Radio band expander (yes, I know!)

[Bingly Bingly Bongo]

Okay, so there's loads of stuff on this forum about band expanders and most of the replies say that you should chuck them away and buy a cheap radio from Aldi. However, I really like the sound quality of my Addzest DB315 CD/Radio, so I bought a (made in NewZealand) band expander. Plugged it in and... nothing happens. I have connected the red wire, that comes out of the expander, to a 15amp fuse that feeds the radio. Any ideas why it won't work? Ta.

[Bingly Bingly Bongo]

This is the detatchable facia from the CD player, if this helps. Also, does anyone know how to set the clock?

[g8dhe]

You have retuned / scanned the radio presumably but it still hasn't found anything ?

[Bingly Bingly Bongo]

Yes Geoff. It now stops scanning at 90.00 - it used to go up to that before and then start again at 76.00.
Ian

[New Forest Terrier]

Could you have a faulty chip?

I chipped my radio and speedo when I bought the Bongo. Radio chip worked fine. Like you I had a nice radio and CD I wanted to keep. Chip worked perfectly, all stations including Radio 4 and local stations. The first speedo chip did nothing and had to be replaced. The second worked fine. If it had been the other way round, I would have just dumped the radio.

The clock on my radio sets manually, but if it sets on a time signal you will be in trouble. I just press the clock button till things start flashing and then the radio tuner buttons adjust the time.

[g8dhe]

Yes Geoff. It now stops scanning at 90.00 - it used to go up to that before and then start again at 76.00.
Ian

That won't change, it will still display 76-90, but the incoming signals from the aerial will be shifted down into that range.
Normally the "Can" will have the frequency shift marked on it, the most common is 12MHz but 16 and 18MHz ones are also available so that you can choose the range you will hear.
The Japanese radio's only tune a total of 14MHz (90-76) whilst European transmissions cover 108MHz down to 88Mhz which is 20MHz so you can never tune the whole range anyway.

Provided you have plugged the aerial into the converter and the converter into the radio, and supplied the 12 volts to the extra wire there isn't a lot you can do! Other than swap it for a working one!

[bongoben]

You used to be able to buy a switched version frequency changer which
allowed you to select the low range or the high range conversion. This
was available about 7 years ago, I don't know if they still are. I changed
the radio after a couple of years and I may still have the changer unit
somewhere in all the rubbish that I keeep in case it may come in handy
one day, but the wife has "tidied up" my workshop many times since then.

[Bingly Bingly Bongo]

Thanks for your input guys ('scuse the pun) I reckon I must have a duff unit. Bit limited on radio on the Isle of Man. I can get Radio 2 in the North West of the island, Manx radio in South and naff all in between. Never mind, just have to change the radio to be sure. Thanks
Another Ian

[Doone]

I don't know if this will help at all, (or if your radio/chip is duff) but I had poor reception on my car radio (a new, good radio). My husband got me a 'boosted' aerial (from a car radio shop) and my radio picks up everything now.

[aitch]

I put a new radio into the Bongo but I also own an import Nissan Micra (march) convertable with the original jap. radio with a chip and all I can get is 1215 AM absolute radio and a few eurpean stations no radio 2 or local ones so I listen to cd's all the Time!!!!


My choice of music much to my daughters disgust

[New Forest Terrier]

Totally confused here Are all Jap radios limited in the number of wavebands available due to the shorter range

Mine which seemed successfully chiped until it died a few weeks ago had four wavebands the same as a UK spec one. With the chip everything was there on one of them. Just find your station and stick it on a preset.

[Scott]

Totally confused here Are all Jap radios limited in the number of wavebands available due to the shorter range

Mine which seemed successfully chiped until it died a few weeks ago had four wavebands the same as a UK spec one. With the chip everything was there on one of them. Just find your station and stick it on a preset.

In Japan the FM broadcast band is 76–90(ish) MHz where as over here we use 87-108(ish)MHz, the gadgetmathingy shifts the frequency from japan to UK so everything is there, but in a different place

[dave_aber]

Basically, yes. It mixes in a set frequency which has the effect of lowering the frequency of the UK transmission received at the aerial to get it down into the band the radio is tuned for.

Inevitably, this isn't a perfect process and there are losses along the way both in the conversion, and in the additional connections - hence why most people just chuck the Japanese radio and stick a UK one in.