Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: Kieran on 24 June 2008, 22:09:07

Title: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Kieran on 24 June 2008, 22:09:07
Hello all ;).I have an omega estate and since i have owned it i have had awful reception from the radio :(.The only stations it seems to pick up well on a short journey are the BBC stations no local ones. Checked the connection near the kickplate and that was fine so purchased a second hand one and it is the same as old >:(. The only thing now i can think off is it must be the connection going into the aerial itself on the roof.  Since it is roof mounted it looks like it entails removing the headliner. Has anyone actually removed the rear headliner to get access to the aerial and how difficult is it. I now find myself with 2 radios so is anyone looking for one to go into a facelift dash.
Thanks for your help ;)
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Entwood on 24 June 2008, 22:20:15
IIRC the radio aerial is NOT the "beesting".. that is for phone/satnav. The radio aerial is part of the heated rear windscreen and there is an aerial amplifier in the boot roof somewhere.

Common problems with this setup are broken heater wires, so the aerial is the wrong length, plugs coming out of amplifier box, connecting plugs front-to-rear coming undone.

On my old miggy my problems were caused by the aerial lead into the radio itself having a broken centre core 2 cm from the radio, seems someone prior to me was a bit cack-handed replacing the radio :(

HTH
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Dodger on 24 June 2008, 22:36:05
On the estate, the ariel is on the rear roof, (the saloon has the rear heated window ariel). It appears from the profile, the car is an estate, therefore it MAY be the amp, which is above the headlining.

Have also had the same problem, and found removing/replacing the lead lead to the amp solved the problem.
Could also be at the radionend, as suggested, ie; the centre pin of the ariel plug is loose, and not making good contact.  suggest you try that first, before resorting to removing the headlining, as its a real bu66er to do!!! :(  
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Kieran on 24 June 2008, 22:39:16
I thought it was only on the saloons the aerial was part of the windscreen heater  but i may be wrong:-/. When i enquired at a local car stereo company they said that the aerial on the roof may be faulty :-?. I havent got a phone or satnav installed, never had one so can't comment on it.The rear windscreen demister does work well with no cracks in it ::).
thanks for your reply
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Kieran on 24 June 2008, 22:43:54
Have thought about replacing the aerial with an after market one that can attach somewhere to the bodywork, although the danger is it will look crap :'(. Any ideas as i don't want to take out the headlining.
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Andy B on 24 June 2008, 23:03:31
Quote
Have thought about replacing the aerial with an after market one that can attach somewhere to the bodywork, although the danger is it will look crap :'(. Any ideas as i don't want to take out the headlining.

Wait till  DND Dave replies. This is (part of) what he does for a living.
 :y
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Dave DND on 24 June 2008, 23:34:32
Have a look at the Bosch or Hirschmann dual band antennas.

They look identical to the beesting aerials used in most of the earlier vauxhall range, have a decent amplifier built in (so you can do away with the miggy one) and connect to both FM and GSM

If you have a courtesy light below the GSM aerial at the rear, it can easily be changed with a bit of keyhole surgery  :y
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Kieran on 25 June 2008, 23:48:30
Thanks i will give you a call  :y
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Dazzler on 26 June 2008, 00:04:01
Quote
Have a look at the Bosch or Hirschmann dual band antennas.

They look identical to the beesting aerials used in most of the earlier vauxhall range, have a decent amplifier built in (so you can do away with the miggy one) and connect to both FM and GSM

If you have a courtesy light below the GSM aerial at the rear, it can easily be changed with a bit of keyhole surgery  :y
What is GSM?? :-/
Title: Re: Rubbish reception from radio
Post by: Dave DND on 26 June 2008, 13:27:30
Quote
What is GSM??  

Global System for Mobile communications (GSM: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile)

The aerial on the roof at the rear (if fitted) is usually for a Cellnet or Vodaphone Mobile phone useage.

 ;)