AM/FM antenna

[boyscout]

I get no radio reception on the Jensen gizmo in our new rig. There is a really strong local FM station that I get great in our truck but nothing on the Jensen when put in the FM mode. I saw no antenna on the roof or anywhere on the trailer. I see some 5th wheels in the RV park with a little rubber antenna but most I see have no visible antenna other than the OTA TV antenna. What am I missing?

Might be a simple factory fail, though this won't solve the dilemma of being unable to watch cable TV (booster switch off) and listen to the radio (booster switch on) at the same time.

With nearly no radio reception I bought a rubber-duck AM/FM antenna recommended by someone on this forum. As I began installing it, the antenna connection to the radio came apart in my hand. It had been neatly crimped with the wrong-sized crimper and the connector could be easily slid on and off the cable.

I re-crimped and then tried both the rubber duck antenna and the trailer's boosted TV antenna. The factory antenna gave me better reception than the rubber-duck propped up on the roof.

[ttooley]

I connect my smartphone to the Jensen via bluetooth and play whatever music app I want on my phone. Just don't use the am/fm on that cheap unit.

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[DirtDawg]

Agreed that poor radio reception is not uncommon in many RVs, including the last of my former Lance TTs. Lance forum members complained similarly as this thread topic of little to none including myself. On the last of those Lance units, the (separate) automotive style antenna was mounted on the roof and sealed with Dicor with coax and braided bare ground wire (with ring terminal) routed down to the cabinet-mounted radio. Problem was, that ground wire wasn't terminated to anything 'cus nothing metallic to attached to with no chassis frame member anywhere adjacent. I installed a terminal block in that cabinet, routed a wire extension down to floor level, beneath the door threshold, out an existing through-hole under the trailer and attached it to rear frame member. Posted what I found and did which several other Lance owners replicated. Problem solved...

[pheonix]

So we tried using ours and got ZERO stations. We normally leave it on when we go out to act as white noise for our dog so he doesn't bark every time he hears a teig crack outside.
Anyway, after pulling the radio out I discovered the blue antenna wire wasn't connected to anything, so certainly not using the roof antenna. Issue is isn't just not connected to a wire freely sitting there, they never ran a wire to that area from the antenna. The access hold for the wires runs behind the fridge and I certainly don't want to remove the fridge just to run a wire to the antenna. I think I can just drill a hole under the TV to run it straight up to the coax out/ amplifier. From what I have read elsewhere there should be a place there to connect it??? Does that sound right? If not, what are my other options since I can't locate a wire coming from my roof antenna that should have gone to the wire coming from the Jensen has unit?

BTW hello to all the grand design trailers we have seen near Capital Reef!

The blue wire labeled antenna is not actually the antenna. Antenna is connected through a thick black cable. It is possible that the blue wire is an AM antenna. But I kind of doubt that.

[PHMadness]

The blue wire is the trigger/power wire for a power antenna.

[wstcoaster07]

The blue wire labeled antenna is not actually the antenna. Antenna is connected through a thick black cable. It is possible that the blue wire is an AM antenna. But I kind of doubt that.

Yeah I finally caught that but figured the blue had to connect to something too. Our last trailer (also GD) got such good reception I can't figure out why the new one basically dropped to near zero.