Poor Radio Reception?

[scaryshark]

I recently just got my Citigo and can't help but notice that the radio reception is very poor on it. If I go to even a slightly built up area, for instance down the high street with 2/3 storey buildings on either side the radio reception starts to get a little crackly.

 

This is all in areas where I've never had any problem before. The speakers on the Citigo themselves aren't the greatest but there is a noticeable clarity difference between this and my Golf Mk VI.

 

Is there perhaps some setting I'm missing in the PID or something or is this just one of the corners that have to be cut to keep the price competitive. if it is not a fault or can't be fixed with some software meddling is there anything, other than buying an external DAB receiver type device, I can mod onto it to fix it? Like a better aerial.

[Damo]

On a previous car (Ford Escort) I had a similar issue, easily resolved...

Maybe you could do something similar?

[Damo]

Of course I am only jesting.

My radio reception is not particularly great, but I put it down to the bee sting aeriel im currently using.

The standard whip aeriel was much better.

Is yours one of the shorter new style aeriels?

It doesnt bother me too much as I usually listen to music on the SD card anyway

Regarding the speakers, gazzcross has upgraded all his so maybe worth giving him a pm and he has done a dab install. Thread here > http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/296165-my-citigo-runaround/

I personally think the standard ones are ok for standard ones, just need a sub for a bass kick IMO

[Markyg]

I've not noticed any problems with reception yet but ive not been into a really built up area yet.

[MickA]

Suprised you having reception problems, mine has been good in most areas.

[Stormchaser]

Mines ok too. I've got the short Skoda aerial on mine (genuine) and it's ok.

I get the occasional reception problem in multi storey car parks.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

[SMART EXAMINER]

I never have the radio on.Its as bad as the TV with constant adverts.I prefer the sound of the engine.

  I would play my own music,but i have a big tape collection,so no use with a CD player.

[Feebet]

I was just thinking this at the weekend when I borrowed SWMBO's Citigo. Radio reception was very poor and crackly even on local radio stations. Was going to mention it to the dealer. Wife doesn't complain as she just listens to music on the PID SD card all the time.

[Didescharlie]

I listen to BBC 5-Live. Never heard any adverts on there. Unfortunately only available as an AM station, so the reception varies from acceptable to appalling depending on surrounding geography, bridges, weather etc etc.

[Chris GB]

My reception was very good for the first few weeks, then all of a sudden, poor, crackly intermittent. Anybody had a warranty fix on it yet?

[MikeZ]

My reception was very good for the first few weeks, then all of a sudden, poor, crackly intermittent. Anybody had a warranty fix on it yet?

 

Same here with my Up - for the first couple of months I got strong stereo reception on all FM stations. Then, one morning, it was crackly and mono. Now, on cross-country trips, there are large parts of the journey where there's hardly any reception at all.

 

It's going into the dealer end of next week for them to look at it. On the Up forum, other people have had the aerial base replaced under warranty which has fixed it.

[Stormchaser]

I was thinking the aerial base too. Seems to be a problem on these.

[GaSelle]

Agreed. The radio receptions is rather poor. I complained about it at my dealership, but they claimed that all was normal.

[peter3197]

The problem is that that base is used on several models, I'm sure. So unless this problem is happening across the VAG group vehicles of a similar age it's not the base. My car had the later aerial fitted but a longer one from an earlier model made no difference. The thing is on mine the reception only seems to be bad on days when there is a high pressure weather system over the area. 

[Feebet]

Have any of you got a cigarette lighter USB charger inserted ? Can't remember the thread but a user on here had one and when in use it would interfere with the radio reception, pull it out and it was much better ?

[M12MKD]

Mine is not great but then I've a little stubby one!

 

Before when it was a big one it was great, but now its stubby its so so.

[Auric Goldfinger]

The wife CitiGo had very poor reception, the ariel base (in the headlining) was replaced under warranty and reception is now 100% better

[Chris GB]

On mine, the reception is the same with or without the aerial attached. The base make sense as the fault developed the same day as the car was jet washed for the same time, so could be water ingress in the base.

[sniperpenguin]

All the more reason for someone to get the DAB retrofit from the Up! working :(

[tweenster]

All the more reason for someone to get the DAB retrofit from the Up! working :(

 

Absolutely this; is it really that hard?

[g6zru]

On mine, the reception is the same with or without the aerial attached. The base make sense as the fault developed the same day as the car was jet washed for the same time, so could be water ingress in the base.

This is a general problem with many roof mounted aerials today. They are fitted with a built in amplifier which is very sensitive to moisture.

 

Fred

[LordVader]

My radio reception varies from OK to appalling, and I listen to boring stations like Radio 2 and Radio 4 with very good signal.  I have taken it into the dealer but on that day - sod's law - the reception was fine so they declined to make any fixes or changes.  The day after it was appalling again!  Would be interested to hear of anyone who has successfully got a fix under warranty for this.

[Auric Goldfinger]

My radio reception varies from OK to appalling, and I listen to boring stations like Radio 2 and Radio 4 with very good signal.  I have taken it into the dealer but on that day - sod's law - the reception was fine so they declined to make any fixes or changes.  The day after it was appalling again!  Would be interested to hear of anyone who has successfully got a fix under warranty for this.

 

See Post number 17

[g6zru]

My radio reception varies from OK to appalling, and I listen to boring stations like Radio 2 and Radio 4 with very good signal.  I have taken it into the dealer but on that day - sod's law - the reception was fine so they declined to make any fixes or changes.  The day after it was appalling again!  Would be interested to hear of anyone who has successfully got a fix under warranty for this.

Most likely cause is the aerial base as already stated but it also depends a lot on where you are experiencing this problem.

Some areas have very bad reception and others have problems related to the broadcasters themselves.

In my area (Sussex) I had poor reception of TalkSport on MW. Some days it would be OK and then suddenly the volume would drop to about half and remain that way for differing times from a couple of minutes to about 4 hours. I thought that it was a transmitter problem as it happened on 2 cars so I emailed the station and suggested that perhaps one or other of their regional transmitters was going off air resulting in reception having to come from an alternative transmitter at greater range. I never got a reply but TalkSport reception has been good since!

These days transmitters are "shared" between many broadcasters and not monitored as well as in the past and so they are often unaware of any problems until someone tells them.

 

Fred

[MikeZ]

I did my regular trip up the A1 from Northamptonshire to Yorkshire at the weekend and I was only getting any reception near major towns. For large parts of the journey there was nothing but static on nearly all national FM stations.

 

If you press and hold the MENU button on the radio for a few seconds it will switch to diagnostic mode and you can get some detailed signal information. I've compared signal strength on a few different stations with another Up and mine is definitely nowhere near as good.

 

Anyway, it goes in tomorrow to be looked at by the dealer.