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AM Reception

R

radioguyntx

Guest
Hey Guys,
I have a quick question, that might be easy for someone with a little bit more knowledge on reception than I do.

Ok, why does a radio station come in better outside than inside, for instance I am on the 4th floor of a building (hosp.). I go outside the local station comes in great... go up to the 4th floor, and I get nothing but static. But if I stand in the middle of the room the station comes in better than it does if I stand in front of the window, with the radio pointed to the antenna for the station.

Does anyone have any links to a site explaining how or why this phenomenon works, or any general websites on reception? Thanks in advance for helping me understand this matter a little better...

Best wishes,
Radioguy
 
Another question: Why do weaker AM stations ceem to come in stronger in the Winter, especially when it is cloudy? (Or at least it seems that way to me.)
 
Well, I'm not sure what AM stations you are referring to, but in most parts of the country, there are fewer lightning strikes (which produce noise that is especially noticeable in the AM band) in the winter. Also, there are fewer hours of sunlight in the winter and more of darkness. AM stations propagate much better during the night hours (or at least from sunrise until sunset), because during the mid-day hours the D layer of the atmosphere (or ionosphere?) absorbs signals, preventing skywave propagation.

As for why AM stations come in better outside - one reason is that noise generated by electrical devices, electronics, etc. weakens the farther you get from them, and in most buildings (especially a hospital) there are plenty of electronic devices around - TV sets, computers, MRI machines, medical devices, etc. to generate noise. I know that interference on higher frequencies can be an issue (I remember a DTV in the Twin Cities interfering with medical equipment at one time), but I doubt that noise on the AM band is as much of an issue. Also, buildings themselves tend to block / absorb signals. How much they do so depends on the building material used.
 
Should have known that, but I was thinking about being near windows why it still won't come in clear.
 
Those new mercury vapor pig tail looking bulbs that are "green" cause a lot of interference. Don't break one.
 
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