Hot Rods Radio Static

Need some help. After working on this for the last nine or so years, I finally fired it up last week and now I am in the process of fixing a few issues.

The car is a f/glass 32. I mounted the antenna inside the left rear corner of the car and the head unit is mounted behind the dash. It is a custom autosound unit. Reception on FM is ok, but on AM (oldies and classic country) with the motor running I get serious ign. noise.
I know my old Corvettes had shielding to help with this, but I was wondering if one of the radio guys on here might point me to a fix. BTW, it has a Pertronix 2 ign system in it.

Thanks in advance for any help, D

 

You need a ground loop isolator. You can get one at Wal-Mart for 29 bucks or so. Plug it in and it will get rid of 99% of your issue, like magic.

-Abone.

 

Lots of good info here:


https://www.crutchfield.com/S-J6Dfj...car/noise_suppressors_installation_guide.html

 

Abone, where does this device plug in to? D

 

The AM broadcast band is very susceptible to RFI, as you've discovered. The first question would be whether you have solid core plug wires or non-resistor type suppression plugs installed.

Another strategy used by the OEM were to install noise suppression capacitors at the generator/alternator, ignition coil, and voltage regulator. These look very similar to ignition condensers. The idea is to kill the RFI at the source before it has a chance to start radiating through the wiring itself.

 

Resistor plugs, no solid core with Pertronix. May have to put one on the coil. Would check with Pertronix first though.

Another strategy used by the OEM were to install noise suppression capacitors at the generator/alternator, ignition coil, and voltage regulator. These look very similar to ignition condensers. The idea is to kill the RFI at the source before it has a chance to start radiating through the wiring itself.[/QUOTE]

 

Thanks for the link. D

 

Put what? Install a 600 volt 0.5uF poly film capacitor from the BAT terminal to ground. Can use a small portable battery operated radio tuned to AM as an RFI detector to sniff out where the RFI is localized, btw.

 

A radio in a hot rod is like a mustache on the Mona Lisa! HRP

 

Gotta have my tunes! D

 

NGK makes suppressor spark plug boots (commonly used on motorcycles) that screw onto the plug wires, you might give those a look. I'd use a 5K ohm unit. They're not very expensive....

 

He needs a louder exhaust.
-Dave

 

Run the radios 12V power wire directly to the 15 lbs. filter known as, the battery.

 

Many years ago I had a 68 Chevelle w/ 327 & stock points ignition system. I installed a new stereo system in the car and I got the dreaded hum that followed the RPM of the engine. I complained about it to my dad. He took me out to the car and had me pop the hood, then he took the coil wire (between coil and dist cap) off and put a knot in it and put it back on and had me start the engine and turn on the radio, oilla! the hum was gone. Said it was an old trick he learned long before that. I never had the problem with another vehicle, so I've never tried it again, but it did the trick with that Chevelle.

 

^^ That's interesting ^^. We are having the same trouble with the wife's Corvair ever since I converted it to an alternator. Not sure where to put the noise suppressor condenser.

 

Have you tried the alternator?

 

Are you kidding? You must be getting old Play this and tell me that.

 

If you do this, are you then using the radio switch for the on off function? D

 

It depends on the radio. Some have only one power wire which is switched as you describe so yes, it has to be turned on and off. Then there is the modern unit's that use a signal wire that senses when the key is on or off.

 

I am going to hook it up like this and see what it does for the ign. noise.
With my poor hearing and memory, I can see me with a dead battery..........D

 

I'll tell you a little secret, I had a 8 track tape deck in my 390/4 speed '65 Ford pickup and every time born to be wild played I turned up the volume till the speakers rattled and pushed the go pedal to the floor.

Never mind that my mind & body was most likely fuel by excessive amounts of ice cold libations.

Early one early AM when I was on my way home from a gig the early morning air was still warm and the windows were down and BTBW started play,I did like always,it was a pattern when all of a sudden I eased on the brakes and there was none,zero and I was coming up on a hard left turn ans at the speed I was going I would have never made it so I knew I was going to have a accident and just hung on,I flew off the road.cleared the ditch and through a bob wire fence and between a telephone pole and a guide wire and ended up in the middle of a farmers field dragging bob wire and fence post I drove the final 5 miles home.

I called one of my band mates and told him what happened and I needed him to take me to the farmers house,I woke him up around 3:30 AM and to say he was not to happy was a understatement,I told him I will pay for all the damage and it calmed him down,we helped him put up a temporary fence and made sure none of the cows were out and David took me home around 6:30 AM that morning and I went to bed.

Later that day I went out to look at my truck,there was 9 wooden post entangled in bob wire stretched out behind the truck and it had deep scratches from the barbs all over it but what really scared the crap out of the is most of the trim on the drovers side was gone and the pieces that was there had small slivers of wood from the telephone pole and the rain gutter on the other side had been flattened but the guide wire.

I decided while I was standing there that there are two things I would never do again, drink and drive and listen to Steppenwolf while I was driving.

This was in the late 60's and I don't drink alcohol anymore and I don'y have a radio in the hot rods so I don't listen to Steppenwolf.

Oh,before I forget, I did pay for all the damages to Mr. Church's fence,and I help dig post holes and stretch bob wire.

I never knew him before the accident but we became friends and for many years until he passed away I would cone home and find grocery bags with tomatoes,corn,okra and green beans on my side porch,he was a good man that could have called the cops and had me locked up.

What's the old adage, the Lord looks out for fools & drunks.

I love music and spent a lot of my youth plating in rock & roll,country and even a blue grass band but I just never had a hot rod quiet enough to hear the music over the engine,the noise, the squeaks & rattles.

I did put a radio in the boss lady's wagon but it never gets turned on.HRP

 

Try a temporary wire first to see the out come before doing a perfect job. If it works out. You can break the circuit by using a 4 pin relay mid route where it would fit best. Then that way your radio will shut off with the key.

 

"With a 4-barrel carb and a dual exhaust,
With 4.11 gears you can really get lost.
It's got safety tubes, but I ain't scared.
The brakes are good, tires fair."

 

I wouldn't waste my time doing anything with a Custom Autosound radio. I bought a car that had one of their radios in it. What a POS I never listened to it. For tunes I use my I phone and a bluetooth speaker.

Gary

 

What's Bluetooth? I thought you got that when you drank a blue slushie.