Will this USB Radio Work?

**martkrui** · 01-02-2008, 05:13 AM

I've got the silabs version (but ordered one of these as well for testing).

On the silabs I removed the stock antenna and soldered an antenna adapter straight onto the board so that the tip is where the original antenna was, and the sleeve is somewhere on a groundplane.

(this topic should have some pics/more info )

Also check if you have a powered car antenna. Of you do you should be able to fix that by attaching the switched power lead to the antenna power lead. BUT : this also provides the voltage to the Radio if it doesn't have a decoupling capacitor. I haven't got the device yet so I can't check. (should be there, but test on your own risk)

But its good to hear that the Silabs plugin is working fine.

**midiwall** · 01-02-2008, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Alfredbra

hi, I bought one of these and installed it today. works fine in centrafuse but reception is quite poor. If I touch the aerial with my hand reception improves significantly and the software shows more reception bars. What the hell? tried grounding it aswell but only made it worse lol. any ideas. Im thinking about hooking it up to stock antenna or buying one of those shark fin fm antennas or something any ideas on what to use? and can someone confirm middle wire is signal on the motorolla lead cable and do you have to ground the outside? thanx

What you're seeing is normal, the sensitivity of this radio is very low. Touching the antenna with your hand turns your body into an extension of the antenna, and your body resonates pretty well at FM freqs, so it becomes an amplifier.

Yes, the middle is hot, the shield is ground. As for needing to ground the radio to the antenna shield, "probably". You'll need to try. Depending on where you have the USB Radio in the car, it may need the shield to extend the ground plane of the radio. Each installation will vary...

**Alfredbra** · 01-02-2008, 09:41 PM

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-g10MSyq...x?I=12044UA200

im thinking about buying this for my car and hooking it up to the radio module. The reviews seem quite good and would save alot of hassel as my antenna is electric and i have nothing to control it up or down. I would have to make a switch.

Im only going to be using this for FM radio and with the original head unit installed it can recieve full signal with the antenna all the way down in my area.

Anybody have any suggestions?

**midiwall** · 01-02-2008, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Alfredbra

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-g10MSyq...x?I=12044UA200

Anybody have any suggestions?

Buy it. It's $20 and Crutchfield has possibly _the best_ return policy and process on the planet.

Let us know how it goes!

**Lazyflip** · 01-03-2008, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by midiwall

Yes, the middle is hot, the shield is ground. As for needing to ground the radio to the antenna shield, "probably". You'll need to try. Depending on where you have the USB Radio in the car, it may need the shield to extend the ground plane of the radio. Each installation will vary...

I already have a motorola adapter. How would I go about grounding the radio?

**midiwall** · 01-03-2008, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Lazyflip

I already have a motorola adapter. How would I go about grounding the radio?

You'll want to find a ground within the radio itself. Do NOT try to ground the radio to the car. The purpose of "grounding" here is to extend the ground plane of the receiver, not to provide an additional electrical path for DC voltage.

That said, I suspect that the case of the USB connector on the board is a ground point within the radio.

fwiw... Where did you find a Moto pigtail socket? Got a part number?

**Lazyflip** · 01-03-2008, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by midiwall

You'll want to find a ground within the radio itself. Do NOT try to ground the radio to the car. The purpose of "grounding" here is to extend the ground plane of the receiver, not to provide an additional electrical path for DC voltage.

That said, I suspect that the case of the USB connector on the board is a ground point within the radio.

fwiw... Where did you find a Moto pigtail socket? Got a part number?

Ok, thanks!

The motorola connector I have is an adapter for an aftermarker head unit to connect to the stock antenna. I have the male end, not the female end, if that's what you're talking about.

**midiwall** · 01-03-2008, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by Lazyflip

The motorola connector I have is an adapter for an aftermarker head unit to connect to the stock antenna. I have the male end, not the female end, if that's what you're talking about.

Ahh... bummer. Yeah, I've been looking for a source for the female end for a while. The last time I needed one, I pulled apart an old head unit that I had laying around. Mouser, DigiKey, etc doesn't have 'em - or I'm not searching well enough.

**Lazyflip** · 01-03-2008, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by midiwall

Ahh... bummer. Yeah, I've been looking for a source for the female end for a while. The last time I needed one, I pulled apart an old head unit that I had laying around. Mouser, DigiKey, etc doesn't have 'em - or I'm not searching well enough.

Have you tried Radioshack? I was just there a couple days ago and I think I saw a female motorola connector.

EDIT: I just search Radioshack's website for "motorola" and it's the 2nd result. I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for though.

**midiwall** · 01-03-2008, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Lazyflip

Have you tried Radioshack? I was just there a couple days ago and I think I saw a female motorola connector.

EDIT: I just search Radioshack's website for "motorola" and it's the 2nd result. I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for though.

Well I'll be.. yeup, that'd do just fine.

For other folks:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2102836

I hate RatShack... damn them for stocking this.

Thanks LazyF!