Fitcamx FM Radio Interference

[pswired]

Hi All,

I installed a FitCamX (4K front/1080P rear) yesterday. Since then, my FM radio has stopped working. It will occasionally receive a station properly, but before long the radio will just play some light static. The static has a pattern in it that matches one of the blinking camera status LED patterns perfectly. If the camera is powered down (turning the car off but leaving radio on) the FM starts working again perfectly.

Did I get a dud camera or did they just not design these things with any EMC effort?

Also, while I'm griping about the camera, the mounting tabs on the camera housing that snap into the roof bracket were manufactured incorrectly and required trimming to fit. Plus the edge of the housing leaves a gap near the headliner at the rear side of the housing. Not really what I'd consider great quality.

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[Mach-Lee]

Yeah if the FM radio starts working again when you unplug the camera that's REALLY BAD EMC. I'd be concerned about it interfering with other stuff too like the cellular modem, fobs, etc. Probably doesn't have a FCC mark on it anywhere eh?

Makes you wonder if you could solder in some suppression capacitors or use a different power supply...

 

[generaltso]

I don’t have any radio interference with mine, so maybe you got a dud?

I‘m not sure what you mean about having to trim the mounting tabs. Are you saying that the clips from the original surround didn’t fit?

 

[Stimulant]

I have the same set up as you (4k front, dual camera set up). I'll check my FM stations tomorrow and reply (I typically don't listen to the radio so haven't noticed). How long will the FM station play before you hear the static?

Agree with the gap. Not ideal but none of my passengers have noticed it (or at least commented on it). As far as video quality/being able to download the images to my phone, I'm loving it compared to my other generic dash cam that I use in my other car.

 

[generaltso]

Agree with the gap. Not ideal but none of my passengers have noticed it (or at least commented on it).

Yeah, that gap in the corner is my one complaint. You can reduce or eliminate it with a heat gun. You just have to be careful (and heat it from the back side).

 

[pswired]

Yeah if the FM radio starts working again when you unplug the camera that's REALLY BAD EMC. I'd be concerned about it interfering with other stuff too like the cellular modem, fobs, etc. Probably doesn't have a FCC mark on it anywhere eh?

Makes you wonder if you could solder in some suppression capacitors or use a different power supply...

I think I've got a bag of ferrite beads somewhere. I'll try to throw a few of those on the power cable and see if that does anything.

Currently using the included splitter cable that taps into the windshield wiper rain sensor harness. Wonder if everyone else with this camera is using the harness that goes back to a fuse box for constant +12v power. The automatic wiper schematics might shed some more light on this issue, if that's being fed with regulated power from the same system that contains the FM tuner.

Yeah, that gap in the corner is my one complaint. You can reduce or eliminate it with a heat gun. You just have to be careful (and heat it from the back side).

Thanks for that comment. I actually tracked down my heat gun yesterday and am planning to do exactly that when I have a few minutes. I also shoved a rag up into the headliner to bring it down a bit and reduce the gap.

 

[JohnnyForensic]

Yeah, that gap in the corner is my one complaint. You can reduce or eliminate it with a heat gun. You just have to be careful (and heat it from the back side).

I ended-up doing it with my gas stove and a potholder.

 

[pswired]

Also, here are some pictures of the mounting tabs that don't fit. Notice that the vertical cross section of the tab is rectangular in the OEM surround, and trapezoidal on the fitcamx surround. I fixed this with a box cutter and some hacking, but without cutting, the trapezoidal cross section just jams into the holes (you can see the indentations from the roof bracket contacting it) and the clips will never engage, nor will the surround seat fully.

fitcamx mounting tab:

OEM mounting tab:

Finally here is the gap I was complaining about:

 

[JohnnyForensic]

Hi All,

I installed a FitCamX (4K front/1080P rear) yesterday. Since then, my FM radio has stopped working. It will occasionally receive a station properly, but before long the radio will just play some light static. The static has a pattern in it that matches one of the blinking camera status LED patterns perfectly. If the camera is powered down (turning the car off but leaving radio on) the FM starts working again perfectly.

Did I get a dud camera or did they just not design these things with any EMC effort?

Also, while I'm griping about the camera, the mounting tabs on the camera housing that snap into the roof bracket were manufactured incorrectly and required trimming to fit. Plus the edge of the housing leaves a gap near the headliner at the rear side of the housing. Not really what I'd consider great quality.

I just went outside to check mine. I have almost the same setup—I’ve got the 4K Front camera only; no back camera—and I’m using the rain sensor splitter as you are. My FM radio stations seem to all be fine.

The FitCamX unit has a button on it that can turn off the system; maybe see if that also stops the issue when everything else is turned on and running (instead of checking after the car has powered down other systems too).

Good luck!

 

[pswired]

Short video showing the radio starting to work after the camera is turned off. You can hear the ticking coming through the radio that lines up with the camera LED if you turn the volume up a bit.

 

[pswired]

Does anyone know where the FM antenna is located in these cars? I ran my rear camera cable from the rear glass through the right side rubber duct that connects the liftgate to the car body, then to the right side C pillar and along the headliner up to the windshield, then across to the overhead console. Wonder if this cable is running in parallel with an antenna trace somewhere and it's not a power supply issue.

 

[generaltso]

Currently using the included splitter cable that taps into the windshield wiper rain sensor harness. Wonder if everyone else with this camera is using the harness that goes back to a fuse box for constant +12v power.

I'm using the rain sensor for power, but I don't have the rear camera, so my setup is not exactly the same as yours.

Also, here are some pictures of the mounting tabs that don't fit. Notice that the vertical cross section of the tab is rectangular in the OEM surround, and trapezoidal on the fitcamx surround.

Mine doesn't look like that, so I'm guessing yours was flawed while being molded. At this point, I'd ask Fitcamx to send you a new one.

 

[pswired]

Mine doesn't look like that, so I'm guessing yours was flawed while being molded. At this point, I'd ask Fitcamx to send you a new one.

Interesting. I sent those pictures to fitcamx tech support. They replied and suggested that Ford had modified the part since they scanned it and that they'd need to get ahold of a new cover to modify their design.

On the FM interference, they sent me an amazon link to some ferrite beads and told me to buy those to hopefully fix it...

All in all it seems like I'm on my own to fix this one.

 

[generaltso]

Interesting. I sent those pictures to fitcamx tech support. They replied and suggested that Ford had modified the part since they scanned it and that they'd need to get ahold of a new cover to modify their design.

Well, since it was mine that they scanned, I guess it makes sense that it would fit my car . But I'm willing to bet that Ford hasn't changed those posts or clips.

Did you buy it through Amazon? If so, an exchange should be pretty painless.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Ford had modified the part since they scanned it and that they'd need to get ahold of a new cover to modify their design

Your profile has a 2022 MME in it, they're suggesting this part changed between the 2021 model year and the 2022 model year? That does not sound right. Can you post a picture of your original mirror surround, the one you took off?

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