Spectra install pops and crackles

[chuckhab]

Hi gang,

I am working on installing 2 Spectras in my 2003 Chevy 1500HD. I have the power cables in and powered up the radios.

The first radio is a 800Mhz radio that seems to work fine as far as powering up. I am waiting for an antenna so can't test it further from a receive standpoint, but all 'sounds' good through the speaker when I change volumes, modes etc.

Radio #2 is a VHF 45W Spectra. It worked fine yesterday when I powered it up the first time. Now I get awful cracks and pops through the speaker. They are worse when the volume is low, like below 5. At higher volumes, like above 12 (deafening), they seem to almost go away. I have an old antenna that will be replaced, and thought that may be the culprit, but the cracking was there when the antenna was connected and disconnected.

I had this radio on an AC 12 volt power supply before. When I set that up, I had the same type of annoying crackle, but when I changed ignition sense wires, the sound went away. I have tried this in the truck with 2 ignition sense wires, 2 power cables, and 2 different speakers, with the same results-- the VHF radio has the snap-crackle-pop, the 800 radio seems OK.

Any ideas? Is the radio going bad? Is it the ignition sense/speaker pigtail connection? Is this something that could be diagnosed with a bench test?

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

Chuckles

[kc7gr]

Hi gang,

<snip>

Radio #2 is a VHF 45W Spectra. It worked fine yesterday when I powered it up the first time. Now I get awful cracks and pops through the speaker. They are worse when the volume is low, like below 5. At higher volumes, like above 12 (deafening), they seem to almost go away. I have an old antenna that will be replaced, and thought that may be the culprit, but the cracking was there when the antenna was connected and disconnected.

There was an earlier thread I contributed to about this issue.

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.p ... highlight=

It sounds like you may have the infamous 'Leaky Capacitors' problem on your command and RF boards. Check them both! If you choose to perform the repair procedure, do it to both boards at the same time.

Keep the peace(es).

[bilat]

I had a similar problem. It wasn't quite a crackle but rather a clicking noise. Took forever to figure it out but upon inspection that involved a complete tear down of my vehicle I discovered the culprit. It was a striped speaker wire grounding against the body of the car. Sometimes its the tiniest thing that will drive you nuts.