Antennae Interference

[AleroDrime]

For a long time i thought my cruddy radio signal was the result of where i cut the coaxil cable up by the passenger floorwell, but today i did a proper connection with peiced from radioshack and was still having lots of static.
So i started pulling things apart and playing with them and found that if i turn off the amp, the radio signal is perfect.

Some how I have interference with the radio signal when my amp and subs are on. (I'm sure it involves my amp and subs because the signal is flawless when i turn the switch to my remote wire off.)

Right now Im frustrated from pulling the seats out to relocate those wires towards the center of the car. And I'm wondering if anyone else has any issues with their amp or wires intefering with radio signal.

I also think that the bass could be disturbing the end of the antenna cable, but i have no clue where the Inline Antenna ends?

Any imput guys?

[2004alero]

im pretty sure the antennae ends on rear widnow passenger side.

[widbyj]

Yes, the antenna cable runs back along the passenger side of the body, either to a standard antenna in the quarter panel or wires embedded in the rear window (look like defroster). Power for subs needs to be run along the drivers side to prevent interference. RCA cables for the sub amp, if used, should run along the passenger side also. Note that even with all this you may get electronic interference from the amp circuits themselves, but not too likely. If you have a big amp a cap may help.

[AleroDrime]

the power for the subs is ran down the drivers side, so thats no the issue, and running the rca, bass knob and remote wire are now underneath the passenger seat, all under the carped, nice and clean

maybe somthing there is loose and the bass is rattleing it??

[a4d2a0m]

Did you connect your antenna booster??

[AleroDrime]

yes its connected to a 12v source, the signal is flawless untill the amps and subs are turned on, then it goes to crap

[AleroDrime]

bump

[Silentalero]

is the Rca and antenna running through any control modules? GM's are notorious for throwing interference if you cross the path of any control module (ecu, airbag, ect).

Also is it interference or engine whine?

[AleroDrime]

its static in the radio, and no theres nothing its crossing

[Silentalero]

Do you know the difference between static and engine whine? I wanna rule that out

[AleroDrime]

yes, im sure its not engine whine because theres no issue when the subs and amp are off

[Silentalero]

OK, then I can tell ya now its something with a wire, where does the antenna wire go?

[Ryan from Ohio]

To clarify its just an amp for a sub, not interior speakers?

How is the remote turn on for the antenna wired up exactly.

[AleroDrime]

I think i just stuck the remote wire for the antenna to the 12volt source i powered the headunit from, a fuse tap on the sunroof fuse. Soldered

Yes its the amp for the subs, and the switch to turn things on and off is on the REM wire, with things off the radio's back at original strength and quality

It's a good amount of base back there, its all down to 1ohm now with my two 10's and they hit clean and hard. If its not wire inteference, maybe the bass is disturbing the end of where ever the antennae line is, the bass has popped the rear deck up twice

[Silentalero]

Ok hands down your bass is not effecting the antenna. Its a wiring issue. Do you have an aftermarket radio?

[Ryan from Ohio]

I think i just stuck the remote wire for the antenna to the 12volt source i powered the headunit from, a fuse tap on the sunroof fuse. Soldered

Ok heres the deal.

Your HU probably has two sets of outputs for "remotes". One for "remote antenna" and one for "remote amplifiers" like most units have.

The big issue is getting 12V to the antenna in the rear.

I see you mention a 12V source which you powered the HU from, which leads me to believe you cut the connector off.

At any rate, you need to find the correct wire which leads to the antenna and have a 12V switched source to it. This can be accomplished off the HU or by any other 12V switched source. Your pick.

Dark green wire...

Radio 12v orange + radio harness
Radio Ground black/white - radio harness
Radio Ignition (Class 2 Data)
Radio Illumination brown + radio harness
Factory Amp Turn-on
Power Antenna dk. green + radio harness
LF Speaker +/- tan - gray +,- radio harness
Notes: If equipped, the amplifier is in the driver side on the trunk.
RF Speaker +/- lt. green - dk. green +,- radio harness
LR Speaker +/- brown - yellow +,- radio harness
RR Speaker +/- dk. blue - lt. blue +,- radio harness

[AleroDrime]

Ryan I was wrong in my first post and we have discussed this b4, i do believe the power source is connected to the dark green wire, but of course I will check this weekend.

The reason i think the bass or amp is involved, is because the radio signal has no static the moment the subs are off and the static returns the moment the subs begin to hit again.

This weekend im also gonna experiment and see if the issue continues with the amp on but the subs disconnected.

[cherrington17]

...which means it has something to do with the WIRING going to the sub amplifier...

subs CAN NOT affect radio signal reception.

[AleroDrime]

If the wiring to a receiver is lose, i believe it could, which one of the things on the window is for the antennae

I'm not wanting to argue, I'm asking for help, I've done about a dozen installs for friends and its only my car that ever has issues

[Ryan from Ohio]

Ok while on you only have static when the subs thump?

Earlier you said when the subs were on, meaning the amp was powered on and in use.

If in fact there is distortion only when the subs hit then I would think you have a loose connection/bad connection. Could be the solder joint or on the module behind the plastic panel @ c pillar.

[Silentalero]

Ok while on you only have static when the subs thump?

Earlier you said when the subs were on, meaning the amp was powered on and in use.

If in fact there is distortion only when the subs hit then I would think you have a loose connection/bad connection. Could be the solder joint or on the module behind the plastic panel @ c pillar.

Ditto,

you have to remember since we arent there and can't look at the car with you, its important that you are very specific on when the static hits. If its solid, if its jumpy ect. Every diff static is a diff type of problem.

[AleroDrime]

which pillar, and ill see if it's just when the subs hit, when i disconnect the speaker wire and leave the amp on

[Ryan from Ohio]

I think its passenger side.

Theres a box on each side in back. Ones for the amplified antenna the other for the defroster.

[AleroDrime]

there's two on the passenger side, ill play with both, i wasn't sure if one was it though because neither has a coaxial cable to it, but i guess the wiring changes somewhere, and thats another place i need to locate and check

if i can't figure anything out, i do have a slim style windsheild mount for the front window, they work well but i would consider it an eyesore

[widbyj]

Going to a lot of effort for radio reception (limited sound range), do you really spend that much time listening to it? Switch to satelite or listen to quality via CD or MP3. Don't need subs for radio as the frequencies aren't really there (and AM is mono in most places). I'd just hookup a standard antenna if you must have radio....

[AleroDrime]

i use cd's ipod, pandora radio, and such but sometimes the radio is nice, specially on dates
i listen to it all

[Kilroy]

i use cd's ipod, pandora radio, and such but sometimes the radio is nice, specially on dates
i listen to it all

So you are saying you have no use for the radio then? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[AleroDrime]

ur hilarious kilroy but you'd be surprised about how well city girls like accents

but back to point, i just walked out to my car, unhooked the subs from the amp and started the car. With the switch off for amp of the radio was fine, but when i turned the amp on, the static returned. It's a wiring issue for sure, but how?

[AleroDrime]

I think i'm gonna try moving the ground for my amp, maybe is near enuff to the antennae's group to cause interference, if the issues not in the rear, its at the headunit and thats a bit of a pain now to get too

[AleroDrime]

took it too a shop, tried everything, im stumped, they're stumped, even tried a new jvc headunit, same thing

[Weazel]

I was getting radio interference as I pushed my accelerator today :wacko: As I'd press down or release, it would change in pitch.


Eh?

[cherrington17]

I was getting radio interference as I pushed my accelerator today :wacko: As I'd press down or release, it would change in pitch.


Eh?

its a ground loop. fix your grounds.

[colonel6632]

alerodrime. my car does the exact same thing. i get good reception with the subs off, and terrible reception with the subs on. it's not as bad when i live in the same city as the radio. but when driving away i lose reception quickly. but if i turn off the sub amp, then i get reception for much longer.

i haven't found a fix.

[Weazel]

its a ground loop. fix your grounds.

Innnnteresting. But it only did it for that one trip and never before? Maybe conditions were just right?

[cherrington17]

Innnnteresting. But it only did it for that one trip and never before? Maybe conditions were just right?

most likely a loose connection somewhere. go through and double check, clean your grounds.

Electrical things don't just happen by chance. If it did it once, it WILL happpen again.

[Weazel]

most likely a loose connection somewhere. go through and double check, clean your grounds.

Electrical things don't just happen by chance. If it did it once, it WILL happpen again.

Heh, like I said, right conditions. I think I'll go check everything now while I actually have the time, thanks.

[AleroDrime]

i think its the inline antenna design altogether, where is the ground for the 12v power thing in the rear, it shows on wiring diagrams for the aleros and a guy mentioned it to me, i thinking i need to move those grounds apart as far as possible

[lonnie]

This may not be the answer but after reading everything it got me thinking that if you find that it isn't a wire try hooking a different amp up with the same wiring and see if the problem is still present. This will tell you if it is indeed the wiring or the amp itself. The reason I say this is with a different amp, same wiring and the same problem this shows that the problem isn't isolated to the original amp but has to be in the wiring because the chances of two amps experiencing the same problem is slim to none....unless they are the same model manufactured on the same date.

Now if the problem goes away when swapping amps then the problem is in the amp itself, and may be due to the high pass filter on the amp (reason I say this is because in FM stations lets say for example 103.9 is simply a carrier frequecy and the true frequency could actually be in the khz range which a highpass filter blocks on subs which include voice...etc)....various circuitry...IDK...taking a guess here. But it sounds like the amp itself minus the wiring is pretty much jamming the FM frequency. Maybe I missed it but how is the amp itself wired for power?

Good Luck in figuring this out..will be interesting to see what was causing this.

[AleroDrime]

ill try this argument and get it tested when i get my headunit back from Sony, the auxiliary input is messed up, but like i said we tried a different head unit all together

but how would the high pass on the amp affect a signal in the antennae line. Logically none of this makes since, i hook subs and amps up all the time for friends and this is the only botched install ever

[lonnie]

ill try this argument and get it tested when i get my headunit back from Sony, the auxiliary input is messed up, but like i said we tried a different head unit all together. Ok but if the problem is in the amp or wiring then changing the headunit makes no difference. Be interesting to see if the AUX port ties into the radio section of the headunit.

but how would the high pass on the amp affect a signal in the antennae line. Logically none of this makes since, i hook subs and amps up all the time for friends and this is the only botched install ever. Because in FM the signal you tune to is the carrier meaning the signal that carries the audio...music...etc to the radio...the actual signals that ride on the carrier frequency is in the kHz range. Therefore if the high pass filter which is suppose to block out kHz range frequencies from the subs could be screwed up to the point where it is actually jamming the FM signal by emitting a spurious frequency. Its logical but that may not be whats causing it, is was just a theory. (I tend to over analyze) Just because you hook subs and amps up all the time doesn't make you an expert...not saying I am either...I was just offering up a possible cause. Thats why I began my statement by saying that "This may not be the answer"

Replies for each above!

[AleroDrime]

appreciated replies too

the reason the headunit was swapped out to see if was the issue was the owner of shop said i was over analyzing by blaming the grounds. Claiming it was likely a problem in the head unit. But the brand new RCA did the same thing

[lonnie]

appreciated replies too

the reason the headunit was swapped out to see if was the issue was the owner of shop said i was over analyzing by blaming the grounds. Claiming it was likely a problem in the head unit. But the brand new RCA did the same thing
No problem when you figure this out let us know, cause this is interesting to say the least.

[AleroDrime]

will do and with connel have a similar issue id like to see this solve issues for others

[cherrington17]

possible that the amp is really REALLY poorly shielded, and is emitting RF, which is being picked up by the radio elements?

really far fetched... but seemingly possible.

[AleroDrime]

if it was a lowend amp i could see that but its an effin Memphis, but still ill see friday what he thinks about swapping in a new amp to see if it helps, it has a lifetime warranty, the only reason i let his boys install it

[colonel6632]

i have a alpine amp. and i haven't really tried to fix it. i blame the window antenna, and just don't listen to it, or turn off the subs

[Afugy]

Do you have a cap, if so where is it grounded? I would also like to know where you have your amp grounded?

[AleroDrime]

no i do not have a capacitor anymore, im told that my class d amp doesnt need one or 4 gauge wire

but its grounded on the rear seat bold driverside corner

[colonel6632]

no cap here. and my amp is grounded on the bolts holding on the strut tower

[Afugy]

no cap here. and my amp is grounded on the bolts holding on the strut tower

Okay no problem there, that in my opinion is the best spot to ground and amp in the trunk.

And you're sure the defroster is off then it makes the noise?

And you guys have tested the window to make sure you even have an antennae because those things going across the glass can get broken.

[cherrington17]

Okay no problem there, that in my opinion is the best spot to ground and amp in the trunk.

And you're sure the defroster is off then it makes the noise?

And you guys have tested the window to make sure you even have an antennae because those things going across the glass can get broken.

which is funny... i've scrapped the inside of my window (frost on the inside) more then once... and they are all still perfect.

[Afugy]

which is funny... i've scrapped the inside of my window (frost on the inside) more then once... and they are all still perfect.

Not every window is made equal.