AM FM Antenna Location

[Gary '79 5C]

I have a 5-C conversion with the AM FM antenna small flexible on the roof. It has been hitting the door getting and out of the storage door 13' clear. It has never gotten acceptable reception and I would like to relocate. I am not sure just where. I have several areas to " punch" thru the drivers side front area, but would rather not just in case that spot got poor recp't .
I have replaced the roof antenna with a "inside" antenna which is at the top of the R&M cap, no real improvement. I was thinking of a retractable and punch thru the cap and just retract it when entering the garage, but I know I'll forget that one day. I also deplore leaks and fear a leak thru the retractable hole.
I was thinking of drilling the top surface of the Ramco mirror arm and routing the wire underneath and inside the just aft of the windshield. I can fish it up in to the cabinetry where the radio is located above my head?/? This way I coul get 3' to 3 1/2 ' antenna in the air...

Thanks for Any thoughts & comments & experience...

I have removed all other rooftop anntennas (5 or 6) Looked like a Soviet Embassy. Did keep the CB though I rarely use the radio...

P.S. Still toooo frugal (cheap) for Sirrus. Always an engineer at heart

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Gary,

I have two of theese amplified antenna's in my bus and I must say they work pretty well. I have them both mounted behind the systems front and back.

For the cost, I think it's a small pill to swollow.  Here is an e-bay # 140067331981 

Good Luck
Nick-

[bobofthenorth]

Our bus came with a retractable which didn't work.  So I replaced it with one that did and bent it off on a tree.  So I replaced it again and had it until we went under a relatively tight overpass.  After which we had a stylish rake to the antenna and it wouldn't retract.  So I replaced it with one that has a great honking big spring for the base & have had no more "issues". 

[Stan]

MCI buses of that vintage that came with a factory radio had an extendable antenna mounted just in front of the tool compartment door and extended up to roof height. It worked pretty good but was quite directional.

[belfert]

I seem to recall having seen antennas that mount on the side of a bus/truck, but do not extend past the roof line.  Sorta like the antenna on a car, but with mounts for the side of the vehicle.

I have a flexible rubber antenna on the roof, but I get no AM reception at all.  (FM is great)  The antenna may be broken from nearly taklng the roof off on a low bridge.  (The bridge was lower in the middle than the sides and I stopped before the roof hit.)  I hadn't tried AM before the bridge incident so no idea if that broke it or not.

Brian

[DrivingMissLazy]

If you primarily want FM reception then a horizontal antenna made from a piece of 300 ohm TV cable works great. It could be installed inside the cap. The cap should not interfere with FM reception.

[JimC]

I have a 4106 and the antenna is mounted on the side of the coach just to the rear of the drivers window. The antenna has a spring base and I have it extended up so that it is just over the height of the air units on the roof. The antenna hits first and acts as a warning devise in the event I try to enter something lower than my highest point on the top of the bus. Plus, I get reception becasue it is partially above the roofline. FM is great, I don't use AM so I don't know about that, but I see no reason it would not pick it up. The only down side is in a really heavy wind it does flex some, but I think that  is because the spring is getting weak. (it is on my long list of things to re-do)
JimCalllaghan

[Gary '79 5C]

Thanks all,
I have a 12V amplified antenna inside the cap from AutoZone. Picks up FM, but poor on AM. I would like both, games and talk radio, (getting older).
Nick, how does yours recieve AM stations ?? I cannot pick up Phila stations from where I am.

I thought about the side mount with spring, as JimC described, saw that at WestMarine, but I was not sure of recp. if not extended above roof line ? I hate to cut the holes mount then relocate, etc. Soon will look like the bus has been a drive by....
I think I will go with the mirror arm to replicate the original bus location.
I still remember the '67 MCI 5 I used to travel in for away games in basketball season. That bus driver was better than driving the edges of cliffs we called roads in central W.Va.

Thanks again to all as I am smiling about others who share in the same low bridges, branches, and obstructions. I was not just me....

[akbusguy2000]

The big problem with AM reception these days is not entirely the fault of your antenna - maybe none at all.  I have found that modern AM/FM car radios, including the $450 one that I have in my coach are well built, have wonderful power and audio features, including alll the graphics, auxiliary inputs, CD, and MP3 capabilities, but have extremely poor radio sections, especially AM.  I discussed this with a technician at Crutchfield not long after I bought and installed mine, and he said that was common with virtually all of them.  The manufacturers simply compromise on the lesser used functions in order to cram everything else into it.

It's also true that most local AM stations have downgraded their output signals over the past 10 or so years to comply with fcc regulations.  There are no more, or at least very few of the high power AM stations that can be heard over long distances.  But I think you could talk to a long-haul trucker for advice about how they handle the problem, and perhaps add a dedicated AM radio to the system - if you can find a good one.  I'd love to get back the old Becker radio that was in my 75 mercedes that I sold a few years ago.  It had the most stable AM section I had ever seen and would hold a local Anchorage AM radio station all the way to Fairbanks.  The one in my new Honda - and the one in my coach will lose it in about 80 miles.  So much for modern, must-have gadgetry. 

tg 

[Gary '79 5C]

TG,
Good Morning, I was 1/2 way thru your thread thinking that I need the radio and antenna I have in my '83 300D ( winter Benz ). I can get out like nothing else when I run the after market antenna up about 3'. Clear as a bell and 50 75 100 miles without problems, During the day as well. I know that a clear evening would be more.

I will have to look around for another MB radio as I know I have another squirrelled away...

Good thought, if I need a radio like the MB, then get it..
Still thinking of the antenna, either go with NIck's amp inside or the mirror arm support.

Have a great day.

[DrivingMissLazy]

Back in the early days of FM, it was widely announced that while AM radio signals are broadcast in a vertical plane, FM signals are broadcast in a horizontal plane, like TV signals. AT that time, dual band home radios were provided with two antennas, one long wire for the AM and a folded dipole, similar to rabbit ears, for the FM. Over the years many efforts have been made to accomplish the same thing with a universal antenna.
It would be interesting to test how a set of rabbit ears would do in providing better FM reception.
Richard

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Gary,

I don't think I have ever tried AM..  I'll have to do that and let you know..

Gary, We have to get together anyway, we live what?  5-10 miles away....

Nick-

[lostagain]

I took my antenna right off last year when I did my reno and installed a dock for the XM sat. radio. I kept the radio set/CD player to transmit the XM signal with hard wire to the back of it. I move the XM from the truck to the bus when we go somewhere with it. I don't miss the commercials and the stupid non sense from the DJs on AM and FM. I glued the magnetic XM antenna to the aluminum roof with silicone.

[Gary '79 5C]

Nick,

Love to get together, I will be at the Woodbine Apt. today in about one hour, but I need to be quick taking the bus with a group to North Jersey. My wife's idea, and if she suggests we thake the bus.
THEN the bus we take.
Keep in touch and we will get together. I saw your bus in the web site's pic's and I really love what you have done...My Mouth is still open.
I will try to email you my cell.

Thx

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Gary,

See you in Woodbine in about a half an hour...

Nick-