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Re: Upgrading sound systems
> From quattro-owner@swiss.ans.net Tue Aug 16 12:06:47 1994
> Date: Tue, 16 Aug 1994 09:28:04 -0600
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> To: quattro@swiss.ans.net
> From: bbell@csn.net (Bruce Bell)
> Subject: Re: Upgrading sound systems
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> >>Some of us are not into locally produced sounds (tape or CD) but would
> >>rather be able to get decent radio reception. Living and traveling in what,
> >>at best, could be called a fringe area, I get absolutely lousy FM reception.
> >>The culprit is, I believe, that abysmally poor antenna which is part of the
> >>windshield.
> >
> >Good luck in West Virginia -- the culprit is far more than you poor antenna
> >(Its the mountains!!)
> >
>
> I also live in a fringe area and have tried to find a decent solution for
> years. My biggest problem though is not signal strength, but "multipath"
> that is same signal bounces from different directions with slightly
> different timming. (ruins the stereo imaging) Early on I tries an amplified
> Fuba antenna in my early Jetta with no "percieved" difference in reception.
> I believe Fuba makes most of the antenna's for VW and Audi. My second
> attempt was installing my sons Sony CD player (CDX5260) in the 4000CSQ. This
> did make a little difference. I Will be returning that deck to him soon and
> have been considering the newer Sonys which claim more FM sensitvity 8dbf vs
> 12 or one of the Pioneer supertuner IV units.
>
Indeed, multipath is often the biggest problem in FM reception, and
that's probably why Audi went to the dual antenna diversity system.
This eliminates quite a bit of the so-called "picket-fencing" effect.
Recent tests performed by auto, motor, und sport showed that
German-made radios usually have the edge in radio reception, while
top-of-the-line Japanese units are usually better in the tape player
department.
So if one is really serious about radio reception, it's hard to beat a
Blaupunkt or a Becker, although the latter are horrendously expensive,
but last forever. Just make sure that the Blaupunkt is in fact a
German-made model and not one of the cheaper ones. I once owned one of
the Japanese-made ones and it had terrible radio reception.
Fortunately, it was stolen.
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John Greenstreet, Senior Engineer (jgreenst@motown.ge.com)
Martin Marietta Government Electronic Systems Moorestown NJ 08057
WPI Class of '75, Temple Class of '94
My new car history:
1972 1975 1978 1982 1986 1989 1992
VW -> VW -> Audi -> Audi -> Mercedes -> Mercedes -> Audi
SBug Scirocco Fox GTI 4000S 190E 2.3 190E 2.6 100CS
POSSLQ's* new car history:
1978 1981 1985 1988 1990 1993
Triumph -> Toyota -> Toyota -> VW -> Audi -> Audi
Spitfire Tercel Corolla Jetta GL 80 90S
*POSSLQ = Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters
Note: All Audis and Mercedes above were sold to friends or family.
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