I moved into a new apartment where the radio reception is not that great. I can get most of the strong signals in my area, but I can barely get any of the weak signals, including one of my favorite stations. I have tried several different types of FM antennas, from the old-fashioned dipole to an external telescoping antenna, but I'm very unhappy. AM reception isn't too great either. I have a Tecsun AM loop antenna which does help a bit, but it's still not great. What do you all suggest? I've had people suggest listening online, but I know that's not ideal.
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moved into apartment with weak reception on both FM and AM
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
Get a Sangean HDR-14 radio or an amplified antenna
How exactly would that help? Because it's HD? The stations I listen to don't broadcast in HD. And why the HDR-14 and not the HDR-16 or HDR-18?
The SDR-14 I have has really good reception, I haven't tried the others.
Cold Coffee
Banned
Wi-Fi in a neighbor's apartment can raise the white noise floor on the FM band so that only local stations can be heard.
Also, is your building wooden? Or is the siding brick or metal? Anyway, outside antennas are always better.
Also, is your building wooden? Or is the siding brick or metal? Anyway, outside antennas are always better.
I am in an apartment myself, but fortunately most locations have at least one good spot for reception. For me it's in the kitchen. I've tried different rooms, and the bedroom is probably the worst. Way too much attenuation, at least on AM, which I like for dx'ing. FM seems quite good, I don't notice any reception problems that are different from being outside. I would try every spot available, and hope something works. Do you have a balcony you could use?
Yes, there are some stations that come in better by the window, others that come in better on the counter.
@ssetta
Merely some 'everyman' basics -- very basic -- from a devoted non-techie who has lived in NEPA and AM DXing for thirty years now. That span has been in one ground-level apartment and three fixer-upper 'attached's -- common wall doubles. The span has included the quieter years , the later LED/PC/wifi invasion and the racket that it's become the last ten years.
Maybe it's serendipitous; maybe it's some form of physics. But I've managed to find quiet spot(s) in each locale. It makes sense that along the long 'outside wall -- the farthest one from the common wall -- is where these cleaner spots are. The screens and windows help, I'm sure.
When I wanna spin dial to DX AM (my lifelong devotion) it's always with batteries.
It's by no means 1963-clear; far from it. And for 'clearance' it's only about a rather stingy 'arc' of the GE SR2 available. But I've actually heard worse.
I hardly FM DX, although that can be real fun. Just a thought would be an outdoor antenna along that outside wall as proximate to one of those oases of AM quiet as you can get. And, of course, batteries.
I've also found the power companies both in Queens NYC and Minersville PA to be quite receptive and prompt to complaints. On two occasions they sent someone out to check for leakages, sparks, etc. Both times the repairs lessened the static noticeably.
There no doubt will be folks inclined to say I'm full of malarkey on this St. Patty's Day. But Man has an insatiable need to DX. And the weather never has stopped my complaining.
73!
Merely some 'everyman' basics -- very basic -- from a devoted non-techie who has lived in NEPA and AM DXing for thirty years now. That span has been in one ground-level apartment and three fixer-upper 'attached's -- common wall doubles. The span has included the quieter years , the later LED/PC/wifi invasion and the racket that it's become the last ten years.
Maybe it's serendipitous; maybe it's some form of physics. But I've managed to find quiet spot(s) in each locale. It makes sense that along the long 'outside wall -- the farthest one from the common wall -- is where these cleaner spots are. The screens and windows help, I'm sure.
When I wanna spin dial to DX AM (my lifelong devotion) it's always with batteries.
It's by no means 1963-clear; far from it. And for 'clearance' it's only about a rather stingy 'arc' of the GE SR2 available. But I've actually heard worse.
I hardly FM DX, although that can be real fun. Just a thought would be an outdoor antenna along that outside wall as proximate to one of those oases of AM quiet as you can get. And, of course, batteries.
I've also found the power companies both in Queens NYC and Minersville PA to be quite receptive and prompt to complaints. On two occasions they sent someone out to check for leakages, sparks, etc. Both times the repairs lessened the static noticeably.
There no doubt will be folks inclined to say I'm full of malarkey on this St. Patty's Day. But Man has an insatiable need to DX. And the weather never has stopped my complaining.
73!
JeeperOne
Banned
Two words - GET CREATIVE
I'm in the same situation. Only I live on the ground floor with TONS of terrain around me. Couple that with the fact I'm directional to the West (Fortunately the Mountains are to the West of me & that's where all the transmitters not on some molehill are located (there are none on the roof or outside the studios like small cities & towns do)), I can use them as they bounce off the Mountains BUT that's IF I can even receive anything off the Mountain the signal bounces off of (If I can't, I won't get A THING) so ELEVATION IS EVERYTHING
In the last buidling I lived in 15 years ago, I was directional to the South & up roughly 7 floors (Not quite all the way up but close enough). Perfect for satellite dishes (In fact. I even had DirecTV at one point. If I thought I fit it in & could afford it, I'd have bought one of the OLD STYLE dishes where you can get just about ANYTHING out there)
TV reception was TERRIBLE though (Hence the dish) but Radio reception was generally pretty good.
On the Ham bands, I could get the 146.97 repeater atop Pikes Peak AND the 145.115 repeater atop Horsetooth Mountain up in Fort Collins. I could also get the 146.82 repeater in Woodland Park on occasion too (Though not very well). There weren't then (Or aren't now) too many locals who can say that. I even had my own EchoLink node on simplex too which I could get for about 3-5 miles away from home in some places
I do this. I got into the habit when I lived in an area with crappy radio, both in terms of reception and programming, there was very little OTA that made me want to listen. Now I live in a place with many, many radio stations but still choose to stream - the audio quality is better than hissy LPFM or low-bitrate DAB+, and I can choose to tune to stations I can't receive OTA (Liverpool 30 miles away has a lot of great radio stations that break up when received OTA but are, of course, perfect online).
For DX, I use a KiwiSDR that my local ham radio club operates for members only. It's in a nice, RF-quiet forest location out of the city with a loop antenna and works great for AM DX in the winter, and HF the rest of the year. Far better than struggling with a local installation with the noise from local electronics, vehicles, street lighting, and general crap.
I think it all depends whether you're interested in the programming or the DX itself. For me, hearing interesting programming is the priority these days, so I'm happy to just stream.
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