Poor AM radio reception

[Jiml]

The AM reception on my radio is very poor. I've owned other 1800's and 1500's but never had this issue. Any thoughts on the possible causes?

[WingAdmin]

The AM reception on my radio is very poor. I've owned other 1800's and 1500's but never had this issue. Any thoughts on the possible causes?

Do you have aftermarket LED lights on your bike? Headlights, brake lights, etc?

[Jiml]

Yes I have a Kuryakyn LED light panel on the trunk. Is this affecting the AM reception? Is there some way to eliminate the problem without removing these lights?

[WingAdmin]

Yes I have a Kuryakyn LED light panel on the trunk. Is this affecting the AM reception? Is there some way to eliminate the problem without removing these lights?

Try disconnecting it and see if the problem goes away. Some LEDs have poorly designed/shielded drivers that put out a lot of RF interference, and can cause problems with radio reception. AM radio is particularly susceptible.

If it is those LEDs, you can try putting a ferrite choke on the wire going to the LEDs (as close as possible to the LEDs) - sometimes this will filter out enough of the interference that the noise goes away, or down significantly. It depends on where the noise is emanating from.

[Jiml]

I'm unfamiliar with a ferrite choke and how it is installed. Where would one purchase this item?

[WingAdmin]

I'm unfamiliar with a ferrite choke and how it is installed. Where would one purchase this item?

They're fairly common - I like using toroids that you wind the wire through, but clip-on chokes work almost as well:

https://www.amazon.com/VSKEY-Anti-inter ... B078XKHLKG

If you can wind the wire through multiple times, it's much better:

Find This Item on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078XKHLKG?tag=goldwingdocs-20

[WingAdmin]

But I should mention, before trying this, try disconnecting the LED and see if it makes any difference, to first determine if it is in fact the cause of the problem.