How to Replace Me as FM Radio Antenna Booster?

wa8yxm wrote:
Interesting. First make sure the antenna is properly connectred.

Most Automotive antennas have what is sometimes called a Motorola connector. This is a coaxial plug where the outer connection doubles back on the coax unlike the RCA connector where the outer connection surrounds the center pin.

Look at the ends of the cables in the linked device. NOTE Pre-amps sometimes work Sometimes do not.

Another issue is proper grounding of the radio.. To the frame of the Vehicle.

Fm Car Radio Preamplifer at Amazon

"Boosters" for the most part do not work if there is little to no signal and can make reception even worse when very little signal is present..

The only boosters I have found that truly work are the ones that mount right at the antenna. Booster gets the strongest possible signal so it isn't amplifying garbage.

Boosters for car radios can be very problematic, car stereos unlike home stereos employ the same jack for AM and FM and most boosters for car radios do not amplify in the Khz AM radio band.. This means inserting a booster will result in removing all hopes of receiving any AM stations if that is you game.

The one you linked also does not amplify AM band per the specifications and one of the questions and answers posted..


Specifications:
Material: Electronic Components, Metal, Plastic
Voltage: DC 12V-24V
Frequency Range: 48-860 MHZ
Gain: 25dBi±3
Impedance: 75 ohm
Noise factor: =7dB
Output standing wave: =3
Operating temperature: -20? -- 70?
Storage temperature: -40? -- 90?
Item Length: 15.75 inches

"Claim to have am boost. the specs say 48-860 mhz. am is khz. there are no listings in your specs of this. the fm specs look great. what about am specs
Answer:
That thing is a waste of money. It made my reception worse."

I would stick to the "basics" and check to see if there is even a antenna really attached to the radio first. Often times RV manufacturers just wind up the wire behind the radio and call it good without hooking it up to an external antenna.

If there really is a connection to an outside antenna, perhaps time to replace the shorty antenna typically used on RVs with a longer antenna.. Those little short 1ft or less rubber duckies don't perform well.. typically want 4ft long whips for half decent reception but there is a catch with the longer antennas.. Your chance of striking something low height and breaking off the whip gets greater so measure carefully.

Lots of aftermarket longer antennas available, just have to figure out what will work for the mounting system you have.

Barring all that, the issue just might be the radio it's self, have had some car stereos with pretty weak tuners and the only fix for that is to replace with a better brand..