FM Radio Reception

realjet

Cadet
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
17
I'll be looking for a new head unit for my pontoon. I would like to get one with a good FM tuner. Is there anyway of telling which units may be better in pulling in FM signals?
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: FM Radio Reception

I'll be looking for a new head unit for my pontoon. I would like to get one with a good FM tuner. Is there anyway of telling which units may be better in pulling in FM signals?

Ayuh,.... Pullin' in stations is a function of the Antenna, not so much the receiver...
 

realjet

Cadet
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
17
Re: FM Radio Reception

I thought I had a good antenna: Shakespeare 4350. Can anyone recommend a better one?
 

delirious

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
101
Re: FM Radio Reception

i use a standard motorola antenna male plug with 16 guage trigger wire soldered to only the center pin,and either attach it to a windshield screw or gunnel molding screw/rivet with a ring terminal. we did that at grew where i worked n it works great for FM...not so much for AM. In my `73 glastron the windshiel is nut n bolted on, so i "oval`d" the ring terminal and forced it on the threads...works great but it is a 6 year old sony deck. i have found pioneer decks have had the best tuners a while back...and ummm YES not ALL tuners are equal. but now adays, most aftermarket decks are about features n not their tuners. my 4 year old clarion with a crappy roof mount euro amplified antenna ( stock n found to be crappy at best...i install car audio for a living) tunes wayyyyy better than the newer alpine deck in the company van with a fender mount mast antenna (found to be the best in my experience) older stuff has better tuners than the newer stuff
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: FM Radio Reception

Although an antenna has a big role to play regarding reception, "sensitivity" of the tuner section of a head unit is the major factor in both AM and FM reception. "Selectability" used to be the major factor with the old dial type AM/FM sets but with digital tuners these days that's not much an issue. Select 100.9 FM and you get 100.9.
 
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