AM radio reception

[eglideic]

I have a 2013 Ultra I bought used with 10K. It has the stock radio and it has very poor AM radio reception. It's like it has a break in the antenna connection that as the antenna whips around in the wind it causes fuzzy, crackly, static, like it makes and loses contact with the mast every 10th of a second.
Yet the FM radio reception is loud, clear, and solid as a rock, and sitting still the AM is OK.
I'm only trying to hear a local station.
I did look at the back of the radio and removed the Tour Pac liner and checked the connection with the AM/FM antenna wire at both ends with no change. I would think that if it was a problem with the antenna or antenna cable, it would effect FM reception the same way. The bike does have a Power Commander, if that maybe causes AM interference.
Any solutions on this problem?
 

[moose]

first thing I would check is your grounds both battery and inside the tour pack  remove and clean

mine on a 2011 ultra had a pinched broken ant. wire   I think fm get a lot without a lot of antenna


if AM does not work try it in the afternoon PM   

[eglideic]

first thing I would check is your grounds both battery and inside the tour pack  remove and clean

mine on a 2011 ultra had a pinched broken ant. wire   I think fm get a lot without a lot of antenna


if AM does not work try it in the afternoon PM   

The AM works. If I sit still it's OK. I'll check the Tour Pac ground.

[Hossamania]

You could try tieing down the antenna to keep it from whipping around, that would help verify that it is the antenna vibration causing it. For me, that would probably be the permanent solution, because I'm pretty lazy in general...

[Rockout Rocker Products]

Got a buddy that would swap antennas with you for a trip 'round the block?

[eglideic]

 I actually don't have a buddy with a bike with a radio. Sorry about that. And I already swapped the antenna once.

[calif phil]

Do you have an LED headlight?   

[eglideic]

Do you have an LED headlight?

Yes I do. I have a Vision X headlight and HD Daymaker passing lamps, though I rarely use the passing lamps.

[calif phil]

I know LED headlights will cut down on FM reception, I am not sure about AM.   It might be worth unplugging the LED's and see if that improves things. 

[FurryOne]

I know LED headlights will cut down on FM reception, I am not sure about AM.

Only the poorly designed ones.  I've never heard of Speaker's LEDs doing that that - but then, they actually do real R&D.

[calif phil]

I know LED headlights will cut down on FM reception, I am not sure about AM.

Only the poorly designed ones.  I've never heard of Speaker's LEDs doing that that - but then, they actually do real R&D.

I sell a lot of LED headlights, from the name brand H4 drop in's  to the $800 adaptive JW Speaker headlights.  I first noticed it years ago when I was selling a ton of the JW phase 7 speakers. 

[eglideic]

I know LED headlights will cut down on FM reception, I am not sure about AM.

Only the poorly designed ones.  I've never heard of Speaker's LEDs doing that that - but then, they actually do real R&D.

I sell a lot of LED headlights, from the name brand H4 drop in's  to the $800 adaptive JW Speaker headlights.  I first noticed it years ago when I was selling a ton of the JW phase 7 speakers.

Was it just FM or both?

[FSG]

I know LED headlights will cut down on FM reception, I am not sure about AM.   It might be worth unplugging the LED's and see if that improves things.

[PoorUB]

I have a pair of cheap LEDs on my Limited. When they are on the AM radio and CB are useless, but FM and Sirius work fine.

[Coyote]

The LED lights require a current controlled power source. Most of them use a switch mode current regulator (for efficiency) and those tend to be pretty ugly with conducted and radiated harmonics of the switching frequency. I would expect it to effect AM the worst as it is lower in frequency and AM is more subject to interference than FM is.

These headlights really fall under class B computing devices and should be tested to meet the FCC Part 15 rules but I suspect none of them are doing so. If you are getting interference from them, best thing to do is just try another brand. If it's radiated interference, there's nothing you can do about it. If it's conducted, you might be able to put a low pass filter on the power lines but who knows if it will be good enough to help. Without using expensive test equipment, it's hard to see what's really going on.

I would not expect them to hurt XM reception.

[FurryOne]

I sell a lot of LED headlights, from the name brand H4 drop in's  to the $800 adaptive JW Speaker headlights.  I first noticed it years ago when I was selling a ton of the JW phase 7 speakers.

Speaker didn't make the "Phase 7" headlight, Truck did - perhaps you're thinking of them?  They went through quite a few iterations of their "Phase" LED lights.

[calif phil]

I sell a lot of LED headlights, from the name brand H4 drop in's  to the $800 adaptive JW Speaker headlights.  I first noticed it years ago when I was selling a ton of the JW phase 7 speakers.

Speaker didn't make the "Phase 7" headlight, Truck did - perhaps you're thinking of them?  They went through quite a few iterations of their "Phase" LED lights.

Right you are.   Thanks for the correction.