Twoply 0 #1 March 7, 2010 I ahve a few of the Dewalt jobsite radios. I get shitty reception even in the open air sometimes. I opened it up and checked the connection and it's hooked up properly. My Aiwa at home gets good reception without any problems... What makes a radio get better reception than others? Anything I can do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anvilbrother 0 #2 March 7, 2010 It would be a pain to set up and move all the time but radioshack sells a few "boosters" some are powered some are basically a wire loop, and some are like a shortwave radio setup that looks like a clothesline. Postes r made from an iPad or iPhone. Spelling and gramhair mistakes guaranteed move along, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #3 March 7, 2010 Quote What makes a radio get better reception than others? Anything I can do? Well, a big part of any design decision are the tradeoffs involved. In this case, DeWalt decided to make it rugged and also be a power strip and a battery charger. They also made the antenna a flexible whip rather than a more fragile yet better tuned one (it appears). Your Aiwa at home probably has a "proper" antenna, but probably wouldn't survive a day on a construction site. I'm not sure there's a whole lot you can do to the radio you have. I doubt it has an external antenna input where you could string something up.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twoply 0 #4 March 7, 2010 Would wrapping a piece of copper wire around the antenna stem help or am I wating my time? I figure that the more metal up there to grab signal would help. Does it work like that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 226 #5 March 7, 2010 Quote Would wrapping a piece of copper wire around the antenna stem help or am I wating my time? I figure that the more metal up there to grab signal would help. Does it work like that? You can do that if you cut into, or puncture the antennas protective housing and then use a piece of wire (speaker wire works) and make contact with the metal in the antenna. Then string it up and out a ways or connect it to a building ground. Please don't connect it to the hot or neutral of the electrical system, only the ground.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jbag 0 #6 March 7, 2010 yeah i was gonna say what turtle did, or if you have a window near by, just take the wire out the window.IHYD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #7 March 7, 2010 Quote You can do that if you cut into, or puncture the antennas protective housing and then use a piece of wire (speaker wire works) and make contact with the metal in the antenna. Then string it up and out a ways or connect it to a building ground. Please don't connect it to the hot or neutral of the electrical system, only the ground. That might work for AM. FM might be another story altogether. Sometimes you're just screwed with FM because of your location because of the way the signals bounce off stuff. The other issue is that FM can be a little picky about antenna length.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
