Dead Radio?

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 09:59 AM

Over the weekend while camping at an ocean side camp ground we had a very powerful thunderstorm pass by. One bolt of lightning was particularly close where the light & sound were simultaneous which means it was probably within a couple of hundred feet. The following morning our AM/FM radio is only producing static. The CD player works intermittentally but the blue tooth works with our iPhone.

Any chance of repairing this or do I need a total replacement?

jd50i · 08-13-2018, 10:03 AM

Static? Are you on AM? Is the frequency correct? Warranty?

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd50i

Static? Are you on AM? Is the frequency correct? Warranty?

All I get on am/fm now is static. Before the storm it was working fine. Don't think it'll be covered by warranty as it will probably be considered an "act of God" kind of thing.?

Kaadk · 08-13-2018, 10:06 AM

Two things I can think happened:

1) The radio's tuner got fried. Solution: Replace
2) The antenna was loose, and the thunderstorm knocked you around just enough to fully unseat it. Solution: Pull radio and plug antenna back in.

#2 is an easy fix, so it's what I'd check first.

JohnD10 · 08-13-2018, 10:10 AM

If the storm had damaged your radio you would also have several other things fried in your RV.

Like the microwave...televisions...your fuse box...and more!

And chances are your power pedestal would have popped off first.

I'm guessing that maybe the wind may have blown the coax around on your roof antenna (if it is connected to that) or an outside mounted AM/FM antenna.

If your radio is connected to the roof antenna, check to see if the antenna amplifier is turned on!

jd50i · 08-13-2018, 10:11 AM

The unit is probably not worth fixing and you can get a much higher quality one.

AM usually has static and FM might have a low hiss but not static is the reason I ask. If you have verified correct frequency and modulation (AM-Amplitude Modulation, FM- Frequency Modulation) then the unit is probably bad.

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

If the storm had damaged your radio you would also have several other things fried in your RV.

Like the microwave...televisions...your fuse box...and more!

And chances are your power pedestal would have popped off first.

I'm guessing that maybe the wind may have blown the coax around on your roof antenna (if it is connected to that) or an outside mounted AM/FM antenna.

If your radio is connected to the roof antenna, check to see if the antenna amplifier is turned on!

Good point. Other than losing our AM/FM reception everything else is working (TV, Microwave, Fridge) so I'm going to check the antenna connection 1st and hope that it.

Thanks guys

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd50i

The unit is probably not worth fixing and you can get a much higher quality one.

AM usually has static and FM might have a low hiss but not static is the reason I ask. If you have verified correct frequency and modulation (AM-Amplitude Modulation, FM- Frequency Modulation) then the unit is probably bad.

I agree, however both am & fm were working fine earlier in the evening before the storm. We're in a very dense broadcast area with little, if any, bandwidth available for new stations so if the radio was working, we'd heard it.

If checking the antenna doesn't do the trick I will probably look for a better radio to replace it with.

Anyone have any suggestions for an upgrade?

Kaadk · 08-13-2018, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

If the storm had damaged your radio you would also have several other things fried in your RV.

Like the microwave...televisions...your fuse box...and more!

And chances are your power pedestal would have popped off first.

I'm guessing that maybe the wind may have blown the coax around on your roof antenna (if it is connected to that) or an outside mounted AM/FM antenna.

If your radio is connected to the roof antenna, check to see if the antenna amplifier is turned on!

All depends on 'how' it fried. If the charge came in through the electrical system, then yes, a lot of that stuff would have also been affected. But a radio basically has it's own lightning rod sticking up in the form or it's antenna. A nearby strike would have put enough current in the air for the antenna to channel straight into the tuner of the radio, possibly only frying that portion of the radio.

But I agree with you (as I stated above) that the first thing to check would be the antenna connections. You also gave me another idea for the OP to check. He might need to go see if there's any physical damage to the antenna itself. blowing debris might have bent/removed it.

JohnD10 · 08-13-2018, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkz

Good point. Other than losing our AM/FM reception everything else is working (TV, Microwave, Fridge) so I'm going to check the antenna connection 1st and hope that it.

Thanks guys

My radio was connected to the roof antenna when I first bought my 5'ver three years ago, but found that it was shorting out the TV antenna and cable signal, so I disconnected it and put a marine antenna inside the entertainment center and will soon be mounting an outdoor antenna on the outside of that slide.

Anyway, when it was still connected to the roof antenna, if either of the TV's were turned on at the sametime the radio was turned on I'd loose reception on both TV's and the radio.

So if I wanted to listen to the radio I'd have to turn the TV's off...or turn the radio off to watch TV!

Kaadk · 08-13-2018, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkz

I agree, however both am & fm were working fine earlier in the evening before the storm. We're in a very dense broadcast area with little, if any, bandwidth available for new stations so if the radio was working, we'd heard it.

If checking the antenna doesn't do the trick I will probably look for a better radio to replace it with.

Anyone have any suggestions for an upgrade?

There's a whole wide world of possibilities for an upgrade. While most of these units come with these 'RV' specific units, you can basically use pretty much any Car Radio you want as a replacement, as long as you don't mind losing the ability to select your zone's right from the unit. A simple speaker switch can take care of that need.

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 10:31 AM

"A nearby strike would have put enough current in the air for the antenna to channel straight into the tuner of the radio, possibly only frying that portion of the radio."

This what I believe happened. The strike was so close there was no lag between the flash & the extremely loud thunder clap.

JohnD10 · 08-13-2018, 10:32 AM

Back in 1985 while standing on my front porch in southern Michigan watching an intense thunderstorm, lightning struck the telephone pole right at the end of my driveway (scared the krap out of me

) and a large thing on the pole that looked like a trash can exploded, causing flames to run down the power lines from the pole to my house.

I called 911 immediately and the flames were extinguished before they reached the house, but as it turned out the negative line was fried.

Along with my washer and dryer, refrigerator, several stereo units in the house, all of the TV's, microwave oven, kitchen stove, dishwasher...pretty much anything that was plugged in to a wall socket!

Even fried out the electronics on the furnace, which I didn't discover until several months later (storm was in June and didn't think to try the furnace until winter).

Luckily, insurance covered most of the items.

But since the insurance claim was already made they wouldn't cover the furnace repairs.

JohnD10 · 08-13-2018, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkz

The strike was so close there was no lag between the flash & the extremely loud thunder clap.

That could be up to a mile or more away...

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

That could be up to a mile or more away...

Not really.

Since sound travels at about 1080 feet per second, and the flash & sound were virtually simultaneous, it had to be less than 1100 feet away.

A32Deuce · 08-13-2018, 11:35 AM

Any radio that the RV industry does not use!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkz

I agree, however both am & fm were working fine earlier in the evening before the storm. We're in a very dense broadcast area with little, if any, bandwidth available for new stations so if the radio was working, we'd heard it.

If checking the antenna doesn't do the trick I will probably look for a better radio to replace it with.

Anyone have any suggestions for an upgrade?

Sparkz · 08-13-2018, 12:47 PM

You're probably 100% correct

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