HD radio Q's

[custom]

Hey guys,
After getting my VX a couple months ago I noticed that the radio reception isn't great (definitely not as good as the '06 Pathy, the misses '02 Highlander, or any of my old cars). After having it for a few weeks I upgraded to a new Alpine deck and the radio reception still isn't that great. Would upgrading to HD radio (the Alpine deck is HD compatible) greatly improve the signal? Is there some better internal antenna that I can get? Please advise.

[geshaw30]

I kept my same radio problems simple. Installed Sirius that runs through my Pioneer Premier P930. Reception issue solved unless of course there is something on local radio you need to hear.

[Knigh7s]

having an HD radio does nothing different to sound quality for normal radio stations. If you have an HD broadcaster in your area, those stations will have a bit better sound... Almost unnoticeable using the stock speakers...

I bought an HD radio for my VX... there are only about 3 or 4 stations here in Vegas that actually has HD compatibility. and only one station I use...

[Joe_Black]

You may want to check and verify the antenna is getting power as it's an amplified unit. Very often one of connectors has pulled loose, especially with new stereo installations, or its fuse may have failed. Although it's more rare, the amplified section (the antenna base) can fail as well. I've found the VX antennas very effective, but left one disconnected from power once after a new radio install and the subsequent poor reception tipped me off to what I had forgotten. So make certain your antenna is functioning properly before throwing unnecessary $$$ at the problem.

As for HD radio, my opinion is that satellite is the way to go. You get to listen to what you want, when you want and at least with Sirius the music channels are 100% commercial free. No matter how much better HD may be over regular FM, there isn't any need to hear ads or mouthy announcers "better". ;) Since installing satellite in our vehicles we haven't listened to AM or FM ever, there simply isn't the need. Heck, the CD player rarely gets used!

[WyrreJ]

HD radio ticks me off, since HD does not mean high-definition, it doesn't even mean anything, its just two letters. Which is another way of saying that they want to trick people into thinking it is like HDTV when it really isn't at all.

FWIW, the wikipedia article says that a lot of 2nd and 3rd gen HD Radio tuners have craptastic sensitivity, while others are pretty good. It does not name names though.

[custom]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I don't want to go to Sat radio because it is a second car that I don't drive that much (don't want to pay $10/month for a 3-4k miles/yr car). There are plenty of stations that broadcast in HD in my car so I thought it would be the way to go. I don't think that the antenna came loose during the install because the reception wasn't that good before. And I do have aftermarket speakers in it. So... I guess the answer is to keep the stereo the way it is and listen to my iPod (I have the Alpine connector so it is sitting in my glovebox) more often. Thanks.

[Joe_Black]

It's not the antenna itself that may have come loose, but the separate 12-volt power lead that runs along most of the length of antenna cable to supply power to the amplified base. If you've been having reception issues for some time then it's likely you have a pre-existing condition. Check the power lead and fuse. If they both check out then you've likely got a faulty antenna base which is relatively simple and inexpensive to replace.

As for the idea of committing the monthly expense to a "second car", consider a portable satellite receiver. My wife and I both have Sirius S50 units and move them freely between multiple vehicles, docks for use in the home and office, and since they're also MP3 players (and have TiVo-like capabilities) use them for stuff like cycling and the gym. It's nice to actually be able to record something you like on satellite for later listening just by pressing a button. So the monthly fee covers a wonderful device that follows us around where we want the music rather than having to go to where it's installed. ;)

[VehiGAZ]

Custom, which Alpine headunit did you go with? I'm about to put the iDA-X001 (http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=iDA-X001) into my other car. The Alpine in it nwo (older cassette-only deck) has lousy FM reception, and I was hoping for an improvement.

[PittVXr]

Has anybody installed a HD radio recently? I'm looking to get a new head unit and this model from JVC caught my eye. Seems like an inexpencive way to upgrade to HD radio. I'm not too familiar with Car Audio so I'm hoping to get a few opinions from you guys. I mostly channel surf while driving so I figure having the extra channels to pick from would be a good thing.

http://mobile.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL028465&pathId=149&page=1

[etlsport]

i havent used hd radio.. but the head unit looks like its got some nice features to it and definitely has a pretty good price. if you arent looking to blow your eardrums out, that looks like a pretty good buy :thumbup:

jvc has never been at the top of my list.. but ive never had any reason to not buy them either, one brand i will never buy again is DUAL.. i got one of their head units a few years ago.. it ate my cd within the first 2 months, got it replaced under warranty.. the next one had all sorts of ground issues (not due to installation) and eventually just gave out after 5-6 months.. then bought an amp.. which couldnt even handle two small speakers that were matched to its power rating, kept cutting out, switched it out for a boss audio amp with the same ratings and that served me well until i upgraded again to the amp you saw/heard in january

[mdwyer]

Have you noticed that you never really see an HD radio demostrated in a store? That cuz they suck. :)

I've only seen one set up, and it was immediately obvious that HD was not worth paying Ubiquity for their lame technology. HD makes a fuzzy station into a silent station, although you can tune back into their non-HD signal and get your fuzzy station back. Then it adds in a bunch of subcarriers. These might be useful -- weather and traffic, eg -- but they are SO compressed, it is like listening to on-hold music over a cell phone with a bluetooth headset you got out of a gumball machine.

Check that the onboard amp is working, as others have said. Consider satellite or a big iPod if you just want more content. You'll still need to fix your antenna if you get an aftermarket stereo. In that case, I'd accept HD if it came with the stereo, but I wouldn't pay extra for that feature!

[PittVXr]

I liked the look of the JVC because the HD feature was built in. I don't feel like having to add on additional components. I was thinking Hd over satellite simply because I don't feel like paying to listen to the radio.

[Riff Raff]

Joe Black has some great points of advice. Another member here is PBKID (aka: Peanut Butter-Kid; re-named from a previous harassment thread).

Peanut Butter-Kid works as a professional automotive audio installer at Best Buys. Perhaps he might see this thread and chime in as well.

Another source might be CRUTCHFIELD.COM, as their toll-free telephone support is awesome and they may have some advice as well on weak radio reception problems. I believe there are even antenna "amplifiers" which help boost radio reception as well.