Radio Static

[nodemon]

Finishing touches to the interior on my Demon.. Got the aftermarket dash speaker installed and connected the speaker wires.. Radio is not installed, it's just siting on a box under the dash, but is powered up. All I get is static.. Doesn't even sound like there's any kind of frequency change when turning the dial.
Can a radio be "bad" to where all you get is static..? Any possible quick fixes or checks I can do..?

 

[Mtrhead]

Antenna is the magic word

 

[nodemon]

Antenna is the magic word

Meaning..? New antenna..?

 

[Dana67Dart]

You can use a piece of wire 30 inches long and carefully insert it into the antenna port.

You don't want it to short to the body of the radio

If your antenna is broken that will prove it out.

But yes a radio can work enough to produce only static, I have several.

 

[Super-Cuda]

Finishing touches to the interior on my Demon.. Got the aftermarket dash speaker installed and connected the speaker wires.. Radio is not installed, it's just siting on a box under the dash, but is powered up. All I get is static.. Doesn't even sound like there's any kind of frequency change when turning the dial.
Can a radio be "bad" to where all you get is static..? Any possible quick fixes or checks I can do..?

A couple of questions:

1. Did the radio work before you took it out? (as dana67dart suggested)

2. How did you wire up the speaker? Did you use the factory connector? Pics??

3. As suggested by Mtrhead , did you replace the antenna or is this the original? Pics of the lead of the one you are currently using ??

4. If you have a 12 volt battery, its easy to set up the radio on a bench and test it before putting it in the car. Radio, speaker, antenna 12volt source is all that's needed.

I've done this using a 12 volt battery charger.

 

[nodemon]

A couple of questions:

1. Did the radio work before you took it out? (as dana67dart suggested)

2. How did you wire up the speaker? Did you use the factory connector? Pics??

3. As suggested by Mtrhead , did you replace the antenna or is this the original? Pics of the lead of the one you are currently using ??

4. If you have a 12 volt battery, its easy to set up the radio on a bench and test it before putting it in the car. Radio, speaker, antenna 12volt source is all that's needed.

I've done this using a 12 volt battery charger.

The car didn't have a radio.. I purchased a year correct, OEM AM radio for it.
I did connect it to an aftermarket dash speaker I installed using one of the factory connectors..The other factory connector, a male end, wouldn't plug onto the speaker as the speaker has two male ends...so I made a "jumper" with two female spade terminals to connect to it for that one.
The antenna appears to be the original.. I don't have it attached to the fender as it should be, the factory set up. I can't find the right pieces to do so. I'll have to look for what I need and purchase...however, I did hold the antenna tight against the fender as if it was attached. Could that be the issue..?
I then thought maybe the radio has to ground itself to the dash, like an instrument cluster and since it's not installed in the dash, I just took some wire with alligator clips and attached one to the radio body and the other end to the back part of the dash. That didn't change anything either.

 

[Super-Cuda]

The car didn't have a radio.. I purchased a year correct, OEM AM radio for it.
I did connect it to an aftermarket dash speaker I installed using one of the factory connectors..The other factory connector, a male end, wouldn't plug onto the speaker as the speaker has two male ends...so I made a "jumper" with two female spade terminals to connect to it for that one.
The antenna appears to be the original.. I don't have it attached to the fender as it should be, the factory set up. I can't find the right pieces to do so. I'll have to look for what I need and purchase...however, I did hold the antenna tight against the fender as if it was attached. Could that be the issue..?
I then thought maybe the radio has to ground itself to the dash, like an instrument cluster and since it's not installed in the dash, I just took some wire with alligator clips and attached one to the radio body and the other end to the back part of the dash. That didn't change anything either.

View attachment 1716215253

View attachment 1716215254

Ok.

Trying to do this by memory so here goes. ( not great as I get older LOL ! )

The original speaker wire from the radio should have a green and black wire. Black to ground, the only one to the speaker terminal is the green wire. If aftermarket, black to negative and green to positive terminal of speaker.

Radio also has a 12volt source that is switched by the ignition circuit and, a 12 volt source for dimming the display.

I'm thinking red and orange with the orange being the dimmer.

Is this the radio?

 

[nodemon]

Ok.

Trying to do this by memory so here goes. ( not great as I get older LOL ! )

The original speaker wire from the radio should have a green and black wire. Black to ground, the only one to the speaker terminal is the green wire. If aftermarket, black to negative and green to positive terminal of speaker.

Radio also has a 12volt source that is switched by the ignition circuit and, a 12 volt source for dimming the display.

I'm thinking red and orange with the orange being the dimmer.

Is this the radio?


View attachment 1716215271

That's the one..!
So, only one wire goes to the speaker..?

 

[nodemon]

Ok.

Trying to do this by memory so here goes. ( not great as I get older LOL ! )

The original speaker wire from the radio should have a green and black wire. Black to ground, the only one to the speaker terminal is the green wire. If aftermarket, black to negative and green to positive terminal of speaker.

Radio also has a 12volt source that is switched by the ignition circuit and, a 12 volt source for dimming the display.

I'm thinking red and orange with the orange being the dimmer.

Is this the radio?


View attachment 1716215271

That's the one..!
So, only one wire goes to the speaker..?

View attachment 1716215276

 

[Super-Cuda]

That's the one..!
So, only one wire goes to the speaker..?

View attachment 1716215276

Yes.

Try attaching the green to the positive terminal on your aftermarket speaker and the black to the negative of the speaker.

Lets see where that gets us!

BTW, sent me a pic of the speaker you are trying to connect.

 

[nodemon]

Yes.

Try attaching the green to the positive terminal on your aftermarket speaker and the black to the negative of the speaker.

Lets see where that gets us!

BTW, sent me a pic of the speaker you are trying to connect.

Yes.

Try attaching the green to the positive terminal on your aftermarket speaker and the black to the negative of the speaker.

Lets see where that gets us!

BTW, sent me a pic of the speaker you are trying to connect.

No change.. Just static.. Here in St Louis we have one of the most powerful AM stations in the country,(KMOX 50k watts) and I am getting nothing..

 

[Super-Cuda]

View attachment 1716215305

No change.. Just static.. Here in St Louis we have one of the most powerful AM stations in the country,(KMOX 50k watts) and I am getting nothing..

Ok, so next is the antenna.

I see you have the radio in the car so mount the antenna firmly to the fender.

Plug it into the radio and extend it out as well.

Post a pic of the antenna lead that goes into the radio.


Ok, I just re-read your post. You will have to run a ground wire to the base of the antenna if you can't mount it.

Also, run a ground from the radio chassis to the car body.

Proper ground is crucial !

 

[Dana67Dart]

My bet is the radio is not functional...

Tests...

Antenna

With a multimeter on Ohm scale check the center pin in the connector that goes into the radio to the base of the antenna mount. Should be open (OL) on many meters


Next check between same pin and the mast of the antenna. Should read 0 ohms or very close


The (every) speaker has two terminals.
One is for the negative side of the voice coil and the other is for the positive side of the voice coil.

Technically it does not matter which is which but stick with what ever the OEM setup.

On your radio you have:
red wire + 12v
Housing of the radio is ground
Orange that goes into the top of the radio is the light

Green and black, are the positive and negative speaker wires BOTH have to be connected to the speaker.

The fact that you can hear static in the speaker says you have the speaker and the power and ground for the radio hooked up correctly.



When you here static and you move the tuner or volume does the static change?

IMHO unless there are no AM stations in your area (unlikely) and your antenna is good, your radio is bad.

 

[nodemon]

My bet is the radio is not functional...

Tests...

Antenna

With a multimeter on Ohm scale check the center pin in the connector that goes into the radio to the base of the antenna mount. Should be open (OL) on many meters


Next check between same pin and the mast of the antenna. Should read 0 ohms or very close


The (every) speaker has two terminals.
One is for the negative side of the voice coil and the other is for the positive side of the voice coil.

Technically it does not matter which is which but stick with what ever the OEM setup.

On your radio you have:
red wire + 12v
Housing of the radio is ground
Orange that goes into the top of the radio is the light

Green and black, are the positive and negative speaker wires BOTH have to be connected to the speaker.

The fact that you can hear static in the speaker says you have the speaker and the power and ground for the radio hooked up correctly.



When you here static and you move the tuner or volume does the static change?

IMHO unless there are no AM stations in your area (unlikely) and your antenna is good, your radio is bad.

I checked with my multimeter and do have OL between base of antenna and pin.. but around 3 between pin and mast.
There is no frequency change in the static through the dial..

 

[Dana67Dart]

I checked with my multimeter and do have OL between base of antenna and pin.. but around 3 between pin and mast.
There is no frequency change in the static through the dial

That's a good sign.

The antenna is not the issue.

The no change in sound when changing the channel and volume points again to bad radio.

Do you know for sure you have AM stations in the area?

 

[nodemon]

That's a good sign.

The antenna is not the issue.

The no change in sound when changing the channel and volume points again to bad radio.

Do you know for sure you have AM stations in the area?

I live in St Louis.. one of the most powerful AM stations in the country...KMOX
I guess I don't understand what could be "bad" within the radio.

 

[Super-Cuda]

I live in St Louis.. one of the most powerful AM stations in the country...KMOX
I guess I don't understand what could be "bad" within the radio.

Did you make sure the antenna base is grounded.

One component that fails a lot in these radios is the power transistor,

its the round component in the upper left in the face of the radio with the two screws in it.

See the pic.

Usually has a Motorola label and a part number on it.

Very easily replaced

Here's one on ebay, they are dirt cheap!


Motorola 2N176 TO-3 Ge Output & Regulator Transistor | eBay

 

[nodemon]

Did you make sure the antenna base is grounded.

One component that fails a lot in these radios is the power transistor,

its the round component in the upper left in the face of the radio with the two screws in it.

See the pic.

Usually has a Motorola label and a part number on it.

Very easily replaced

Here's one on ebay, they are dirt cheap!


Motorola 2N176 TO-3 Ge Output & Regulator Transistor | eBay


View attachment 1716215548

So that transistor being bad would cause static..?

 

[Dana67Dart]

I guess I don't understand what could be "bad" within the radio

56 year old capacitors that have dried out, there is a double coil on the back of the front face, I have 2 radios that the coil is bouncing around inside, corrosion, burnt out components like the output transistor, it has been exposed to 150deg to -20 deg. 0 percent humidity to 100 percent humidity, vibration and the list goes on.

It is not a solid state radio, it has huge components.

What could go wrong..

I have bought 5 radios in the last few years 2 work

Now do you believe me?