I live in the southern part of Middle Tennessee. I usually listen to one or two FM stations in the morning listening to a syndicated radio comedy show. They're not on satellite radio.

Radio reception is sketchy at best. I wondering if there is an amplifier/booster available for the MINI or a longer antenna? A longer antenna would be OK. I could hang a flag from it. Maybe use it for "Save the Wave".

 

You will want an antenna that is about twice the length of OEM, i.e. 30-31", for best FM reception. You can probably find a "universal' antenna of the right length at any auto parts store.

The only caution is that at higher speeds, there is quite a bit of wind pressure on the antenna, and if it is a heavy piece of metal, it can end up whipping back and forth and trying to flex the roof around the antenna mount.

 

Aren't our antenna's powered? What about boosting the power sent to the antenna? I don't know the technical aspects of this amplified system, but if a pulley has taught me anything, it's that more power is more better.

 

Amplifying static along with a weak signal does not improve the quality of reception.

 

As I understand it, our antenna's are power amplified, so make up for the size. If that's correct, pumping more power through it might give more reception.

 

I doubt that can be done. The components used in the OEM antenna amplifier, if there is one, are probably spec'd for 12 volt use. Bumping up the voltage will probably shorten the life of the amplifier.

 

As an experienced FM antenna designer, amplifying a weak signal along with the noise does not improve the audible quality of reception in any way. Period.

All an amplified antenna does is reduce the need for internal signal amplification in the tuner. If you don't believe this, go to any lo-fi store, buy any amplified antenna for $50-100, and verify that it isn't worth a nickel.

Better yet, groovetini, plug your home hi-fi into the 220v outlet and see how you like the results of "pumping more power through it"...

6^)

 

Sorry, but that didn't really help .

Have you thought about getting satellite radio? It's pretty sweet.

 

Adding a longer antenna of the correct resonant length will improve FM reception. The correct dipole antenna lengths for the FM band are approximately 30.5", 61", 122", etc.

It is, of course, difficult to put a 10-foot antenna on a MINI. If my garage door were a bit taller, I'd be using a 31" on mine, or perhaps a collapsible one that I could pull out to 31" when on the road.

Helpful enough?

 

I really don't want to have to pay for radio, plus what I listen to in the mornings isn't available on satellite radio, otherwise I might consider it.

 

Thanks OldRick for the advice. I think I'll start looking around for a 31" antenna.

Many years ago Radio Shack had an FM amplifier you could put between your antenna and radio. I had one that worked very well. R/S doesn't carry them any more.

 

Yes, thanks

 

Took a look in my Bentley service manual and there is a schematic of the antenna system.

There's actually two amplifiers; a diversity amp and an antenna amp. Looking at the diagram there is mentioned a FM2 and FM3 aerial elements located within the rear window defroster element.

I wonder if there is any way to optimize or tune this array any better?

 

You can't really do anything to the in-window secondary array. It's only there to reduce the fade-in-and-out that you get while driving around urban areas with lots of signal reflections of buildings and hills.

The radio uses the one with the strongest signal from moment to moment as you drive.

 

Switched to a longer antenna earlier this week. It did make a little bit of an improvement.

Only problem I have noticed is this aftermarket antenna makes a low level whistling at speeds above 55 MPH. I guess that is why the OEM antenna has a wire wrapped around the length in a spiral fashion. This is there to break up the aerodynamics. One thing I found that helps some is the foam ball that comes with a MINI motoring kit. It supresses the whistling noise some what.

 

FM reception is one of the black arts.

I have a high-end tuner and roof antenna to be able to listen to our local jazz station. Always got good reception until they started building a smallish bridge 2 miles away and 30-degrees off to the side of line-of-sight to the station. Reception went down the tubes - completely unlistenable.

Now that they have finally removed the construction crane there three years later, my reception is OK again.

 

Lets just say that the initials FM don't always stand for Frequency Modulation. Nuff said?