Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Radio reception

I have a Sony Radio/Compact disk player fitted to my 4/4, the disk player is useless as the slightest bump sends the disk haywire but I do find the radio helpful or would if it worked properly. The problem is maintaining a reasonable signal even with the RDS switched on it cannot maintain a signal unlike the radios fitted to our other vehicles, the radio is connected to a factory fitted external aerial which I assume is not up to the job even when fully extended.

I would be loathed to fit another external aerial so am thinking of trying some form of discrete aerial so would welcome any advice

Chris

Hi Chris, I have just bought a Morgan aerial (From Rutters) and yet to fit it. Would be grateful if you could take some external measurements from suitable body/fittings reference points to prevent me making a drilling mistake. As I understand it there will be 3 x holes, the bottom one goes into the ash frame as may well the top one, the other hole were the cable is routed through is in the body panel just above the ash frame were the mount hole is drilled?
As regards you radio/cd. I was advised by most that a cd is next to useless for the very reasons you have outlined, ie 'Skipping'. Also with a lot of radios now receiving DAB it makes life more difficult for picking up analogue signals. I have gone for a 'Splitter' which enables DAB signals to be routed through the original aerial to the head unit. Also the head unit I bought is a DAB classic look Blaupunkt SQR 46 which doesn't have a CD but a front USB and SD Card port and can Bluetooth connect to an external device, I Phone etc.
Hope this may be useful to you.
John

A few suggestions Chris. If your radio has an RDS display the AF function needs to be turned on to allow automatic tracking of strongest signal.

Weak FM station reception can benefit from selecting Mono mode altough you will loose the stereo effect.

If you still have issues how about an FM/AM signal booster. These inexpensive active devices require a switched 12v positive feed. Your car radio power loom will likely have a radio aerial extension feed ideal for this. Look for redundant yellow cable.

CD's, Radios, Phone Bluetooth whatever next, dash mounted DVD players? Why would you bother - it's a Morgan you're driving not a Toyota. I guess having a radio in the car might be beneficial while you're polishing or tinkering with the car in the garage but personally I'd just use the one on the bench.

Everyone to their own. I happen to enjoy listing to radio 3 on long journeys and have done for years in various cars including a Austin 10, AH Sprite, Triumph TR3 and 4A, just because I now drive a Morgan I dont see why I should be denied this.

Absolutely. Although when I driving I'm more of a Guns 'n Roses or Led Zeppelin sort of a chap, I see no reason to deny oneself the pleasure of listening to music just because one is in a Morgan.

[quote=Nostalgiajohn]Hi Chris, I have just bought a Morgan aerial (From Rutters) and yet to fit it. Would be grateful if you could take some external measurements from suitable body/fittings reference points to prevent me making a drilling mistake. As I understand it there will be 3 x holes, the bottom one goes into the ash frame as may well the top one, the other hole were the cable is routed through is in the body panel just above the ash frame were the mount hole is drilled?

John will measure up and send some photos via PM later today (Monday)

I also like to listen to music while driving - I have a set of moulded earplug speakers from my motorbike days which just screen out the wind noise so one still hears all the necessary things as well as having a low volume of music. I wired a 3.5mm socket to the rear speaker outlet of the radio - my morgan only has front speakers. By turning the bias to the rear output, one has all the benefits without blasting out the music to the world!

Works for me!
Cheers!

I have some sympathy with this view. Not least because the radio/CD player in my car is fitted well forward below the dashboard completely out of sight. Never used it as I imagine trying to operate the buttons by touch would be highly dangerous. Can't understand why the first owner (who only had the car 18 months) spent c.£500 at 2010 prices to have this unit fitted. I remember when my father was teaching me to drive (Sunday mornings, main runway, RAF Coningsby - unbelievable now!) he told me "when you're driving, boy, then drive; don't do anything else. Listen to your car. A happy engine is a comforting sound". I have a very happy engine.

My previous Morgan had a radio operated via a wireless remote gismo fixed to the underside of the dash with Velcro tape.

Current car has no radio but on the to - do list is to install a radio in an accessible position just under the dash. This will involve an aftermarket radio housing, fabricated brackets anchored to the heater box and suitable wiring extensions.

Watch this space.

PS Anyone undertaken similar?