When you encounter annoying signal drops or interference while listening to the radio in the car, in most cases we can't do anything about it, but there are several situations that can be tried to improve car radio reception.
Depending on whether you want to listen to your favorite sports programs on the AM band or the news on the FM band, everything from high-rise buildings to solar flares can have a negative impact on your listening experience. Unless you have a lot of influence on the local zone board, or you have figured out how to use your mind to control the sun, most problems boil down to "can not do nothing about it".
However, if the machine's signal reception problem persists, it may be an equipment malfunction. Most failures are easy to repair.
Is Your Antenna Mast Extended?
In many cases, the antenna mast may be pushed in. For example, the car washer forgot to pull it out, or a large bird fell on the antenna mast. In any case, if you have a retractable mast and the radio reception has been bad recently, this is definitely something to check.
The functions of the antenna are to receive radio waves and improve car radio reception. If the antenna is pushed in, it will be difficult for the antenna to work normally, which makes sense. If you find it is stuffed in, pull it out, the ability to improve car radio reception may be greatly enhanced.
This may sound like a very basic thing, but in fact, it is very common to retract the antenna manually and leave it there. Since there is no mechanism to prevent these masts from retracting, anyone can walk by and push your antenna down. The car washer could be pushed them in to prevent them from breaking during the washing. This is very common. If someone does not remember to pull it out on the other side, it is easy to drive away without knowing it.
When the radio is turned on, the extended electronic antenna may also be damaged at the lower part. In this case, your radio reception may be very bad. Since many antennas are not within the range that we can normally see, you won't even notice that the motor is broken unless you specifically look for them.
Although you can use pliers to pull out a failed antenna, doing so may peel off the gear or damage the motor.
Check Your Antenna Connections
Poor antenna connection is one of the most common causes of poor car radio reception. If the antenna cable is in the wrong position on the head, or if any connection is loose, frayed, or corroded, you may find it difficult to tune to the station you want.
The first thing to check is the connection between the antenna cable and the back of the head unit. If the connection is correct, then you may want to find a station that you can tune in and then gently swing the antenna itself back and forth. If the connection is ok, you will not notice anything. If the connection is loose, you may notice that the tuner drops and then regain the signal. If this happens, you should tighten the antenna and check the ground.
Install a Signal Booster
Radio signal boosters are far from sure to solve the problem of poor reception, but in some specific situations, they can solve your problem. If you can receive a signal from a specific radio station, but the signal is particularly weak, then the signal booster may improve your reception. However, if the signal degradation is related to obstacles such as tall buildings and hills, the booster will not help you in any way.