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10-13-2015, 02:11 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 28
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Electronics question?
We have our 2015 Salem 31QBTS in a campground that doesn't have very good radio reception The factory stereo seems to lose signal more and more as we turn on lights or any other DC powered devices I think the factory power converter isn't strong enough to handle the load is there another way I can power the factory stereo/DVD player other than with the built in inverter
I tried a signal booster but it's DC also and hooked to the same power supply so it didn't make a difference
Any suggestions???
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10-13-2015, 02:40 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hawkins, Texas
Posts: 1,243
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I would look behind the unit and ensure that the antenna is connected properly and tightly and is separate from the nest of other wires behind the stereo first. I really do not think the dc power is the issue here, the stereo uses very little power, but check the dc power cable connections also when you have the stereo out.
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10-13-2015, 02:44 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 28
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I checked all that when I put the signal booster in but when I turn the radio on it's fine as you turn a light on the signal starts to fade away turn another light on and it fades even further that's why I'm thinking its the power
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10-13-2015, 02:52 PM
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#4
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Boss Ox & Drovergirl
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: N.E. Ohio Snow Belt
Posts: 1,341
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Are the connections to the power inverter from the stereo correct and not reversed?
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Mark, Vicki, & Scout THE dog
2015 Hemisphere 282RK
2016 GMC 3500HD Duramax dually
1992 Goldwing Aspencade
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10-13-2015, 03:03 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 28
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Yes I'm familiar with wiring stereos
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10-13-2015, 04:26 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 303
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I am an EE with lots of experience with consumer electronics. I have to say, that your symptoms, if I understand them correctly are VERY strange. In the case of low power, the audio would be the first symptom. (distortion or lower volume). Adding a lamp etc to the load, would hardly make any difference in station reception. It would probably require a drop of 4 volts or more for it to bother the RF reception. If that were the case, you would certainly notice a drop in the lamp(s) brilliance. In any case, the first thing would be to check the voltage to the unit. With no other loads and then keep measuring as you add loads. As a matter of interest, does your FM and AM do the same thing? Any other devices that use this stero? CD's etc. I would try that.
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Jim and Katy
w/ Shelby and Sealy (Bernese Mountain Dog and a Nice Mut)
FR3
HAM CALLSIGN - AI4SR
EE, IBMer, Race Car Builder, now Retired.
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10-13-2015, 04:46 PM
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#7
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I go RV'ing not Camping
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Lethbridge, Ab, Canada
Posts: 1,482
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What kind of light bulbs do you have??? Are they LED??
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312QBUD Owners Thread
2015 Wildwood Heritage Glen 312QBUD
2000 Chev 2500 Extended Cab 6 Liter
1400lbs Equal-i-zer Hitch
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10-13-2015, 04:48 PM
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#8
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2012 Solera
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,824
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Several forum members have reported that some LED lights have internal drive circuitry that emits sufficient RF to interfere with radio and/or TV reception.
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JLeising
2012 Solera "S"
Calif SF Bay Area
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10-13-2015, 04:55 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 303
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Yes, it COULD be RF issues with LED drivers, however the OP said with ANY DC powered loads.
__________________
Jim and Katy
w/ Shelby and Sealy (Bernese Mountain Dog and a Nice Mut)
FR3
HAM CALLSIGN - AI4SR
EE, IBMer, Race Car Builder, now Retired.
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10-13-2015, 08:47 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 454
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Sounds like perhaps the inverter itself (if the stereo is 110v powered) or the 12v power supply (which I'm guessing is what you really mean) may be outputting a lot of electrical noise (especially when under heavier load) which is interfering with the radio signal. You could try putting an RF choke on the supply to the stereo.
It may even be that there's a faulty capacitor on the 12v output stage of the psu causing the extra noise.
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2015 Rockwood Signature UltraLite 8281WS
2016 Ford F-250 Lariat CrewCab, 4x4, 6.2L V8
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10-14-2015, 12:02 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 28
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All the electronics including the lights that I am talking about are all DC
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10-14-2015, 06:30 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 454
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Have you tried seeing if there's a difference when running off just the battery (without shore power), rather than when hooked up to power?
If my suspicion is correct, and it's due to noise from the 12v power supply, then you wouldn't get the same symptoms when running only off battery (since you wouldn't be using the power supply then)
Try that and let us know what you find.
If that does make a difference then it's possible that there's a fault with the power supply (likely a blown electrolytic capacitor on the output stage), that you'd need to get fixed
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2015 Rockwood Signature UltraLite 8281WS
2016 Ford F-250 Lariat CrewCab, 4x4, 6.2L V8
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10-14-2015, 06:59 AM
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#13
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 10,525
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Put a volt meter on the back of the radio and watch it as you turn on
more and more lights! I'm also thinking its RF interference rather than
low voltage but low voltage is the easiest one to check.
Run a temporary power wire from the back of the radio directly to
a battery- preferably one that's not in the trailer.
Turn on the lights- see what happens....
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Peace!
Dan & Rita D
2017 Nissan Titan 5.6L King cab 4wd
2016 Evergreen Everlite 242RBS
29' empty nest model. Blue Ox WD hitch
(1 queen bed, large main cabin and huge bathroom)
Camping days 2010-53, 2011-47, 2012-41, 2013-41, 2014-31, 2015-40, 2016-44, 2017-63, 2018-75, 2019-32, 2020-41, 2021-49, 2022-43, 2023-66
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10-14-2015, 09:49 AM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 28
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So can I just unplug from the shore power or do I need to direct wire to a battery
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10-14-2015, 05:38 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 454
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rgsa8892
So can I just unplug from the shore power or do I need to direct wire to a battery
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Just unplug from shore power
You should have your 12v stereo and lights automatically powered from battery, which should be fine for the test
The battery won't give out any electrical/RF noise itself, so we should be able to confirm whether it's the power supply causing your issues from the results of the simple test
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10-15-2015, 01:07 AM
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#16
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 28
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I'll try that next weekend when I go back up thanks
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10-16-2015, 08:59 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 599
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Look into a device called RF choke. I had similar problems with my LEDs, no driver for them, nothing. As soon i would turn them on my radio would stop working. If you are familiar with stereos/car stereos they used to come connected to red/power terminal. They look like transformers, but only have two wires coming out of them. That will eliminate RF at the radio. If you are having problems in general with DC, its the switching power supply built in, ac to dc. All of them are noisy, some more some less, hth.
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10-16-2015, 08:59 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 599
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X2 on what leefl said
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10-16-2015, 09:16 PM
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#19
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,301
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My money is on interference from the drivers in the LEDs. Most of the LED modules used in RVs have driver circuits that operate at Radio Frequencies. If your unit was equipped with cheap Chinese LED modules that use inferior ( noisy) drivers, they will overwhelm the input circuitry in the radio reducing sensitivity.
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2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
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10-18-2015, 10:19 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 599
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This is what you need my friend...
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