Stock vs Pioneer AM reception in my '02 Civic (video)

[pianoplayer88key]

I've finally put together a video comparing the stock radio that was in my Civic vs the Pioneer DEH-X9600BHS I recently installed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PhCORofey0

It's almost 42 minutes long, so of course feel free to skip around. Also it was recorded in 1080p (except for the segments with the stock radio facing north, so I had to scale that one up), but YT hasn't yet made the 1080 option available, hopefully it'll be there soon.

As you can tell in the 5th segment on each frequency, I'm getting a lot of engine noise. (It's even detectable on my strongest local signal, 1170 KCBQ, which has an estimated field intensity of about 123 mV/m here.) Also my sensitivity isn't hugely improved (although 840 KXNT does do a little better on the Pioneer than on the stock radio), and first-adjacent selectivity near strong locals (for example 760 KFMB, 910 KECR, 1130 KSDO, 1170 KCBQ) is still sorely lacking. Any suggestions on what I need to change with the installation (maybe checking the receiver ground connection, or installing a whip antenna, etc) so that, for example, 1280 KFRN would come in as clear as 910 KECR does now? I thought I followed the installation instructions I got from Crutchfield when I ordered the radio from them... I'm guessing I don't have it installed quite correctly? I was almost hoping that very weak signals that were also ravaged with splatter on the stock radio (for example 700 KALL, 770 KCBC, 1180 KERN) would be as clear as the HD receptions on the Pioneer are.

A slightly-edited copy/paste of the description is below...

A comparison of radios in my 2002 Honda Civic.

There are 5 segments to each frequency:
1 - Stock Honda radio, car facing west in driveway
2 - Pioneer DEH-X9600BHS, car facing west in driveway
3 - Stock Honda radio, car facing north parked on street
4 - Pioneer DEH-X9600BHS, car facing north parked on street
5 - Pioneer DEH-X9600BHS, car facing north on street, engine running, revved to/past highway RPMs (but not in gear, and parking brake was on so I wasn't actually going anywhere) on some frequencies.

Most of the clips were recorded mid June 2015, except the stock facing north clips, which were recorded March 9 just after local noon. (That should explain, for example, the format change on 1450 KSPA, or 1520 Port Hueneme being only heard in the one clip.)

Approximate/estimated received field strengths at my location:

(This generally does not include Mexican stations (I don't have sufficient received signal strength data), but does include some weak signals that weren't received satisfactorily, but that I was hoping to be able to hear & be listenable with the Pioneer. Also, the information on a few stations could be out of date, as it's from info I received from the owner of the radio-timetraveller blog in September 2014, also he didn't have data for Mexican stations available. Also, some desired stations are not included that either have nearby co-channel stations, or are below the 5 µV/m threshold that he used for supplying me the data.)

550 KFYI - 33.2 dBµV/m (45.5 µV/m) - 289 mi, 80°
560 KBLU - 40.1 dBµV/m (102 µV/m) - 134 mi, 91°
570 KLAC - 58.0 dBµV/m (794 µV/m) - 116 mi, 322°
590 KTIE - 39.8 dBµV/m (97.7 µV/m) - 93 mi, 348°
600 KOGO - 91.0 dBµV/m (35.5 mV/m) - 7.7 mi, 249°
610 KAVL - 35.0 dBµV/m (55.9 µV/m) - 152 mi, 333°
640 KFI - 71.6 dBµV/m (3.81 mV/m) - 99 mi, 322°
660 KWVE - 21.4 dBµV/m (11.7 µV/m) - 218 mi, 329°
670 KIRN - 58.1 dBµV/m (799 µV/m) - 148 mi, 317°
680 KNBR - 22.2 dBµV/m (12.8 µV/m) - 445 mi, 319°
700 KALL - 15.7 dBµV/m (6.1 µV/m) - 626 mi, 25°
710 KSPN - 63.9 dBµV/m (1.57 mV/m) - 129 mi, 320°
720 KDWN - 33.9 dBµV/m (49.3 µV/m) - 255 mi, 26°
740 KBRT - 66.4 dBµV/m (2.095 mV/m) - 84 mi, 332°
760 KFMB - 93.4 dBµV/m (46.9 mV/m) - 7.3 mi, 321°
770 KCBC - 14.5 dBµV/m (5.29 µV/m) - 413 mi, 329°
780 KAZM - 17.9 dBµV/m (7.82 µV/m) - 328 mi, 62°
790 KABC - 58.4 dBµV/m (829 µV/m) - 120 mi, 317°
810 KGO - 19.8 dBµV/m (9.81 µV/m) - 439 mi, 320°
830 KLAA - 59.1 dBµV/m (905 µV/m) - 89 mi, 335°
840 KXNT - 35.1 dBµV/m (56.6 µV/m) - 277 mi, 24°
870 KRLA - 45.9 dBµV/m (196 µV/m) - 120 mi, 323°
890 KIHC - 25.5 dBµV/m (18.9 µV/m) - 263 mi, 310°
910 KECR - 88.7 dBµV/m (27.1 mV/m) - 9.4 mi, 7°
920 KPSI - 36.5 dBµV/m (66.6 µV/m) - 80 mi, 19°
930 KHJ - 46.4 dBµV/m (209 µV/m) - 119 mi, 321°
960 KIXW - 35.5 dBµV/m (59.3 µV/m) - 122 mi, 353°
970 KNWZ - 45.9 dBµV/m (196 µV/m) - 78 mi, 35°
980 KFWB - 47.0 dBµV/m (224 µV/m) - 116 mi, 322°
990 KTMS - 25.3 dBµV/m (18.5 µV/m) - 197 mi, 308°
1000 KCEO - 68.4 dBµV/m (2.64 mV/m) - 38 mi, 330°
1010 KXPS - 32.4 dBµV/m (41.6 µV/m) - 81 mi, 22°
1020 KTNQ - 46.7 dBµV/m (215 µV/m) - 106 mi, 326°
1040 KURS - 78.1 dBµV/m (8.06 mV/m) - 11.2 mi, 246°
1060 KDUS - 17.6 dBµV/m (7.58 µV/m) - 291 mi, 80°
1070 KNX - 70.3 dBµV/m (3.29 mV/m) - 111 mi, 314°
1100 KFNX - 24.7 dBµV/m (17.1 µV/m) - 295 mi, 75°
1110 KDIS - 53.4 dBµV/m (469 µV/m) - 111 mi, 327°
1130 KSDO - 96.1 dBµV/m (63.8 mV/m) - 6.3 mi, 350°
1140 KNWQ - 43.2 dBµV/m (144 µV/m) - 81 mi, 20°
1150 KEIB - 39.4 dBµV/m (93.4 µV/m) - 106 mi, 326°
1170 KCBQ - 102 dBµV/m (123 mV/m) - 9.4 mi, 7.3°
1180 KERN - 28.0 dBµV/m (25.1 µV/m) - 237 mi, 326°
1190 KGBN - 43.0 dBµV/m (142 µV/m) - 97 mi, 327°
1200 KPSF - 33.5 dBµV/m (47.3 µV/m) - 81 mi, 22°
1210 KPRZ - 81.1 dBµV/m (11.3 mV/m) - 25.7 mi, 326°
1230 KXO - 32.5 dBµV/m (42.0 µV/m) - 81 mi, 87°
1240 KNSN - 79.7 dBµV/m (9.64 mV/m) - 11.2 mi, 246°
1250 KZER - 47.1 dBµV/m (225 µV/m) - 201 mi, 306°
1260 KMZT - 40.7 dBµV/m (108 µV/m) - 135 mi, 320°
1280 KFRN - 52.3 dBµV/m (412 µV/m) - 104 mi, 314°
1290 KZSB - 40.5 dBµV/m (106 µV/m) - 195 mi, 307°
1300 KAZN - 42.3 dBµV/m (130 µV/m) - 114 mi, 325°
1320 KKSM - 51.4 dBµV/m (371 µV/m) - 38.0 mi, 323°
1330 KWKW - 49.2 dBµV/m (287 µV/m) - 119 mi, 318°
1340 KCLU - 41.5 dBµV/m (118 µV/m) - 195 mi, 307°
1350 KTDD - 33.6 dBµV/m (48.1 µV/m) - 94 mi, 348°
1360 KLSD - 89.8 dBµV/m (31 mV/m) - 8.3 mi, 255°
1370 KWRM - 40.6 dBµV/m (108 µV/m) - 85 mi, 336°
1380 KLPZ - 20.7 dBµV/m (10.9 µV/m) - 181 mi, 57°
1400 KKZZ - 33.9 dBµV/m (49.6 µV/m) - 164 mi, 312°
1410 KCAL - 35.5 dBµV/m (59.9 µV/m) - 91.6 mi, 351°
1430 KXO - 30.4 dBµV/m (33.2 µV/m) - 82 mi, 87°
1440 KFNY - 32.2 dBµV/m (40.7 µV/m) - 91 mi, 345°
1450 KFSD - 55.9 dBµV/m (626 µV/m) - 26.6 mi, 338°
1460 KTYM - 38.3 dBµV/m (82.5 µV/m) - 119 mi, 317°
1480 KVNR - 35.9 dBµV/m (62.5 µV/m) - 88 mi, 321°
1490 KSPE - 42.8 dBµV/m (138 µV/m) - 195 mi, 307°
1510 KSPA - 39.4 dBµV/m (93.7 µV/m) - 100 mi, 338°
1520 KUNX - 51.9 dBµV/m (392 µV/m) - 159 mi, 308°
1540 KMPC - 37.8 dBµV/m (77.8 µV/m) - 116 mi, 322°
1560 KNZR - 22.6 dBµV/m (13.6 µV/m) - 213 mi, 326°
1580 KBLA - 48.9 dBµV/m (279 µV/m) - 119 mi, 321°
1590 KVTA - 34.4 dBµV/m (52.5 µV/m) - 165 mi, 309°
1600 KAHZ - 33.3 dBµV/m (46.3 µV/m) - 99 mi, 333°
1650 KFOX - 48.9 dBµV/m (277 µV/m) - 119 mi, 318°
1670 KHPY - 39.6 dBµV/m (95.3 µV/m) - 88 mi, 351°



As for general bandscans, and FM bandscans, those are found in the following post from another thread...
http://www.radiodiscussions.com/sho...for-02-Civic&p=6054144&viewfull=1#post6054144

 

[pianoplayer88key]

Well, apparently there's a glitch causing there to be no sound on frequencies above 1320 kHz in the video. When I put it together, I had to do it in 3 segments (530 to 910, 920 to 1310, and 1320 to 1700), cause for some reason I couldn't add video files totaling over 4 GB or so to avidemux, even though I was running a 64-bit version on a 64-bit OS. But when I saved the 3 segments I was able to get them down to a total of about 3.8 GB without losing too much quality for the purpose of the video. In investigating, I've learned that the segment I used from 1320 to 1700 had no sound other than the first couple seconds. I'm re-importing the individual 200 videos (5 for each frequency as outlined above) into avidemux, then rechecking my settings, saving a new file, and plan to upload that portion and link as a separate video.

The videos are being uploaded and processed. I will reply again (since the edit timeout will have expired for this post) later with the links.

 

[gar hi]

I like how KNBR and KGO make it all the way down there in the daytime.

And I bet they would be completely audible if it weren't for the splatter of the adjacent locals.

Reminds me of hearing KFI up in Santa Cruz in the middle of the day when I was visiting a few years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNzZw2aS_34

 

[pianoplayer88key]

You actually heard KNBR and KGO? I couldn't hear them on the radios. (I only listed them because I was also listing some weak signals I wanted to hear but couldn't.)

I do think I'd be able to hear KALL if it wasn't for 690. I heard it a couple months ago with a listenable signal on the stock radio when I was about 40-50 miles northeast of here, and the station is 626 miles from me with pretty much no saltwater path (except possibly Great Salt Lake and maybe Salton Sea), and I think it might even have to go through Coachella Valley which David Eduardo has among the worst conductivity in the country.

Also several years ago I once heard my local 1090 up in Tracy, CA, during daytime hours on a portable aided by the Select-A-Tenna.

And, here are updated (fixed) video links... (The original link still works but there's no sound above 1310 kHz.)

530 to 1310 kHz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwL47Y_WjMI

1320 to 1710 kHz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLxWKFhfxuU

 

[gar hi]

You actually heard KNBR and KGO? I couldn't hear them on the radios. (I only listed them because I was also listing some weak signals I wanted to hear but couldn't.)

Since you listed them along with a signal strength, I assumed you heard something on those frequencies that wasn't audible enough to ID.

And in the past, I remember you did get them in the daytime on another radio and even had audio recordings where I could hear the stations.

I think it was you anyway.

 

[radioman148]

Many years ago I heard KGO & KNBR about 40 miles north of San Diego between noon and 1PM on a car radio near the ocean. So I would guess it is possible to hear it in the SD area during the day via groundwave.