[RFI] Car Advice

[N0RQ (lists)]

"GM done the most"???   Well, maybe, but that's not my experience.

We bought a 2003 Chevy Express van (same thing as a GMC Sierra) 
with a 6L Vortec engine (the big one).  It doesn't cause any problems 
on 2m/440 FM, but for HF, yikes.  It's a killer on 15m, where it seems
to be the worst, but it is bad on 6m on down.  Thankfully, the TS-480
noise blanker takes care of most of it, but it is pretty bad.  I went
through
the grounding stuff, put on the fancy spark plug wires, all to no avail.
I don't do mobile HF much, but if I did, it would be annoying.

Even though I bought it new, the dealership was most UNhelpful
when I mentioned the problem.  Needless to say, I won't be buying 
a vehicle there again.

Dave N0RQ


-----Original Message-----

As of 5-6 years ago GM had done the most to handle ignition and computer 
noise, and were willing to talk mobile radions...they even did a mobile RFI 
presentation at Dayton a few times. But having walked away from a 40 MPH tee

bone into the driver's door of my first 4 Runner I felt some loyalty to buy 
another. If GM's noise is still low, I'd consider them for the next SUV from

a ham radio perspective.