Radio Reception Sux!

[MailManX]

My wife's 2001 GS300 gets terrible radio reception, both AM and FM. It's only really good on strong stations, and then only within a fairly narrow radius. I don't want to replace the stock radio, so I was considering the various options:

1. Add an antenna booster - if such a thing exists.

2. Drill a hole in the fender and add a mast antenna (no, no, no!).

3. Add a little roof antenna like a VW bug.

4. Add XM or Sirius satellite to the existing radio - if that's possible.

So, I'm wondering if any of the above options, or even others I haven't though of, have been tried successfully by anyone on the forum. They key is that I want to keep the stock radio.

[TurboGS300]

Yes, they have boosters, however most of them just amplify the noise.

We used to take a small rubber antenna and stash it up under the dash for those who didn't want to drill a hole. It worked great most of the time.

You can do XM or Sirius through an FM modulator. <_<

[MailManX]

Yes, they have boosters, however most of them just amplify the noise.

We used to take a small rubber antenna and stash it up under the dash for those who didn't want to drill a hole. It worked great most of the time.

You can do XM or Sirius through an FM modulator. <_<

←

Yeah, I wondered about amplifying the noise. I think I'm leaning toward the satellite radio through an FM modulator.

[TurboGS300]

Before you go to alot of trouble or spend alot of money, make sure it's not the tuner in the radio that's the problem

.

[deadmilenko]

I get some what bad radio reception in my 2000 GS300 too. Someone told me once that the antenna is in the rear window that once the windows are tinted the reception gets worse. Is there any truth to this madness? I know that the 00 Expedetion that I owned had the antenna in the side window and the windows came tinted from the factory and I didnt have any poor reception with it. MailmanX tell me with opition you go with and how it works.

[MailManX]

Yup, my antenna is in the window and I do have aftermarket tint. The tuner is fine, there's just not much range. In my Toyota Avalon with essentially the same radio, but with a real antenna, I can pull in stations from a long way out. With the Lexus, those same stations drop off many miles sooner.

It may be a few weeks before I make a decision. But once I do, I'll post the results.

[deadmilenko]

You would think that a high dollar company like Lexus that produces high dollars vehicles would had a better system for radio reception. Is there an aftermarket antenna that would mount in the center of the back of the roof? I think I have seen them on BMW's before but I dont know if they are stock or aftermarket. They look like a small sharks fin.