1968 radio fm not working
06-27-2016, 04:31 PM
#1
1968 radio fm not working
Bought a 68 vette in the fall.Has orginial radio. Am works fine, yuck. But when I slide to fm, nothing. Is there anyway to fix the fm, or is radio just shot. Would like to keep original radio. Love the look. Antenna is connected and is grounded. Thanks
06-28-2016, 06:54 AM
#2
Team Owner
The only easy thing to try is slide the switch between am and fm very rapidly several times. Sometimes the contacts get dirt or corrosion and the switch doesn't make contact to change from one to the other. If that makes it work, and then it stops, you might be able to disassemble the radio and get some contact cleaner into the slide switch. If it works for a few months, slide it again. Or just occasionally do it as a preventative.
The not as easy option is repairing the electronics in the fm tuner section. It would require someone with the knowledge and desire to get into the old style electronics.
The not as easy option is repairing the electronics in the fm tuner section. It would require someone with the knowledge and desire to get into the old style electronics.
06-28-2016, 03:43 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
slide bar
I then picked up an "Out of Sight Audio" device which lets me stream bluetooth, but the sound still had no beef or bass to it.
Now I am waiting on the link I sent you .... a unit built by Mike Hagen and his team. Kinda pricy, but will be well worth it in the end (you can answer your smartphone with it) compared to trying to find original radios that are up there in price as well, but still have 47 yr old technology!
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frking (06-28-2016)
06-28-2016, 05:06 PM
#5
68 radio
The only easy thing to try is slide the switch between am and fm very rapidly several times. Sometimes the contacts get dirt or corrosion and the switch doesn't make contact to change from one to the other. If that makes it work, and then it stops, you might be able to disassemble the radio and get some contact cleaner into the slide switch. If it works for a few months, slide it again. Or just occasionally do it as a preventative. Thank you for the reply. Tried sliding back and forth rapidly, no luck. May try taking it apart and use the contact cleaner. Thanks again
The not as easy option is repairing the electronics in the fm tuner section. It would require someone with the knowledge and desire to get into the old style electronics.
The not as easy option is repairing the electronics in the fm tuner section. It would require someone with the knowledge and desire to get into the old style electronics.
06-29-2016, 02:46 PM
#6
Team Owner
You will not get the bass response you want out of 40 year-old technology. The head unit is fine, but the amplifier portion of the C3 radios is puny and has poor bass response.
You could rig up a modern amplifier system to feed your head unit thru. You also need to add other speakers. Those two 4x6 speakers in the dash are inadequate for bass response. The dash speakers are fine (should be replaced due to poor quality and age) in that location for transferring mid/high frequencies directly to the listener; but you need speakers with better bass response in the kickpanels or in rear, also, to enhance sound quality.
The dash speakers (thru 1976) were 10 ohm units. The output impedence of the head unit is 10 ohm [matching]. I would suggest using the Hi-Level input channels of a modern amp to receive the signals presently going to the speakers; then installing good quality speakers in dash and elsewhere, as needed by the new amp.
You could rig up a modern amplifier system to feed your head unit thru. You also need to add other speakers. Those two 4x6 speakers in the dash are inadequate for bass response. The dash speakers are fine (should be replaced due to poor quality and age) in that location for transferring mid/high frequencies directly to the listener; but you need speakers with better bass response in the kickpanels or in rear, also, to enhance sound quality.
The dash speakers (thru 1976) were 10 ohm units. The output impedence of the head unit is 10 ohm [matching]. I would suggest using the Hi-Level input channels of a modern amp to receive the signals presently going to the speakers; then installing good quality speakers in dash and elsewhere, as needed by the new amp.
Last edited by 7T1vette; 06-29-2016 at 02:47 PM.
06-29-2016, 04:03 PM
#7
68 radio
You will not get the bass response you want out of 40 year-old technology. The head unit is fine, but the amplifier portion of the C3 radios is puny and has poor bass response.
You could rig up a modern amplifier system to feed your head unit thru. You also need to add other speakers. Those two 4x6 speakers in the dash are inadequate for bass response. The dash speakers are fine (should be replaced due to poor quality and age) in that location for transferring mid/high frequencies directly to the listener; but you need speakers with better bass response in the kickpanels or in rear, also, to enhance sound quality.
The dash speakers (thru 1976) were 10 ohm units. The output impedence of the head unit is 10 ohm [matching]. I would suggest using the Hi-Level input channels of a modern amp to receive the signals presently going to the speakers; then installing good quality speakers in dash and elsewhere, as needed by the new amp.
You could rig up a modern amplifier system to feed your head unit thru. You also need to add other speakers. Those two 4x6 speakers in the dash are inadequate for bass response. The dash speakers are fine (should be replaced due to poor quality and age) in that location for transferring mid/high frequencies directly to the listener; but you need speakers with better bass response in the kickpanels or in rear, also, to enhance sound quality.
The dash speakers (thru 1976) were 10 ohm units. The output impedence of the head unit is 10 ohm [matching]. I would suggest using the Hi-Level input channels of a modern amp to receive the signals presently going to the speakers; then installing good quality speakers in dash and elsewhere, as needed by the new amp.
06-29-2016, 10:24 PM
#8
Team Owner
Ideally, you would like to take the audio feed out BEFORE that final stage of amplification (the 'convector' gizmo that mounts behind the right-side dash pad). That signal is pretty clean and true (for that vintage device). The convector is a low-quality amplifier stage and does nothing to enhance the sound quality; it only boosts volume and degrades sound quality in the process. But, someone will have to figure out how to use that signal, as it has a 12 volt DC component mixed with the signal. I think a coupling capacitor can do that, but a good amp design person needs to figure that out.
You can just cut the wires that feed the speakers and send that directly into the HI-Level input on a modern amp. But, the quality of the signal will be degraded due to the mediocre design of the final amp stage on the stock Delco head/convector.
I decided to keep the stock head, but replace the dash speakers with good quality units...and ADD bigger/better speakers in the kickpanels. I am happy with the decent sound quality and adequate volume; but it is nothing like what a modern system can do. However, my C3 is for DRIVING with audio taking a distant 2nd-place in priority.
You can just cut the wires that feed the speakers and send that directly into the HI-Level input on a modern amp. But, the quality of the signal will be degraded due to the mediocre design of the final amp stage on the stock Delco head/convector.
I decided to keep the stock head, but replace the dash speakers with good quality units...and ADD bigger/better speakers in the kickpanels. I am happy with the decent sound quality and adequate volume; but it is nothing like what a modern system can do. However, my C3 is for DRIVING with audio taking a distant 2nd-place in priority.
Last edited by 7T1vette; 06-29-2016 at 10:25 PM.
06-30-2016, 10:04 AM
#9
68 radio
Ideally, you would like to take the audio feed out BEFORE that final stage of amplification (the 'convector' gizmo that mounts behind the right-side dash pad). That signal is pretty clean and true (for that vintage device). The convector is a low-quality amplifier stage and does nothing to enhance the sound quality; it only boosts volume and degrades sound quality in the process. But, someone will have to figure out how to use that signal, as it has a 12 volt DC component mixed with the signal. I think a coupling capacitor can do that, but a good amp design person needs to figure that out.
You can just cut the wires that feed the speakers and send that directly into the HI-Level input on a modern amp. But, the quality of the signal will be degraded due to the mediocre design of the final amp stage on the stock Delco head/convector.
I decided to keep the stock head, but replace the dash speakers with good quality units...and ADD bigger/better speakers in the kickpanels. I am happy with the decent sound quality and adequate volume; but it is nothing like what a modern system can do. However, my C3 is for DRIVING with audio taking a distant 2nd-place in priority.
You can just cut the wires that feed the speakers and send that directly into the HI-Level input on a modern amp. But, the quality of the signal will be degraded due to the mediocre design of the final amp stage on the stock Delco head/convector.
I decided to keep the stock head, but replace the dash speakers with good quality units...and ADD bigger/better speakers in the kickpanels. I am happy with the decent sound quality and adequate volume; but it is nothing like what a modern system can do. However, my C3 is for DRIVING with audio taking a distant 2nd-place in priority.
06-30-2016, 03:07 PM
#10
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06-30-2016, 05:16 PM
#11
68 radio
06-30-2016, 08:35 PM
#12
Team Owner
Yep. There are sources that put new 'guts' in your radio head...essentially making it into a new head with good power, good response but still in the same package. It can be relatively expensive; but if you are big on good music, that's one way to get it. You will still need to replace the dash speakers (big mistake to eliminate them, BTW) and add others to fill out the sound.