Radio reception went caput today

[sgiangregorio]

**I did a search and came up with a few topics, but no real problem solvers as far as I could tell.**

 

Here's the scoop...all of a sudden today my radio reception got terrible. Stations that would normally be loud and clear were fading in and out and frequency bleeding was horrible. I could barely listen to the radio.

 

Here's what I checked:

 

1) Antenna mast has no visible damage, it is screwed on tight. How do you know if it's somehow bad? Just seems like a metal rod, which is pretty hard to break.

 

2) Antenna wire is firmly inserted into back or radio, all connections tight.

 

3) When testing antenna wire, I have continuity between the center antenna wire conductor and the mast screw post on the antenna mount. No continuity with a ground (good I think).

 

4) When testing antenna wire, I have continuity between the ground shield on the antenna wire and a known good ground. No continuity between the mast screw post and the ground shield (good I think).

 

I'd really appreciate any help any of you can offer, this is driving me nuts, as it just came out of nowhere.

 

Thanks.

[snoman]

My guess is that you either got into a very strong electromagnet field (very strong tranmitter) or a freak static discharge took out the RF preamps in the front end of your radio. Is it that way on both AM and FM becauce it would use to seperate tuner strips.

[asepgrad98]

OMFG. the same thing happened to me today for the first time. Maybe its sunspots? If mine isnt better tomorrow ill take it in for warranty work.

[GMguy99]

Dude, same thing happened to me and about 10 other people I know in jersey. It started around 4pm

[tryn2lrn]

Freaky, I was just going to post about that today as well in Eastern PA!!

[nhproxr]

Happeneed to me today too!!! I thought something was wrong with radio, but it cleared up after 8 pm.

[tryn2lrn]

East Coast conspiracy!!!!

[budhayes3]

Me too! Here in Jersey! I think it was just around 6:00.

[Mr Mojo]

Same here around 7:00pm, central Jersey.

[tmf6902]

Wasn't a sun spot

 

24-hour Forecast: Solar Activity Forecast : Solar activity is expected to be very low.

 

no spots

 

Maybe it was aliens.....All your bases are belong to us

[bartlanz]

I noticed that a local station (WOKQ), usualy cristal clear, was a bit on the fuzzy side today on my way back from a call around that time. I was passingly worried about it b/c I put in a new ALPINE deck a few weeks back.

 

ALIENS HAAA I live in a town with an Air Force Base, they could be in my back yard?!?! *Sarcasim*

[penguins1]

I was thinking I might get to put a new radio in the wife's Malibu as the same thing happened here is good old upstate NY.

[foghorn23]

It was the sunspots. My best buddy is a North Carolina Highway Patrol officer and I saw him during his dinner break last night. He said his police radio was getting signals from California.

 

Sunspots

 

vroten

[snoman]

It was the sunspots.  My best buddy is a North Carolina Highway Patrol officer and I saw him during his dinner break last night.  He said his police radio was getting signals from California. 

 

Sunspots

 

vroten

Sunspot very rarely effect FM broadcast because of the frequency they operate at is normal well above the MUF (maximum usable frequency) of the ionosphere. There is another phenomenon that can effect FM broadcast and it is know as ducting that is cause by strong wx fronts were warm moist air is mixing with cold from above and it forms a "duct" that can route the FM and TV signals well beyond their normal range. Well over 1000 miles is possible when conditions are right. I have been a ham radio operator for over 30 years and I have seen a lot. Also, we are approaching the sunspot minimum in the next year or so and for it to be the cause at this frequency at this time is extremely unlikely too at this time as MUF decreases even further during sun spot cycle lows.

[sgiangregorio]

You know, it happened right around 6pm. I'm in NH. I thought at first it was interference where I was, but it didn't go away. By the time I was done fiddling with things, it had gotten better. My wife took the truck today (went to the beach with the kids), so I don't know if it's better. But that's wild if we all experienced the same thing! And now I have 3 skinned knuckles to show for it (from pulling the radio out!).