Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / RADIO NOISE

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: RADIO NOISE -- page: 1 2     rogbell 12-18-2010 @ 10:19 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 106 Joined: Dec 2009 I have a restored original '41 radio installed in my '41 Coupe Sedan which works perfectly as long as the engine is not running. As soon as I start the engine there is so much noise/static that you can't hear anything. I do not have a condenser mounted next to and attached to the voltage regulator and wonder if that is the problem. If so, what condenser do I need and where can I find one. Thanks. Old Henry 12-18-2010 @ 11:20 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 Here are some ideas from the manual for the 46-48 radio that you might consider. (See attached image) I did not find the recommended condensers in the Green Bible so don't know what their rating is. Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.) This message was edited by Old Henry on 12-18-10 @ 11:45 AM 4dFordSC 12-18-2010 @ 11:35 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 266 Joined: Oct 2009 The modern equivalent of the condenser shown in the instructions posted by Old Henry is the RC-1, which NAPA carries. Old Henry 12-18-2010 @ 12:24 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 4dFordSC, I'm assuming that the NAPA RC-1 is equivalent to the 22-1148 recommended for the circuit breaker panel and the voltage regulator. Do you know the NAPA equivalent for the 22-1326 recommended for the coil and maybe the oil gauge sensor? Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.) Old Henry 12-18-2010 @ 12:33 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 I would also fully check out the antennae. If it is old, you might just want to get a new one. They can short out and lose their ground and cause the problems you're describing. I remember having those problem that were solved by replacing my antennae. I don't know how the '41 radio is installed so don't know if you have room to try this with the radio installed but if you can, try unplugging the antennae from the radio both with the engine running and not and see what, if any, difference it makes. If it makes no difference or is worse with it plugged in, most likely the antennae is bad and needs to be replaced. Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.) This message was edited by Old Henry on 12-18-10 @ 12:38 PM supereal 12-18-2010 @ 1:33 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 What to do depends on then type of noise. A whirring noise that rises and falls with engine speed is usually caused by the generator and can be suppressed with a condenser on the armature terminal to ground. If it is sparkplug noise, resistor plugs may help, but probably won't eliminate much of it. Be sure you have a good ground strap between the body and the engine. As mentioned above, be sure the base of the antenna is well grounded, and that the antenna lead shield is intact and soldered. The noise mainly affects the AM radio band, and because most listened to local stations that were strong, it wasn't often a consideration years ago. Unless you must have the rightwing blather that dominates AM today, you might consider having your radio converted to AM/FM, as FM is not subject to the noise you have described. I did that years ago. The most careful efforts almost always fall short of fully removing the static. 4dFordSC 12-18-2010 @ 2:18 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 266 Joined: Oct 2009 My '40 with a stock Roto-Matic AM radio has RC-1 Condensers attached to the "Batt" terminal of the voltage regulator, the oil pressure sending unit, and the circuit breaker under the dash. The installation instructions also call for one on the coil in addition to the ignition condenser, but I omitted that one. I have no engine noise in the radio, but don't listen to it that often, since about all we get on AM in this market is talk radio and gospel music. Used to have a good Golden Oldies R&R station, but it went Hispanic several years ago:-( supereal 12-18-2010 @ 2:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 If it does the job, that's OK, but the condenser at the regulator should be on the ARM terminal. The coil already has a condenser, usually at the distributor. It is part of a tuned circuit, and adding capacity may affect operation. We used to install condensers on the oil pressure sender and the gas gauge sender as part of the kit that came with the radio, but unless there is an intermittent "scratching" sound, they usually are not necessary. A condenser on the input wire to the radio may help, but we usually substitute a piece of RG-59 coax for that wire, such as used in TV systems, and ground the shield. Any part of the wiring in a car can pick up radio noise. That is why the Corvettes have shielded ignition systems. Old Henry 12-18-2010 @ 3:09 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 Two responses to Supereal: 1. As I said before, I don't have any radio noise and have no condensers anywhere so don't know the difference between putting one on the ARM terminal of the regulator and putting it on the BAT terminal. All I know is that Ford recommended the BAT terminal as per my attached illustration. 2. The condenser by the distributor is to give the current trying to go through the points when they open an alternate route so that the points don't arc so much and burn out. Ford's recommendation is to put one on the other terminal BEFORE the current goes through the coil to dampen any static being picked up by that wire. (See illustration) What is unclear from those instructions and illustration is whether to put that condenser before the coil mounted resistor or after. Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.) This message was edited by Old Henry on 12-18-10 @ 3:13 PM Old Henry 12-18-2010 @ 3:16 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 One more question for 4dFordSC: Do you know the NAPA part equivalent for the suppressor explained and shown in the radio manual as part number 63-1273? Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.)

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1