FM Sensitivity

on the back of some radios for vehicles there is somtimes an ariel trimmer.

you can find it normally near to where the airiel socket is it is behind a small hole in the casing and looks like a small screw inside the casing normaly looks like a brass colored

I suggest if you find it tune to a very weak station with the ariel fully extended the using a small screw driver turn the screw slowly clock/and anti clockwise untill sound improves.

by the way the plucg that goes into the ariel should when metered between the inner and outer show no connection at all.

the inner point on the plug to the ariel should read like a short

and the outer part of the plug like wise should when metered to the chassis also read as a short or very low ohms if not a low ohms reading then there is a fault on the ariel wires

Like This One

Behind the casing

I agree, the new radio may not just simply be as good.

People have become spoiled with perfect signal qualities, so manufacturers don't bother makinhg hot front ends anymore.

Take an old AM car radio from the 60's and it will blow away anything that is made now days.

Having been thru this problem recently, I offer this advice. Check the antenna cable from the antenna base all the way to the radio. i found a connection mid cable that was a winner. Classic radio plug and socket except that there was a spring on the centerpin. When the shell finally cracked, the spring just pushed them apart and the sensitivity went to pot. I thought it was the radio and put in a new one only to have the same problem. Thats when I found the problem. Now have a spare radio for the car.

New one is nice. It has HD and blue tooth as well as taking input from the IPOD.

Only used the IPOD once, but use the bluetooth frequently.

"The antenna appears to be in good shape, and the wiring is complete with no obvious damage and is well insulated from ground."

Although it appears good as you claimed it to be, your best bet is to do an actual measurements to verify antenna continuity and mechanical connections using an ohmmeter. You will need to verify also that your antenna's center conductor is not shorted to ground or chassis of your car! The antenna wire is supposed to be isolated and physically not touching the car's metal body.

Check the Blaupunkt owners manual. Maybe there's a 'local' and 'distance' setting that needs to be set correctly.