new connector - popped it on - all as well with the world again and Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce and Steve Wright are back! (Don't listen to Jeremy Vine much as I end up getting annoyed and shouting at the radio!)

HOWEVER!

Yesterday, whilst heading up the M3 on a trip to Caterham, I was following the advice of the lady from the Comand when all of a sudden I am "off road" Odd, I thought as the M25 isn't really off road!

Seems that I am not picking up any satellites at all and so the nav has stopped working.

Anyone got any bright ideas here - another loose connection possibly? ? ? ?

Cheers

Guy

 

[sym]

Sometimes I get that "off road" thing very momentarily if the map is loading or something . . . but not when driving along.

Has it come back at all, or just intermittent ? The GPS plug into the back of Comand is a pretty tight fit, so I would guess its either in or out - not half way between ! If you have the same GPS antenna as me, then there is another connection somewhere along the cable before it gets to the antenna itself . . but this is a locking one, so shouldn't have become disconnected.

Can't think of anything else, other than bad satellite coverage or satellites out of sync for a second possibly.

S.

 

[Gizmo750]

Just lost all connection to satellites last night and it hasn't come back since! And I have driven back from London and to Bristol today and still getting nothing.

Think I will have to take the unit out and have a look see tomorrow.

Could it be the bluetooth car-kit in any way do you think?

It was working fine until yesterday evening and I had the kit installed last Friday!

Guy

 

[sym]

Sounds very odd then, and most likely a loose connection somewhere.

Might be a long shot, but have you tried re-booting the COMAND from the systems menu ? (Hold down Mute+1+3 & select the reset option) ?

S.

 

[Gizmo750]

Will give the reboot a try too - didn't think of that - thanks

Guy

 

[jimmy]

Do you have a GPS camera detector?

Some of these will interfere with the GPS reception of sat nav units, you have to have either the aerials or the units a certain distance apart, cant remember which!

The Road Angel is safe from this problem luckily

 

[Gizmo750]

Cheers for that Jimmy but no, I don't have one of these (although I am increasingly thinking it might be a good idea).

Will have to see if anything obvious presents itself when I pull the unit out tomorrow

Guy

 

[sym]

Originally posted by jimmy
The Road Angel is safe from this problem luckily

Panicked there for a second. . . until I read your last sentence !!



S.

 

[Gizmo750]

UPDATE:

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions guys but the lesson I have spotted in this is the following:

DON'T LET A HAM-FISTED LUDITE NEAR YOUR CAR NO MATTER WHO HE WORKS FOR! ! !

Upshot is that when fitting the car-kit the buffoon not only managed to bugger up the radio aerial connector (which I have replaced sorting the radio reception problem) but also managed to pull out the GPS antenna connector too. He clearly didn't just unclip it as the wires into the connector block were hanging out (would explain why the sat nav suddenly stopped working). So, this morning's job was to get the Comand out, get out the toolbox and the soldering iron, re-wire the GPS antenna plug, refit and reset the Comand!

Good thing is that everything is now working as it was before the aforementioned neanderthal got his mitts on my motor. And that I didn't have to resort to visiting the dealers and handing over large sums of cash to put things right (which I would have invoiced Ludite's company for anyway!)

Still, now its all put back I am pleased with the Bluetooth car-kit although the Siemens handset is somewhat "tempremental" in its desire to pair up - so I am using my old Nokia 6310i until I can get hold of an Ericsson T610 next week which should work perfectly with the Ericsson car-kit.

Once again, thanks for the help chaps - it really is very much appreciated.

Guy