FM Transmitter

[Eric Williams]

Have a gen 1 2003 model. Recently bought a good brand FM tuner for my iphone to play songs and podcasts during my long drive to work. It is extremely "staticy" to the point that you cannot enjoy your music, no matter which station it is set too. I thought that it was just a problem with the tuner, but turns out, it works like a charm in other vehicles. Crystal clear sound, near CD quality. I tried the obvious solutions like making sure it was on tight and moving the unit closer to the antenna itself. So, since my radio/antenna is the problem, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions to boost how well my external antenna picks up the transmitter. Thanks guys!

 

[Jim parnell]

have you tried changing the "station" you're using, sometimes that will work. Does your oem radio sound good or is it fuzzy as well? if it is, might try pulling the HU and check all the connections, one might be loose .

 

[Eric Williams]

I didn't think of that... it doesnt seem like it is picking up as good as it used too. I bet a connection might have worked its way loose. I was planning on taking off my dash to change a bulb out of the dash board this weekend, and while its off, I might pull the HU out and look. Do I need a special tool to get the HU out?

 

[swshawaii]

Eric- Most radio frequency (RF) FM Transmitters have selectable frequencies or bands.

As Jim P said, try switching "stations" until you get the best possible reception.

If not, time for a new HU, unless your antenna is faulty.

Pioneer decks are legendary when it comes to FM tuner front ends. Good Luck.



P.S.- The problem with antenna or signal "boosters", is they also amplify NOISE.

The old saying, "garbage in, garbage out", applies here. LOL

 

[Mike Dziubina]

Try removing the antenna from the front of the vehicle. i know it sounds crazy but I had the same issue with my XM radio. a friend suggested that i remove the antenna and I too thought it was crazy,,,until i did so and the quality was crystal clear. try it out. worked for me

 

[Eric Williams]

Mike-I tried removing the antenna completely. Didn't really work. Although, taking it off and putting it back on did seem to help (maybe it was cross threaded?)



Sws- The transmitter actually has a "smart scan" that finds what it thinks is the best station to broadcast over. Tried this multiple times with the same results. I am going to make sure the antenna is connected securily to the HU this weekend when I replace that dash light. If not that, I will switch antennas with another tracker friend and see if my antenna is maybe the culprit.



If not that... I guess I will be looking for a new deck completely, although if I get a new one, I will get one with a direct aux input line. Still hate to lose that "factory look" though. Thanks for the thoughts, guys.

 

[Jim parnell]

just a suggestion, try gromaudio.com, they make "little black boxes" that will plug into the back of the oem radio so you can use various mp3 players or iphones. The grom audio unit is a plug and play adaptor, has charging capabilities as well. I have one for my DD (not my ST) that I have a 4G ipod nano hooked up, keeps it charged, can use the steering wheel radio controls with to change tracks, etc., works very well, easy to install (you do have to pull the oem radio), and take the main connection out, plug in the gromaudio unit, and plug the main connector back in, run the cable provided to wherever you want, and plug in your iphone. I recommend it for using a ipod, but have read of people using iphones w/o any big issues. Might be cheaper than a new HU and can keep the factory look as well.

 

[TrainTrac]

jim p,



Those only work if the OEM radio has a connection and the ability to control a satellite or CD changer unit. A lot of Gen 1 ST's (mostly 2001-2003) OEM head units didn't have that feature.



Eric,



I tried several over-the-air FM modulators like yours, but was never satisfied. I finally installed an in-line FM modulator and a 12VDC plug under the console, and connect my iPod to it with this:



<A HREF="http://us.kensington.com/html/14492.html ">Kensington LiquidAUX for iPhone and iPod</A>

It charges the iPod/iPhone, and because it connects via the iPod's USB port, it provides the best quality, line-level audio to the FM modulator.



More info in the thread linked below.

 

[Eric Williams]

Train, I don't have an aux jack that I know of. There might be one on the back of the HU, but I don't think so. I possibly might have cd changer controls? I took a photo of it just now, its kind of hard to see, but I think on the preset button, those are changer controls? Maybe?



<a href="http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r96/ewilliams104/?action=view&current=55b1d083.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r96/ewilliams104/55b1d083.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[TrainTrac]

Is yours a 6-disc in dash unit? If so, then you don't have an AUX jack, or any other connector on the back of the unit for a sat receiver or CD changer. So your only options are what you already have, an over-the-air FM modulator, or an in-line FM modulator and connector I showed above.



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