Radio Reception

[Ryan]

Does anyone have a problem with radio reception on there M ? My ship to shore is not getting any reception and my stereo is only getting one station. I have checked and cleaned all connections and tried a new antenna and nothing changed. Can the cable go bad that runs from the upper station station to the splitter under the lower helm? I tried to by-pass the splitter and go from new antenna to the ship to shore and got nothing.

[MetalHead]

I would try a temporary cable from radio to antenna

[jralbert]

I think Ryan just described a direct antenna-to-radio connection. Generally, the cable is built right into the butt end of the antenna, can't be changed and if he's getting the same problem with both antennas that is not the fail point.

By passing the splitter was a good idea.

This is weird. Do you get the same result (only one station) when you hook the FM antenna to the FM radio? Are you using the marina antenna to feed the FM radio? Can you arrange to borrow a marine radio from a neighbor and see if the same thing happens? Could be a radio problem.
If no one can lend you a radio then take yours to a neighbor and hook it to their antenna.

Is the speaker disabled? When you call out, can your neighbors hear? Try a test on something other than Ch 16 or 9.

In nearly 20 years of ownership, I had only one radio problem and that was a bad connector. I had to change antennas around the same time because the outer coating on the antenna failed leaving exposed fiberglass on the antenna. That was like touching a cactus.

Keep us posted

[Ryan]

I have one antenna for both stereo and ship to shore. Antenna goes into a Shakespeare splitter that has outlet for am/fm and vhf. My antenna and ship to shore are only a couple years old. How did you know your connections where no good?

[yooper]

My original antenna cable from the flybridge to my new stereo was bad. Cleaning didn't work. A new cable did.

[jralbert]

How did you know your connections where no good?

If you're addressing me, it was easy to see corroded, barely touching wires.

[martindesign]

Sharing one antenna for both can sometimes cause interference. Normally caused by the stereo. The vhf needs a properly tuned antenna. For really good quality even the proper lenght of the wire to the antenna matters. A splitter, secondary cables and two radios that are both vhf technically but on opposite ends of the spectrum isnt ideal. Not to say it won't work but I'd find separate antennas will give you much better tuning. FM 88-108mhz and ship to shore around 156-163 and much tighter.

[jralbert]

What Martindesign says is accurate. Antennas are sized according to the frequency range of the device and the setup by the OP is a compromise. But that has served him well enough until the moment that it didn't - for two different radios. I doubt the FM stereo was interfering with the ship VHF. And, the OP described taking the splitter out of the path and going directly from antenna to VHF. Sumpin' else is going on here. The only thing I can think of now is a problem with the power circuit. A loose or shorted ground? We'll know more when the OP gets back with results from some of the suggested places to check.

[Fastjeff]

We have to take our cell phone outside the cabin to get any signal with it. Is that common? I assume the aluminum hull is responsible.

Jeff

[Roger2]

Where my boat is located, Our AT&T reception is poor, so sometimes calls come in, sometimes they don't. I'm talking inside the cabin.
Roger