Radio Reception

[Gator37]

I realize the OEM speakers are not the best, but I've noticed that if you are in a city with radio stations the audio is very clear even at highway speeds but get out of town and it's so fuzzy you can't understand but maybe every 3rd or 4th word. Could the antenna be the problem. It is also the one that came with the RT.

Thanks.

 

[DGoebel]

RADIO???? whats that? Just kiddin... I've read several posts about some radio antenna's having a poor ground connection, and that should be check #1 if you're having any reception issues. We live so far out in the country, I only use an IPOD to feed me tuneage.......

 

[canamjhb]

If you only understand every 3rd or 4th word, you're probably tuned into a new-age or rapper channel. Try 50s, 60s, or 70s. Anything newer is just gobbly gook.......

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

RECEPTION

I realize the OEM speakers are not the best, but I've noticed that if you are in a city with radio stations the audio is very clear even at highway speeds but get out of town and it's so fuzzy you can't understand but maybe every 3rd or 4th word. Could the antenna be the problem. It is also the one that came with the RT.

Thanks.

... You only think the OEM speakers sound decent , because you probably haven't heard any GOOD speakers .... I have JBL GTO 528's and 508c's ( both 5 1/4 inch ) front and rear and they are amazing .... When I have demonstrated them to other people , at about 80% they are TOO loud to hear people talk when standing near the Spyder .... Now to the Antennae & reception ... The location you are in makes a big difference it varies greatly because of the signal strength .... I replaced mine ( because it broke ) with a collapsible Auto model ( not powered it wouldn't fit in the speaker housing ) I got better reception ( I live in Vermont with lots of mountains ) but not outstanding .... My MP-3 and now XM are fantastic to listen to. When I took the ant. stub out the amount of Lok-Tite BRP put on was OBSCENE ... IMHO it definitely affected the metal to metal contact of the threads on the connection. Some here have found cleaning MOST of it off helped .... But I think it's the system as a whole that is not Top Notch to begin with ... My 03 Toyota with a very cheapo basic Radio gets 5x's better sound than my RT did ( for AM & FM ) .......... hope this helps .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Easy Rider]

...When I took the ant. stub out the amount of Lok-Tite BRP put on was OBSCENE ... IMHO it definitely affected the metal to metal contact of the threads on the connection. Some here have found cleaning MOST of it off helped ..

THIS.
Clean ALL of the Locktite off and put an appropriate size star washer in instead.

Mine is like what you describe; strong FM stations fade out quickly and the few times I've scanned AM I don't think it found anything.
I need to clean the connection on mine; same for the CB antenna too.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

There are a lot of factors affecting radio reception. The antenna is one but the one on the Spyder is long enough to do the job quite well. Grounding very well may be part of your problem. But the radio itself just doesn't seem to have the best circuitry that's available today so that is a factor. What I suspect, but haven't experimented enough to get a good handle on it, is the influence of LEDs. Some LED power units, and some USB adapters, put out radio frequency noise that impacts radio reception. All LED lights have some sort of power controlling and limiting chip. Broadcast strength and quality is a factor also. FM broadcast signal can be very directional as the station tailors the pattern to avoid interference with other stations and take advantage of clear areas. I'm talking geographically clear. Terrain and weather affects reception tremendously also, as does time of year. Atmospheric conditions change throughout the year. A great signal at spot X on day Y can be crappy on day Z 3 months later. Our local public radio station has a news channel and a music channel, both transmitted from the same tower. The reception of the news channel is nowhere as good as the music channel, and it's worse in the hot summer than in the cold winter.

The only real way to know how much to blame the Spyder radio for poor reception is to compare it to another radio, like your car radio, at any given spot at the same time. I love practically everything about my RTS, but the radio is not one of them, especially in areas of weak signal.

 

[CelticCross]

The only real way to know how much to blame the Spyder radio for poor reception is to compare it to another radio, like your car radio, at any given spot at the same time. I love practically everything about my RTS, but the radio is not one of them, especially in areas of weak signal.

I live in an area with poor radio reception. I have no problems pulling in either of the two local FM stations I like in the car - very poor reception on the Spyder. Expect to use my MP3 player or phone a music source while ridding.

CC

 

[ejstrickland]

2017 RT LTD poor radio reception

I have a 17 RT, and it sounds like BRP hasn't improved the radio reception as of yet. It is a little disheartening. My wife doesn't like to listen to the radio when we ride, but when I'm by myself I like to listen to it on the highway. Live in Grand Rapids, MI where we have many radio stations, and only a few come in, and even those are 'hit-or-miss." What can I do? The antennae is the short stock one (rubber), but maybe I need a different one? Not a deal breaker, but would be a nice to be able to listen to radio once in a while.

 

[Johndeeredoo]

Just something to think about.
I have a 2017 rts and a 2018 rt limited.
The 2018 radio antenna is a spiral wrapped wire and the 2017 is not.
The 2018 will pick up more stations than the 2017.
JD

 

[woods]

18 RT limited here and the fm reception,compared to EVERY other vehicle or cheap work radio i have,is THE worst!I'm talking about 20 stations to 2!Have been advised to remove antennae,clean connection on bike,replace the whip.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Radio reception

Just returned from SpyderQuest ..... at the ride to Vt. Country store in mid-southern Vt. we were in their parking lot and had my Rt 2014 radio on. A few folks came over to listen and were impressed with my JBL 2 ohm speakers :yes:..... they were even more impressed with the fact that I was listening to my Radio not my XM …. I then accessed about 9 other FM stations. Vt doesn't have many FM stations but I was able to pull in 94.9 from northern NH also …… Having a Bosche retractable auto antennae ( no BRP antennae ) helps and makes a big difference ……………… Mike :thumbup: