I am not an expert on radios but my main problem with it is the lack of radio stations and the piss poor reception at times. Ever since my sister got the car the radio was been literally crap. In Munich or in M?hldorf I usually only receive 3 radio stations while the rest are either static or simply not listed. I have to vent because today I only had one radio station the whole day: Bayern 3, which is the third radio station of the Bavarian state (there is also Bayern 1, Bayern 2 and Bayern 4) - and I didn't receive any others. All other frequencies were static. I played around with the AM, FM1 and FM2 settings and in both FM settings I got the same results.
Now, our E-Class on the other hand has a radio which offers you multiple radio stations, excellent reception and so forth. Even when I once visited my sister near Stuttgart with the E320 I could still listen to Bayern 3 despite being in another state. Hell, when I was in the heart of Stuttgart I still had Bayern 3 and superb reception. When I drove to Stuttgart and N?rburg with the BMW I couldn't listen to Bayern 3 anymore once I left Bavaria (literally): the reception on that station went out the window and the state radio of Baden-W?rttemberg (the state with Stuttgart as its capital) essentially replaced this radio station.
What the hell is wrong with this BMW radio? Is it the fault of the radio, the antenna or some other factor? I've driven the 118i and E320 on similar routes and the radio found in the E320 always delivers excellent reception and a healthy choice of radio stations.
So what is wrong here? :huh:
Is the antenna integrated into the windshield or rear glass or is it a mast antenna?
Quote from: 3.0L V6 on December 28, 2009, 08:54:03 AM
Is the antenna integrated into the windshield or rear glass or is it a mast antenna?
It's located on the roof of the car. It's removable too. Whenever I bring the car to a car wash I have to unscrew it and store it inside the car.
(http://photo.netcarshow.com/BMW-1-Series_5-door_2008_photo_10.jpg)
It would be best to compare it to another 1 series to determine whether it's normal for the vehicle line or if it's possible that your radio happens to have issues. A mast antenna like that is the best kind, but even then it has to be tuned to a broad range of frequencies meaning that's it's a jack of all trades but master of none.
You could find out if an electronics store can get you a longer mast.
Quote from: R-inge on December 28, 2009, 09:29:13 AM
It would be best to compare it to another 1 series to determine whether it's normal for the vehicle line or if it's possible that your radio happens to have issues. A mast antenna like that is the best kind, but even then it has to be tuned to a broad range of frequencies meaning that's it's a jack of all trades but master of none.
You could find out if an electronics store can get you a longer mast.
Thanks for the info. :cheers:
The mast of the antenna is already quite long, but the reception in most areas is just terrible. I know a couple of 1-Series drivers but it never occurred to me to ask them if they have similar issues and the same radio as I do. Will have to do that.
It's still weird because the antenna on our E320 is on the roof and is just a little stump.
Meh, if it's that terrible and the vehicle's still under warranty, I'd say just take it to the dealer and explain what's happening. The worse they could say is "sorry, you're outta luck." :ohyeah:
Quote from: giant_mtb on December 28, 2009, 09:53:10 AM
Meh, if it's that terrible and the vehicle's still under warranty, I'd say just take it to the dealer and explain what's happening. The worse they could say is "sorry, you're outta luck." :ohyeah:
The next time I am in M?hldorf I will. I really need more radio stations! :tounge:
Not totally related, but I remember having to mess around with XM satellite radio installations on Nissans where they had you install the antenna in the windshield, which is probably the worst place to put it other than under the seats or something. Naturally people would then gripe because the entire eastern seaboard is covered in trees, and NH is in a particularly hilly region, and XM requires line of site to work properly. So reception was awful, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Who wants to listen to German music anyways? :evildude:
Quote from: MrH on December 28, 2009, 01:40:28 PM
Who wants to listen to German music anyways? :evildude:
Damn it.
I was just going to say that.
Quote from: R-inge on December 28, 2009, 11:09:20 AM
Not totally related, but I remember having to mess around with XM satellite radio installations on Nissans where they had you install the antenna in the windshield, which is probably the worst place to put it other than under the seats or something. Naturally people would then gripe because the entire eastern seaboard is covered in trees, and NH is in a particularly hilly region, and XM requires line of site to work properly. So reception was awful, but there was nothing I could do about it.
My parents used to have a Ford Telstar in the Philippines. It looked exactly like the one below in the photo except it was brown and didn't have the antenna where this Telstar has it. It was located inside the trunk, under the lid. I've always thought this was "WEIRD".
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/2161/unbenannt1iv.jpg)
Quote from: MrH on December 28, 2009, 01:40:28 PM
Who wants to listen to German music anyways? :evildude:
I don't listen to any modern German music, thank the Lord! I only listen to 80s (and some 80s German music) and Bayern 3 plays a lot of 80s. :praise:
I picture Wimmer driving along listening to this on a constant loop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYQTFudrqc
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on December 28, 2009, 05:46:21 PM
I picture Wimmer driving along listening to this on a constant loop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYQTFudrqc
They only export the more "normal" sounding stuff. ;)
You should hear the stuff that DOESN'T get popular elsewhere....
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on December 28, 2009, 05:46:21 PM
I picture Wimmer driving along listening to this on a constant loop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYQTFudrqc
Or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXiClnK8oE
Literally crap, eh, Wimmer? That's definitely something covered under the warranty.
Quote from: Danish on December 28, 2009, 07:59:56 PM
Or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXiClnK8oE
:nono:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U990QFyvN3M
:lol:
(and yes I know he was Austrian)
Speaking of "Rock Me, Amadeus", I almost forgot about this commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZedRNg9kO-o
I imagine this is how all Germans drive: around a track bobbing their heads to Falco.
You disassemble your radio antenna at the carwash?
European cars have never had particularly good radio reception down under, especially with AM radio. I had this discussion a few months back at work with a customer, and I'm told his current-model Statesman could pick up an AM broadcast from Auckland when the car was in Geelong - a good 2700km/1677 miles away. Even the Lexcen can pick up the odd station from Melbourne (700km/435 miles away) given favourable weather conditions.
Quote from: Tave on December 28, 2009, 11:22:26 PM
You disassemble your radio antenna at the carwash?
Many people do. The carwash people always unscrewed mine when I had my Passat, because I'd always forget.
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on December 28, 2009, 05:46:21 PM
I picture Wimmer driving along listening to this on a constant loop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYQTFudrqc
This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is no longer available in your country. :facepalm:
What song was it?
Quote from: Danish on December 28, 2009, 07:59:56 PM
Or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXiClnK8oE
What a masterpiece! We love the Hoff!!!! :rockon:
Quote from: Psilos on December 28, 2009, 08:23:42 PM
Literally crap, eh, Wimmer? That's definitely something covered under the warranty.
I'm going to ask my fellow 1-Series drivers on Germancarzone.com if they have similar problems. Sucks that most of them live in Sweden and the UK so things might be different there...
Quote from: 93JC on December 28, 2009, 08:37:57 PM
:nono:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U990QFyvN3M
:lol:
(and yes I know he was Austrian)
Falco was awesome. :frown:
Quote from: Tave on December 28, 2009, 11:22:26 PM
You disassemble your radio antenna at the carwash?
I don't "disassemble" the antenna, I
unscrew it because otherwise the car wash brushes etc. would destroy it. This is a BMW 1-Series antenna below.
(http://www.2002-freund.de/5000427463_001_400.jpg)
Wimmer, what's the German interpretation of, "Unscrew my antenna?"
Quote from: Tave on December 28, 2009, 11:22:26 PM
You disassemble your radio antenna at the carwash?
It's recommended that you take the antenna off before entering an automated car wash (except for the touchless ones) or the brushes will rip it off. If you have an automatic retractable antenna, you should shut the stereo off so it retracts.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 28, 2009, 03:52:22 PM
I don't listen to any modern German music, thank the Lord! I only listen to 80s (and some 80s German music) and Bayern 3 plays a lot of 80s. :praise:
The 80's sucked, music wise. ;)
Quote from: R-inge on December 29, 2009, 07:44:58 AM
Wimmer, what's the German interpretation of, "Unscrew my antenna?"
Ah, this is going in the direction of sexual slang, eh? :lol:
Quote from: Byteme on December 29, 2009, 09:31:33 AM
The 80's sucked, music wise. ;)
The 80s were awesome, music wise. :rockon:
And cars too. :rockon:
(http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2397/gtc736.jpg)
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 29, 2009, 10:48:48 AM
Ah, this is going in the direction of sexual slang, eh? :lol:
No I just wanted to learn an obscure German phrase to use in situations that would normally call for profanity. :lol:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 29, 2009, 10:49:21 AM
The 80s were awesome, music wise. :rockon:
And cars too. :rockon:
:facepalm: :partyon: :facepalm:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 29, 2009, 07:14:58 AM
I'm going to ask my fellow 1-Series drivers on Germancarzone.com if they have similar problems. Sucks that most of them live in Sweden and the UK so things might be different there...
Do you know what "literally" means?
Quote from: Byteme on December 29, 2009, 09:31:33 AM
The 80's sucked, music wise. ;)
Unless you like punk, metal, derivations thereof, or Michael Jackson. ;)
Quote from: Byteme on December 29, 2009, 09:31:33 AM
The 80's sucked, music wise. ;)
Yeah, especially Depeche Mode.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 29, 2009, 07:13:31 AM
This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is no longer available in your country.
:facepalm:
What song was it?
99 luftballons
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on December 29, 2009, 03:50:52 PM
Yeah, especially Depeche Mode.
Revenge of Submariner in 5... 4... 3... ...
:lol:
Quote from: omicron on December 29, 2009, 02:04:57 AM
European cars have never had particularly good radio reception down under, especially with AM radio. I had this discussion a few months back at work with a customer, and I'm told his current-model Statesman could pick up an AM broadcast from Auckland when the car was in Geelong - a good 2700km/1677 miles away. Even the Lexcen can pick up the odd station from Melbourne (700km/435 miles away) given favourable weather conditions.
I can almost get WXDX from Pittsburgh here, 130 miles away. For being a short-range local station, that's amazing. The reception in my Saturn is perhaps better than it was in the brand new Hyundai I rented a few months back.
Am I alone in noting how the seek function seems to really suck on most new car radios. Unless I'm in or near an urban area the radio finds nothing when I use seek on either FM or AM. At the same time manual tuning finds a multitude of staitions with signals strong enough to listen to. Can the sensitivity of the seek function be altered by the user?
I agree John, many radios simply suck with that. I think it's a matter of internal design, not alterable as far as I can tell. Maybe a real radio wiz with a soldering iron and the right parts could change that...
Maybe it's because I generally stay in the same 100 mile radius, or that when I do travel, I use my iPod, but I don't think I've ever once used seek in my Jetta. I think I used it twice in my Passat, both times when I moved to new towns. Finding nothing but country stations that far into the wilderness, I stuck to CDs (back then...oh, what a way to listen to music! Large plastic dishes that hold only a dozen or so songs. The past was such an interesting time!)
Quote from: Raza link=topic=20871.msg1232926#msg1232926 date=1262183696
Maybe it's because I generally stay in the same 100 mile radius, or that when I do travel, I use my iPod, but I don't think I've ever once used seek in my Jetta. I think I used it twice in my Passat, both times when I moved to new towns. Finding nothing but country stations that far into the wilderness, I stuck to CDs (back then...oh, what a way to listen to music! Large plastic dishes that hold only a dozen or so songs. The past was such an interesting time!)
Try driving across Nebraska. About all I was able to pick up were farm reports on AM and Country on FM.
On road trips we generally take a load of CD's as well, but if driving all night or most of the night (which we do a lot) I find that talk radio keeps me more alert so I start looking for Coast to Coast AM to find out what the UFO crowd and nut cases are up to. And Saturday mornings I need my "Car Talk", "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and "Says You" NPR fix.
Quote from: Psilos on December 29, 2009, 03:40:18 PM
Do you know what "literally" means?
Never heard of that word. What does it mean?
Quote from: 280Z Turbo on December 29, 2009, 03:52:14 PM
99 luftballons
What a cool song!
God, I love the 80s! :thumbsup:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 30, 2009, 11:01:38 AM
Never heard of that word. What does it mean?
Oh?
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 28, 2009, 08:35:38 AM
I am not an expert on radios but my main problem with it is the lack of radio stations and the piss poor reception at times. Ever since my sister got the car the radio was been literally crap. [...]
Then why did you use it?
Anyway, literally (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally) means actually or exactly. If I say something is literally crap, for instance ( :lol: ), I mean that it
is crap, not that it's
like crap. So, to say that your radio is literally crap, you're saying that, somehow, BMW put a turd in the place where the stereo goes. ;)
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 28, 2009, 08:35:38 AM
What the hell is wrong with this BMW radio? Is it the fault of the radio, the antenna or some other factor? I've driven the 118i and E320 on similar routes and the radio found in the E320 always delivers excellent reception and a healthy choice of radio stations.
So what is wrong here? :huh:
I think you nailed it- it's a lowly BMW radio. Nothing can match the unrivaled quality of a Benz radio and we all know BMW radio's are simply subpar.
:lol:
Quote from: Psilos on December 30, 2009, 05:04:59 PM
Anyway, literally (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally) means actually or exactly. If I say something is literally crap, for instance ( :lol: ), I mean that it is crap, not that it's like crap. So, to say that your radio is literally crap, you're saying that, somehow, BMW put a turd in the place where the stereo goes. ;)
I think that's what he's saying. :lol:
Oh, OK then. ;)
Actually I am just ranting on the poor reception and lack of radio stations that the BMW radio gives me. I never wanted to imply that the radio in our E320 was better. I don't even want to compare them technically since the E320 radio, APS-50, is definitely more advanced in the first place. Still, I find it outrageous that a base radio found in a BMW 1-Series delivers such poor reception and so few stations when driven outside urban environments (or sometimes even in the cities).
MY antenna in the Cooper S looked the same. Might even have the same radio (mine was pretty identical to the E46 radio. Horrible reception. My old '98 Cavalier was like a rolling radio tower compared to the MINI
Quote from: HotRodPilot on December 30, 2009, 08:27:30 PM
MY antenna in the Cooper S looked the same. Might even have the same radio (mine was pretty identical to the E46 radio. Horrible reception. My old '98 Cavalier was like a rolling radio tower compared to the MINI
Interesting. Maybe these antenna are related somehow since they're both made by BMW or supplied to BMW by a manufacturer. I will really have to ask some fellow 1-Series drivers about their reception and number of radio stations available to them.
Quote from: Byteme on December 30, 2009, 07:42:16 AM
Try driving across Nebraska. About all I was able to pick up were farm reports on AM and Country on FM.
On road trips we generally take a load of CD's as well, but if driving all night or most of the night (which we do a lot) I find that talk radio keeps me more alert so I start looking for Coast to Coast AM to find out what the UFO crowd and nut cases are up to. And Saturday mornings I need my "Car Talk", "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and "Says You" NPR fix.
That's why I use my iPod! So much music in there, you'll never get bored. And if you do get bored of music, throw on some Top Gears or movies and just listen.
Quote from: Raza link=topic=20871.msg1233866#msg1233866 date=1262273800
That's why I use my iPod! So much music in there, you'll never get bored. And if you do get bored of music, throw on some Top Gears or movies and just listen.
Or a podcast.
Quote from: 2o6 on December 31, 2009, 09:32:08 AM
Or a podcast.
Yeah, I have some podcasts from my local morning show. Pretty funny stuff.
Quote from: 93JC on December 28, 2009, 08:37:57 PM
:nono:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U990QFyvN3M
:lol:
(and yes I know he was Austrian)
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THAT SONG FOR THE LONGEST TIME. I hear it on Jack FM all the time.
Hmm, guess you were too young to remember when that song was popular.
My BMW radio is pretty crappy, AM wise. Its FM reception is excellent, though.