26 Maverick XLT - AM reception sucks

[Olaf the ancient]

the AM reception in my stock 2026 XLT is better than most other cars Ive had. problem is my favorite football team has switched to FM only.

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[ScottyC]

@rmcadad this may sound simplistic, but is your antenna installed? When I was pondering my lack of terrestrial station availability, I took a closer look at my antenna mount and realized that the dealership forgot to install the actual antenna. I found it in the glovebox and installed it myself and bingo!! Better reception.

 

[rmcadad]

@rmcadad this may sound simplistic, but is your antenna installed? When I was pondering my lack of terrestrial station availability, I took a closer look at my antenna mount and realized that the dealership forgot to install the actual antenna. I found it in the glovebox and installed it myself and bingo!! Better reception.

Yes, the original one was installed and it was completely screwed into the mount.

I don't know whether you saw elsewhere in this thread but I did finally find another antenna on Amazon that works better.

 

[ScottyC]

FYI - I ordered this longer antenna and it improves my radio's reception of the AM stations that the antenna that came with the truck couldn't. It's not perfect but sufficient enough to keep using it.

Eightwood Car Antenna Replacement 16 inch
https://a.co/d/07wFE7vS

Thanks for the discussion everyone

Nice - I may order one for my truck.

Yes, the original one was installed and it was completely screwed into the mount.

I don't know whether you saw elsewhere in this thread but I did finally find another antenna on Amazon that works better.

Yes, thank you.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I don't listen to radio while driving but check out digital streaming apps for am radio. Most stations also broadcast digital streams.
RE:
Types of Digital AM Radio

• • HD Radio: Many local AM stations broadcast digital sidebands alongside or replacing their analog signals. You need an HD Radio receiver (common in newer car stereos) to pick these up. []
  • Internet Streaming: Most traditional AM stations stream their live broadcasts over the internet through their official websites or aggregators like TuneIn and iHeartRadio. [1]
  • Smart Speakers: You can ask devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Home to play specific AM radio stations via streaming services.

 

[tpollauf]

I too noticed that the AM reception is not as good compared to my 2014 Silverado or 2009 Pontiac Vibe. I listed to WJR & WWJ AM stations out of Detroit most of the time and being an hour to the south (Ohio/Michigan line) I usually get it clear with minimal interreference. Not so clear in the Mav! Those 16" antennas may help BUT I'm not crazy about it sticking up so high!

 

[rmcadad]

I too noticed that the AM reception is not as good compared to my 2014 Silverado or 2009 Pontiac Vibe. I listed to WJR & WWJ AM stations out of Detroit most of the time and being an hour to the south (Ohio/Michigan line) I usually get it clear with minimal interreference. Not so clear in the Mav! Those 16" antennas may help BUT I'm not crazy about it sticking up so high!

I wish Ford would do something about it. Not a good look for them.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

I don't think Ford will do anything about improving am reception.
Seeing as how Ford a wanted to get rid of am radios to begin with. I'm thinking that it's going to be a bare minimum type of situation.

 

[DonnyDuck]

The AM tuner on my 26 Maverick XLT hybrid sucks. All our other vehicles (including our most recent one, a 24 Toyota RAV4) bring in local AM stations clearly. The FM side is better, no issues. Local AM stations are very staticy.


AI tells me it's because modern vehicles are full of interfering electronics. If so, why does our 24 RAV4 work fine?


I have tried connecting via Android Auto and iHeartRadio but I find that cumbersome and fraught with setup issues that make it a very frustrating experience. I'm old fashioned and just want good AM reception.


I have also explored solutions that have me taking apart the dash to access behind things. I definitely do not want to do that.


I'm currently exploring either longer antennas for
AM, signal boosters, or interference reducers. AI gets confusing in discussions like this.


I see others have reported this, judging by a search in this forum. However they are from several years back, so I'm wondering if there are any fresh relatively easy solutions that have worked. If you have had the same issue and you resolved it, what fixed it for you?

My FM reception is also bad. But I want a shorter antenna, not a longer one.

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