Does anybody else get this problem with AM radio??

[illusionstwice]

Originally Posted by Cora

may i ask how tint effects it??

The static is caused by tint because most tint film is metallic based, so it causes interference. Ceramic tint will avoid that problem. I have had three cars. The first one, the radio was fine. I got it tinted and I got static on some stations. The second one, same thing. But this time when I got it tinted and I used my blinker, I would here the click of the blinker through the speakers in a "feedback/static" kind of sound. I know its odd. SO then with my Si, I did some research b4 tinting. I found out ceramic based tint will avoid this. No problems now


Remember our antennas are built into the back window. An external antenna will not be affected. (well it shouldnt be)

[bsbabcock]

Well, search and ye shall find... I just discovered this. Got the tint done yesterday.. a modest NC legal level with just a hint of reflectiveness.. Looks rockin'! on the galaxy gray. This was a standard Lumar brand tint done by a good pro here.

BUT... Instantly AM reception now completely stinks and FM is also somewhat affected.

I agree AM isn't a gazillion channels of Sat radio, but it does serve it's purpose for the local channels.. If SAT provided this, I'd never look back but just install it.

I wonder what can improve the reception now?
I'd hate to pull the rear window tint just for a few local stations.
Is there a possible antenna improvement or upgrade of some kind?

[illusionstwice]

^^Read post above yours.

[bsbabcock]

Googled and found below info:

My question is which line or lines on an 08 Si Sedan are the antenna and which are the defogger??

AM Radio Reception and Tint

"It's a given today that metalized film may interfere with AM radio reception in the event the antenna is located on the back glass. The phenomena of quasi-connecting the antenna to the defroster grid (which grounds the signal to the chassis) after installation of metalized film to the back glass is believed to be part of the problem. This tip is NOT for other electronics such as GPS, XM radio, Wi-Fi, Cell Phone, etc., which are affected by the RF shielding capacity of a metal film.

Locate the uppermost defroster line (this would be the last of many that travels completely across the back glass with no breaks in its line). Carefully cut a seam into the film, either before or after installation, running above, parallel and adjacent to the uppermost defroster line (not the antenna line). This breaks the quasi-connection and grounding effect between the film, antenna and defroster grid.

If this does not work, you may have to resort to extreme measures: 1) Cut another seam BELOW parallel and adjacent to the uppermost defroster line and remove the sliver of film from that particular defrost line. 2) R & R with a non-conductive film construction such as straight-dyed, pigmented polyester, IR absorbing film or a combination of these.

I have even had a consumer ask me to remove a sliver of film over the entire antenna line, which for that vehicle was an upside down T and easily done. Other more elaborate antenna grids would be most difficult and time consuming.

Of course, the consumer should be consulted and advised as to the trade off between radio reception, film performance, and 'possibly' looks (In this day and age of one-piece installs)."

[rsm1113]

Bsbab****, SAT radio DOES include all your heart's desire for sports talk, junk talk, comedy talk, and a crapload of music stations. AM is horribly outdated and in fact, I don't know why it is still being used.

You computer people would understand me when I say that AM radio is like having a 5.25 inch floppy drive. It's ancient, unreliable, and has been done away with since technology has advanced. I think AM is the same and needs to be de-commissioned. The talk stations can be broadcast on FM and for only $14 a month u can subscribe to XM and you will have it all.

[rob76]

Why should anybody pay for something that's free and has worked fine for decades. Anybody who pays for radio is a sucker.

[bsbabcock]

It's local.. That's my thing.. And it's currently in the car.
I'll probably add SAT to it.. I can certainly see the value in it, despite less than awesome sound quality from over-compression of music... However, I'd still want the local stations.
I guess radio is going the way of TV... No more terrestrial transmissions.. It's all pulled down off big bro's net.

Well.. I could use it as an excuse for the expense of a the siriusconnect kit. hmmmm

[rsm1113]

I say go for it bsba****. Sat radio is awesome and I wouldn't go without it since I've been on it.

As for you rob, i'm not a sucker. it just shows how intelligent you are for making such a statement, so go enjoy your AM radio and turn it up!! It's so jammin bro!!

[razasasin]

Originally Posted by rob76

Why should anybody pay for something that's free and has worked fine for decades. Anybody who pays for radio is a sucker.

umm because it quit working when you bought a car w/o an external antenna and tinted the windows and put HID and now it sounds like crap...

I'm so happy I'm not the only one that thinks this way..
Honestly I've only switched to AM by accident.

You have a modern car! Get with it...

Oh and I find info about farmers markets on this thing called 'teh internets.'

[razasasin]

Originally Posted by rob76

Why should anybody pay for something that's free and has worked fine for decades. Anybody who pays for radio is a sucker.

do you pay for cable?






just askin'.

[rsm1113]

thanks razasasin, i thought i was the only one here as well. kudos to u bro.

[rob76]

Originally Posted by razasasin

do you pay for cable?
just askin'.

Cable has never been free so long as I've been alive. Radio has.

If you don't like AM then don't use it, remain ignorant, and keep paying your monthly fees.

[rsm1113]

umm rob, u missed it totally, so look who's ignorant. Let me explain. TV is a free thing so if you pay for cable you are a sucker. raz asked if u have cable cuz it is a comparable statement to paying for radio. but ur too dumb to understand, so i had to dumb it down for u. I'm not gonna respond to u anymore on this, ur not worth it.

[rob76]

What good is a TV without cable? It's really not the same thing because there's tons of AM and FM stations out there without need for paying for compressed bitstream. rsm1113 you should really learn to spell. You write like a 12 year old girl.

[SilentBob420BMFJ]

Originally Posted by 07BlakBlak

What is this AM radio you speak of?

Originally Posted by razasasin

You mean besides the fact that you listen to AM radio? How old are you, like 80?

AM sucks - you'll get noise from the atmosphere, buildings, your alternator, a stiff breeze etc...This is the year 2008 - do yourself a favor and get a sirius. Crystal clear and plenty of talk radio if thats yer thang... or, if AM is your thing, sell teh honda and get a '78 ford . . . it's more your style ...

TROOFS.. who listens to am OR fm? its called sirius satellite radio, and since our car has an aux jack, there are no problems with direct hookup.. its like going from crank windows and no sunroof to power windows and a sunroof.. but ya, i was thinking about how i hated the parents who would pick us all up as kids and we had to listen to their EXTREMELY boring political talk radio shows all the way to wherever we were going, and even when we were all talking, they wouldnt turn it down.. nothing wrong with discussions, but when you say "am talk" people think of boring political talk and such, not something like mancow or mike and mike in the morning

[bsbabcock]

Anyway..

So ok I think I've identified which lines in the rear windshield are the am/fm antenna leads.. Tell me if you think or know this is correct.

Across the top there are three or four rows leading from the right, crossing the top from right to left, but do not contact the rest of the grid-work (defrost lines).

There is one line on the left of the defrost lines that goes straight up the left side and turns to cross over the top but still does not join those other rows mentioned above that I think are antenna.

Before I go tearing out the rear window tint, I'm going to try the above tip I posted.
It's not about land-radio good or bad, but now a DIY experiment for the fun of it.
Your thoughts?

If it works.. I'll post pics and maybe actually contribute something of value here for a change.

[Si Black]

All,
yes, if you're still on this thing, I realize that the thread is a couple of years old. I just bought a 2009 Civic Si and found that I am having a very similar issue as jsyoo. Constant buzzing in the background and a weakened signal had become very annoying. While the dealer investigated the problem, I was provided a 2010 or 2011 Honda Civic EX-L as a loaner over several days with an identical navigation/radio system and the AM reception was flawless, crystal clear and covered a distance greater than any of my previous cars. (I travel the same route to work everyday, so I'm familiar how strong and clear the signal should be). Honda determined that my AM radio was defective and replaced it. While the buzzing is not as bad, it's still there. Regarding the AM Antenna, I misunderstood or was previously misinformed that it was in the same location as the satellite reception gadget on the roof. As I orginally thought, I verified he AM antenna is located in the rear window which is also mentioned in specifications for the car. After talking again with a Honda technician, I discovered that while the type of tint may be a possibility in contributing to the interference, in my case it probably is damaged and/or cut defogger lines in the rear window caused by the initial tinting installation. Since the AM antenna is located in the rear window, damaged defogger lines will cause AM reception interference. This appeared to be verified by turning the defogger button for the rear window on and off. Pushing the defogger button in vastly reduced the buzzing, but increased static. Releasing the button greatly increased the buzzing and greatly reduced the static. So, I may end up with a new rear window and tinting; fortunately the dealer is going to cover the cost to make things right. I should know something early next week as to the type and result of repairs; I'll post another update when I have more info. Otherwise, I'd be interested in knowing whether anyone else had experienced a similar problem and/or solution. As an added note, I've been listening to AM talk radio for the last 20 years and on occasion, will listen to classic rock on FM. Yes, I find the political talk very engaging! While I certainly understand why probably most of you prefer satellite radio with all of the music and sports stations, those are not my priority. AM radio serves my purpose, is free and has worked fine up until now. There's no point paying for satellite radio since I'll be stuck with talk show commercials anyway and I can get the AM stations I want locally for free.

[mahadragon]

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

I listen to AM 1050 radio in the morning... ESPN Sports Radio

I get static when I get to a specific mile marker on the parkway... weird

1050's signal is weak compared to KNBR 680. I could always get 680 strong and clear but 1050 was hit or miss, although I admit I often liked ESPN's programming better than KNBR.

I can understand why people dislike AM. I used to be like that when I was in H.S. Now I'm more into sports and the only live sportscasts are on AM in San Fran and Seattle. Can't find those on the FM dial. If you want to listen to the SF Giants or Seattle Mariners you have to set it for AM.

Not everyone wants to spend the money for satellite radio. I don't spend money on Cable tv or satellite radio, I try to keep it simple.

[Teasip]

OP, I agree with you that the Si does seem to be somewhat susceptible to outside factors with regard to AM reception. I also listen to AM (The Ticket in Dallas) due to their somewhat poor reception in the outlying burbs on FM. I haven't noticed a specific issue with just the engine being started but do notice static from time to time based on surrounding circumstances (power lines, etc.). I work with an office of females and will leave the office to go to our parking lot to listen to the radio at lunch and have noticed that with both AM/FM reception that the signal fades even with the vehicle sitting stationary and only the ACC on. Yes, I'm geriatric at 51 y/o.

[rhobere]

zombie thread

I'm surprised how many people dog on AM radio.