How strong of a signal is necessary for optimum AM stereo reception? Would I have to be within around the 0.5 to 1.0 mV/m contour (for horizontal groundwave)? Unfortunately, there aren't any nearby stations broadcasting in AM stereo, so I wouldn't know...
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AM stereo reception question
- Thread starter danikayser84
- Start date
My experience is that it took about 5 mV/m to get really good audio quality. 25 mV/m gave marvelous audio quality. You could get it with 0.5 mV/m, but because it didn't drown out adjacents, you had to put it in narrow bandwidth mode.
I thought AM stereo was a great thing back in the early 80s when it was in it's heyday.
It seemed like it would be the thing to maybe give AM top 40 a fresh jump start and I was disappointed to see it not meet it's expectations.
I actually liked the sound better than FM in many ways because it was more solid and less tinny sounding.
It was so fun to DX for AM stereo stations on my AM Stereo Sony Walkman I had when I first moved down to Florida. That was when WLS used to boom in loud and clear. WNBC also was easier to hear than WFAN is now.
It seemed like it would be the thing to maybe give AM top 40 a fresh jump start and I was disappointed to see it not meet it's expectations.
I actually liked the sound better than FM in many ways because it was more solid and less tinny sounding.
It was so fun to DX for AM stereo stations on my AM Stereo Sony Walkman I had when I first moved down to Florida. That was when WLS used to boom in loud and clear. WNBC also was easier to hear than WFAN is now.
I, too, had a Sony AM Stereo Walkman - SRF-42 if I recall correctly. I remember listening to WSM-AM and the Grand Ole Opry on it. What a fantastic sound - it was like you were sitting there in the Opry House.
Now they've dropped the stereo and even further reduced the audio bandwidth.
Now they've dropped the stereo and even further reduced the audio bandwidth.
I also have the Sony SRF-42 Walkman. It is a great little rig. At one time, a number of stations in KY were in AM stereo (WHAS, WCGW and WVLK to name a few) and all sounded great. I also enjoyed listening to WSM (and the Opry) when they were in stereo. WSM usually booms into Lexington at night... As for sound... I agree that stronger AM signal really sounded great, but things did go "downhill" as the signal got weaker and other stations "encroached". I wish WSM would put the stereo back on! It really did sound good!
Another AM stereo station I used to listen to was on 800 kHz. It was a Canadian station on the Northshore of Lake Ontario. They played country music and boomed into the Rochester, NY area during the day. I worked in Rochester on a consulting job for three years and the car I was given to use (1995-ish Crown Vic) had a fantastic AM Stereo tuner in it. That station sounded BETTER than any FM signal in the mid-late 90's when I was up in that area.
Another AM stereo station I used to listen to was on 800 kHz. It was a Canadian station on the Northshore of Lake Ontario. They played country music and boomed into the Rochester, NY area during the day. I worked in Rochester on a consulting job for three years and the car I was given to use (1995-ish Crown Vic) had a fantastic AM Stereo tuner in it. That station sounded BETTER than any FM signal in the mid-late 90's when I was up in that area.
CKLW Windsor sounded the best in AM Stereo that I ever heard. I guess the next best that I ever heard was WSAM Saginaw very close to the transmitter.
CKLW Windsor was the best sounding MONO AM I ever heard, although WFZM 740 Toronto to this day is close to a tie.Schroedingers Cat said:
BobOnTheJob said:
If you have access to reelradio.com there is an unscoped aircheck of CKLW from 1971 recorded in Cleveland using a receiver that had a modified front end rivaling an air monitor. You even hear what appears to be a lightning strike and the RCA transmitter barely belched.
I also agree on 740 Toronto. It appears their audio doesn't have that annoying NRSC boost. WSM has nice audio but I would add a little more AGC but that is just me.
KR4BD said:
You have to mention 1300 Lexington when it was WTKC and later WLXG before they dropped stereo. They had an advantage over WVLK since they had 90 degree towers compared to WVLK 60 degree towers. WVLK never sounded great in AM stereo compared to 1300 as they rivaled WHAS's audio. WTKC's former engineer mentioned on his website a proof done on his station rivaled the FM staitions in the market. I remember 770 sounding good while 1340 WEKY Richmond sounded like mud in stereo as it was over compressed and offered little high end.
WVJS Owensboro was late to AM stereo due to the "let the marketplace decide" fiasco. However, they were a test station for AM stereo as far back as the mid seventies and a studio ready for stereo as far back as 1970. AM stereo ended when live programming ended, the equipment is still in the rack. WSON Henderson is still broadcasting in AM stereo. It helps the contract engineer has an AM stereo in his Ford Explorer.
Any links to hear AM Stereo Music besides youtube??
Can I also Mimic the AM sound in Stereo on my Laptop??
Can I also Mimic the AM sound in Stereo on my Laptop??
Radio Rob...check WHAS 840 on the Evansville side of the river. One day maybe a month ago, something was splattering on WHAS badly enough that I recall thinking either someone's NRSC filter had failed or there was some other issue. Hopefully it was just a 1 time thing...radiorob2.0 said:
Even up here in Southeast WI, WSM had an awesome AM stereo sound.
I had 2 (still have 1) AM stereo radio back then.
Milwaukee's WEMP 1250 (not a very strong signal) played oldies & had a very good AM stereo sound. I remember listening the very morning in 1991 (IIRC) they started AM stereo.
WGN also used AM stereo. They started with the Kahn system in 1983 & later switched to C-QUAM, before going HD in 2005. Steve & Johnnie would uses stereo a lot. I remember listening to the Woodstock Choir around Christmas & (with headphones) it sounded like the choir was standing right in the room around me. WGN should've gone back to stereo when they dumped HD a few years back.
I still have a few stereo recordings from WLS circa 1987, when Don & Roma still played music.
I think WTMJ did AM stereo, too. Especially for some music that Jonathan Greene used & I think "Invitation to Beauty" (a Sunday morning classical show) was still on then, too.
Chicago's Radio Disney (WRDZ La Grange) was a good source of music, as well...Till they went HD.
I think the first 2 X-banders in this area (1670 WTDY Madison, WI & 1640 WKSH Sussex, WI) were originally AM stereo, too.
I had 2 (still have 1) AM stereo radio back then.
Milwaukee's WEMP 1250 (not a very strong signal) played oldies & had a very good AM stereo sound. I remember listening the very morning in 1991 (IIRC) they started AM stereo.
WGN also used AM stereo. They started with the Kahn system in 1983 & later switched to C-QUAM, before going HD in 2005. Steve & Johnnie would uses stereo a lot. I remember listening to the Woodstock Choir around Christmas & (with headphones) it sounded like the choir was standing right in the room around me. WGN should've gone back to stereo when they dumped HD a few years back.
I still have a few stereo recordings from WLS circa 1987, when Don & Roma still played music.
I think WTMJ did AM stereo, too. Especially for some music that Jonathan Greene used & I think "Invitation to Beauty" (a Sunday morning classical show) was still on then, too.
Chicago's Radio Disney (WRDZ La Grange) was a good source of music, as well...Till they went HD.
I think the first 2 X-banders in this area (1670 WTDY Madison, WI & 1640 WKSH Sussex, WI) were originally AM stereo, too.
IIRC, it seems the FCC required that X-band stations broadcast in AM stereo. They were also required to sign one of the two signals (original or x-band) off after 5 (?) years. Like our immigration laws, stop sign laws & countless other laws, they are rarely enforced...assuming they are even still on the books. Of course, AM IBOC couldn't be impeded by a pesky thing like an existing FCC rule.dxer720 said:
I have some great recordings of AM stereo from 2CA Canberra 1053. Sounds as good as FM via my Sony ST-JX220A tuner. I also have stereo recordings (edited airchecks) of the likes of 3TT 1026, 4CA 846, 3XY 1422, 2SM 1269 via a modified tuner (add on stereo decoder). 3TT 1026 had some fantastic jingles & stereo IDs. It was a showcase of just how good AM (& radio in general) was in the 80s - ie the creativity etc.
AM stereo is pretty much gone from Australia now. I think only 4BC 1116 left! - there is a website that lists stations worldwide that TX'es AM stereo but is ridiculously out of date.
AM stereo is pretty much gone from Australia now. I think only 4BC 1116 left! - there is a website that lists stations worldwide that TX'es AM stereo but is ridiculously out of date.
Here's a list (may need to be updated however)tanner said:
I didn't know they broadcast in AM stereo. It is a 50/50 chance if I can receive them on my car radio any night. KRMG from Tusla comes in often. The 3 regularly heard AM stations broadcasting in stereo are the local 1350, KCJJ in Iowa, and WLS in Chicago. I have heard sometimes 1390 WZZB in Seymour at times, but not often. I do listen to Zoomer radio on ly computer cause I enjoy the content.BobOnTheJob said:
KyDXIn said:
I live in the Chicago area and didn't even know that WLS still broadcasts in stereo.
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