How can I improve my AM reception?

[Whale]

I want to pick up 560 WHYN in Springfield Mass at night to listen to hockey games. I live in Hartford, Conn. But I get so much static at that end of the dial. Around 600 and lower it's all static and I can't listen to anything.

The only time the static is gone is when I hold the antenna, but I'm not willing to stand there holding an antenna for a long period of time. I tried a clock radio without an antenna, and it still had the static at the low end of the dial.

Any ideas?

 

[Matt]

Well, here is what I would recommend....

Good.... A G-E SuperRadio, preferably one about 10-15 years old in good condition.

Better.... The G-E SuperRadio above, with a loop-style tuneable antenna.

Best.... The G-E SuperRadio above, with 3-4 acres of land on which to construct a tuned long-wire antenna oriented end-on to the azimuth of the station's transmitter location.

Since most folks do not have the land or the technical skill to construct the "Best" solution, the "Better" one should give you adequate reception if static is the only problem you have with the signal.

If there is another station on the same or an adjacent frequency either along the same azimuth as the one you wish to receive, or 180 degrees off in the case of the bi-directional loop antenna, you're probably going to have to put up with it.

If one of those adjacent frequencies is transmitting digitally, probably the only solution is to equalize the audio and roll off the highs rather severely, like at about 3-4 kHz.

Hope some of this helps.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV

 

[BRNout]

I want to pick up 560 WHYN in Springfield Mass at night to listen to hockey games. I live in Hartford, Conn. But I get so much static at that end of the dial. Around 600 and lower it's all static and I can't listen to anything.

The only time the static is gone is when I hold the antenna, but I'm not willing to stand there holding an antenna for a long period of time. I tried a clock radio without an antenna, and it still had the static at the low end of the dial.

Any ideas?

Although a lot depends on your specific location, a quick check of the FCC database and expected nighttime coverage map for WHYN would indicate that you SHOULD be able to pick them up reasonably well in Hartford, adjacent towns and towns further north and east of Hartford. In fact, north of Windsor, it's a local grade signal. So WHYN should be reasonably local to you and not really a dx catch. It seems to get sketchy as you get west of New Britain or so.

Given this, I wonder if you have an issue with either your radio or electrical interference in (or around) your house. It does get worse at the low end of the am band. If you have any of those newfangled compact fluorescent bulbs going - that would do it. The TV or a computer monitor in the next room could do it. And, that nearby pinkish street light that flickers on and off every 10 minutes could do it too. Is your radio electrical or battery operated? A battery operated radio gets a little bit less interference, skipping the internal interference that the power source can cause.

Anyhow, an electrical interference issue would be my guess. WHYN should be strong enough to pick up fine in your area - but not strong enough to overcome such interference.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Given this, I wonder if you have an issue with either your radio or electrical interference in (or around) your house. It does get worse at the low end of the am band. If you have any of those newfangled compact fluorescent bulbs going - that would do it.

A bit O.T., but if it eliminates radio interference I'll have a go at it ----

I second that - they aren't really all that "green" to begin with, there is a moderate energy savings but the big hogs are air conditioners, refrigerators, washers and dryers, and pool equipment if you got one.

Want really "green" lighting? Go LED. Right now - the prices are huge. But so is the energy savings compared to CFL, and so is the life time. Its still not suitable for all locations, as it is highly directional. But they are working on that, too.

If you want to be really green, get creative at saving loads in the laundry. Make sure the washer and dryer are full each time, as it takes the same amount of energy to do a full load as a light load. There isn't much you can do about AC if you have already insulated. If you CAN get rid of a freezer in the garage holding superfluous stuff, do it. Biggest green of all: DRIVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OR LESS. We'd meet Kyoto right now if people would stop the aggressive driving.