Kenwood stereo reception

B

Bay Drifter

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All, have the tournament 225 with the Kenwood stereo. FM reception is poor. Has anyone figured out an easy way to improve the reception without drilling holes? I hear the vhf antenna splitter does not work that well but what I hear may not be fact. Gotta be able to pick up those Oriole broadcasts, GO O's! Yes I know they stink but some day, some day javascript:emoticon(':D')
 
I have a 2008 225 w/ Kenwood stereo and get a terrible buzz through the speakers with the engine running unless it is a really strong station. When the engine is off the reception improves. My problem is my dealer is 365 miles away and nobody here locally can diagnose, or wants to diagnose the problem. I've have been told to install an inline filter, but Grady says it shouldn't be necessary and I tend to believe them since they put this stereo on lots of boats. If you discover a solution I would really appreciate knowing what it is. I'm about out of possibilities here.
 
Capt C.

If on FM you hear such noise, you have an improperly grounded radio, antenna lead, ship's ground, engine, battery, or defective radio.

Nothing to do with needing filters.

You will be able to get a mobile boat electronics guy down when he is not busy, and pay by hour incl travel time. Hopefully. a loose wire will be found.

I don't bother with AM radio in boat, reception sucks to being with.
 
STEREO

I agree w/ BobP. You have a bad ground. As far as FM reception, I found something as simple as an antenna plugged in GREATLY improved the reception. Nothing elaborate- a telescoping one from BW or West literally dangling in the cuddy works. You'll be surprised!
 
BobP said:
Capt C.

If on FM you hear such noise, you have an improperly grounded radio, antenna lead, ship's ground, engine, battery, or defective radio.

Nothing to do with needing filters.

You will be able to get a mobile boat electronics guy down when he is not busy, and pay by hour incl travel time. Hopefully. a loose wire will be found.

I don't bother with AM radio in boat, reception sucks to being with.
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Would it be a bad ground on the stereo or could it be a bad ground on my GPS or VHF? The GPS and VHF seem to be working just fine.
 
Capt C.

If those other devices are powered off when it happens, the answer is no.

If the problem only happens when those other devices are on, it could be either or both causing it, I suspect the device you turn on causing it.

Either borrow a VHF radio or GPS, or go to flea market and get $7 dollar used car radio and hook it up, see what happens. Use process of elimination, act like a detective, this isn't high tech.

Alternately, you can remove the GPS or VHF radio and walk it over to a buddy's or slip neighor's boat and hold it near sterio, make up a fused clip lead feed to connect to the battery.

There are much more expensive ways to figure it out, like wholesale replacing units until you hit it, called the shotgun method used heavily in the auto industry, I proposed cheap way to get it done, only time involved and a few favors.

Your boat's grounding system may as well to fault too.

If you can get a good honest electrical guy come down, who you make sure knows you are on a budget (even if not), he will figure it out lickety split. Has to be good and honest, good luck !
 
Capt C,
when you pull the fm radio antenna lead out of the radio while it is on, what changes in sound?
 
BobP said:
Capt C,
when you pull the fm radio antenna lead out of the radio while it is on, what changes in sound?
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If I unplug the antenna wire from the radio I get no reception. If I stretch the antenna wire out while plugged in nothing changes. One of the LED bars on the face plate doesn't light up so the dealer is sending me a new radio head under warranty. Hopefully when I reinstall it and check all the connections that will take care of the problem. I'm hoping it's in the radio itself.
 
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