Poor Reception

The electric antenna will retract when the radio chassis is turned off and will extend when the radio chassis is turned on. The electric antenna must be extended to full height for the best AM and FM reception. The most common reason for poor reception is the inability of the electric antenna to fully extend due to damage to the antenna mast. The electric antenna mast may not fully extend if the mast is bent. It is important to retract the electric antenna mast prior to entering a potentially damaging situation, such as going through an automatic car wash. The radio ON/OFF switch controls the extension and retraction of the electric antenna mast. For either fixed mast antennas or electric antennas, if AM reception is extremely poor and FM reception "spits" or appears to have trouble holding stations, ensure that the antenna connectors are properly mated. If the antenna connectors are properly mated but the reception is still poor, replace either the fixed mast antenna or the electric antenna. If only the FM reception is poor, it is unlikely that the fixed mast antenna or the electric antenna is at fault. Remove the radio chassis for service.