Better Fm Reception

Johnston Laments FM Noise

Radio hobbyists — ham radio operators, shortwave listeners, broadcast DXers and other enthusiasts — know about the growing radio noise issues in our modern world; but less-technical listeners seem unaware of such noise pollution. Yet while FM receivers may not emit the buzzes, growls or pops that make AM noise obvious, noise can mask weaker FM radio and, probably, digital HD Radio as well. Listeners may not know why; they just know the signal is “weak.”

I suspect all broadcast engineers have heard reception complaints; it’s normal. But I’ve noticed a new trend: long-time listeners describing deteriorating reception. “I used to get good reception here, but not anymore …”

Wisconsin Public Radio is a three-network, 30-station public radio group. It is one of the largest such groups, with complex interconnection systems serving AM and FM stations around the region. Thirteen of the 30 stations have been upgraded to included HD Radio multicast service.

In the past five years, WPR Audience Services “Listener Logs” show a 37 percent increase in e-mail and telephone complaints related to reception.

At the same time, FM’s digital HD Radio indoor reception is simply not as good as predicted — both at WPR and industry-wide.

Could these phenomena be related?

My hypothesis was that growing levels of indoor noise from modern electronics may be masking weaker FM signals — and probably digital HD Radio and HDTV too. I further suspected that this noise increase creates the impression that HD Radio and HDTV have difficulty with “building penetration” and subsequently led to the effort to increase digital power.

To get a sense of the noise present in the FM band in a variety of indoor situations, and see if it might explain the trouble these listeners were having with digital reception, I made measurements with a portable spectrum analyzer and antenna. I studied several urban apartments, suburban houses and urban offices. All were found to have higher noise levels inside than outdoors on the same property. I also pinpointed some common sources of this noise.

Measurements

I made an informal study of some Wisconsin Public Radio listener and staff homes using a battery-powered spectrum analyzer (a radio receiver with visual display of strength vs. frequency) and a loop of stiff wire about one-quarter wavelength in circumference on a short length of coaxial cable as a pickup antenna. My goal was to get a better sense of the noise encountered in the 88–108 MHz range in a variety of indoor situations and see if it might explain the reception troubles.

RCA 7-2887 Superadio III Portable AM/FM Radio Review | TV Antennas ...

If you love AM radio and are looking for a radio that has fantastic reception your choice comes down to two radios: the ccradio plus and the GE Superadio. These are the best radios on the market for fans of talk, sports, Art Bell, Phil Hendrie, etc. Which one should you buy? I have both (the GE for my office, ccradio for home) so here is my take on the two. Both have nearly equal AM reception. At night, you can easily pull in stations from hundreds of miles away (some say even over a thousand miles away but this depends on where you live). There the difference ends. The ccradio has a lot of features that I felt I wanted in a radio. It has a sleep timer, accurate digital tuning, automatic timer that turns your favorite show on at a predetermined time, scan buttons, lighted dial, power cord (not bulky adaptor), weather radio (with auto alert), memory buttons, tv audio of the network stations. The only flaw is that it has a grab indentation rather than a full handle. They are a family business and take GOOD care of their customers. The ccradio company LOVES radio and loves people who share their passion. Is it worth the [$$] for the extras? To me it is. The Ge Superadio has a rotary - and inaccurate - tuning dial. This will drive you crazy if you do a lot of channel switching. Some people tape graph paper to the radio and mark where they found the stations - it is that inaccurate. There is no timer, no alarm, no weather, no tv audio, no lit dial, etc. The sound is better on the GE Superadio, though. The GE SUperadio feels cheaply made and probably won't make it through many beach or camping excursions. The GE Superadio is enormously sized - it is the size of a small attache case or TV! If you only want to pull in one distant station and keep your dial set to that station, get the GE radio. That is all you need. It has great, almost legendary, reception without any bells or whistles. On the other hand, if you love radio, need the extras, change stations a lot, want something sturdily built that will last a lifetime, want to explore the large number of AM stations that are out there, go out and order the ccradio with slightly better reception (see their website to order). I am a radio person rather than a tv person. I have radio playing all day (as some people have tv going on all day). I sleep to radio (and need that sleep timer). I would rather listen to a talk show than watch a sit com.

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