G'Day All,
I have a prob with my radio. It was great but now when Im driving around the signal is broken when the antenna move's around ( signal fade's in and out). The FM tower is only a few KM's away (3) so there is a very strong signal.

When I touch the metal part of the antenna base I get full signal. Does this mean there is a earth problem. I checked the antenna lead into the back of radio etc etc ??? Any idea's people ???

Regards & Thanks
amshaw

run a wire from the arial to the steering wheel and when you are listening to the radio and a song you like drops out stick your finger on the wire problem solved or if you dont mind looking like a cheaps ass use a coat hanger my friend said when theres snaped off till they could get a new one they used a coat hanger and it worked fine he reckons but if worst comes to worst make on from a small bit of aluminium piping

That's is one of the bodgiest solutions I've ever heard of!! But it would work.

Antennae have two parts, an active element and a ground element. They are inductively coupled (not wired directly) to each other, to work properly. In the case of a car antenna, the bit you move up and down is the active part. The car body is the ground element.

I suggest you remove the base part of the antenna (The ground plane) and clean up the screw that holds the base on, it's probably rusted /corroded up. This should fix it. If it doesn't then the inductive coupling could be buggered. Find another one at the wreckers. (Or take up 1200ute8u1's advice)

Chris