On 16 Mar 2007 18:01:38 -0700, "tez" wrote:

:On Mar 17, 5:47 am, Dan_Musicant wrote:
: I have a mini-stereo (5 year old Sony MHCMG110) and stations that it
: used to receive OK now are noisy (static, typical noise for a weak
: station). I almost always listen to low power stations (college radio),
: and their output is weak, of course. However, stations that used to come
: in OK now sound crumby. It varies from day to day, but overall it seems
: worse and I wonder if I can attribute this to some kind of deterioration
: in the system. The last week or so it seems worse than ever. Of course,
: it could just be that the 2-3 stations I listen to have changed their
: pattern of transmission or their transmitters are having problems.
:
: The antenna I use for this system is a dipole that I have mounted on a
: swiveling rabbit ears, and I've had that antenna since the mid-1970's. I
: have several dipole antennas, but I always got the best reception with
: this particular one, so I use it on the rabbit ears, which is just a
: homemade affair made from wood. The poles are in one straight line, and
: horizontal and I can rotate that line like a compass needle. I tested
: the leads yesterday with an ohmmeter and there's continuity between
: them. Cleaned the leads and reiniserted in the antenna input for the
: system, but there's no evident change.
:
: The dipole antenna is basically like this, and can rotate around that
: center point for best reception:
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: I've been thinking of doing an additional split on one or both of my two
: rooftop TV antennas and running feeds to the ministereo. If two coaxial
: feeds, I'd have a switch. These two antennas point in different
: directions, basically 90 degrees apart, so I could get more stations
: that way. I know I'll have to use a balun if I use coaxial antenna
: inputs (I have some baluns).
:
: Any ideas? Thanks!
: Email: d plus musicant at pacbell dot net
:
:The answer is yes. The various componets can change values with age
:and use. Depending on how much you want to spend, the price of a
:replacment radio and senimentality of your existing unit you would
:have to get a tech to test and or replace each componet. Also check
:the output of power supply to make sure it is not giving low voltage.

I wouldn't have it tested. I didn't expect it to last longer than it
has, simply because I read a post by someone who's had a few of these
ministereos and he said they last about 5 years. This one has a 60 CD
changer, and I figured that would break first. However, nothing has
broken on it except for two things:

1. The volume control (spin knob) doesn't reliably advance or decrement
the volume. You can spin it and nothing happens - very annoying. My
workaround is to use the remote. People in this NG tell me I can buy a
replacement control for $15 and I would except that folks say that
taking the unit apart and replacing the control is apt to be pretty
complicated.

2. This reception problem, which as I say I am not sure is due to any
deterioration of the unit. However, I figure there's a fair chance that
it IS.

:Re the antenna If you can afford it you are better off to use a
:seperate FM antenna on a rotor so you can point it to specific
:stations. You may receive stations that you cannot receive with an
:indoor antenna.

I really should do that. I should have a long time ago, actually.
Email: d plus musicant at pacbell dot net