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What am I doing wrong with my super radio?

J

jras20

I'm not that happy with it, I really was hoping to pull in one of my favorite 250 watt am radio station thats about 53 miles away with it. The strange thing is, my truck factory radio can pull it in, my sony walkman can pull it in with no problems most of the time. I dont know what else to do with it.
<P ID="signature">______________
jras20</P>
 
> I'm not that happy with it, I really was hoping to pull in
> one of my favorite 250 watt am radio station thats about 53
> miles away with it. The strange thing is, my truck factory
> radio can pull it in, my sony walkman can pull it in with no
> problems most of the time. I dont know what else to do with
> it.

I need the 411 - your location, the call letters of the station you are trying to get. I regularly listen to a 250 watter over 80 miles away, and a 500 watter 110 miles away with no trouble at all. Weak, but listenable. And ground conductivity in Dallas isn't all that great.
 
> > I'm not that happy with it, I really was hoping to pull in
>
> > one of my favorite 250 watt am radio station thats about
> 53
> > miles away with it. The strange thing is, my truck
> factory
> > radio can pull it in, my sony walkman can pull it in with
> no
> > problems most of the time. I dont know what else to do
> with
> > it.
>
> I need the 411 - your location, the call letters of the
> station you are trying to get. I regularly listen to a 250
> watter over 80 miles away, and a 500 watter 110 miles away
> with no trouble at all. Weak, but listenable. And ground
> conductivity in Dallas isn't all that great.
>

I'll send it over you through email, but the call letters i'm wanting to get is KHLT 1520am.<P ID="signature">______________
jras20</P>
 
> I'm not that happy with it, I really was hoping to pull in
> one of my favorite 250 watt am radio station thats about 53
> miles away with it. The strange thing is, my truck factory
> radio can pull it in, my sony walkman can pull it in with no
> problems most of the time. I dont know what else to do with
> it.

Does the radio pull in this station when you're outside near your truck? Perhaps this station just doesn't permeate your building. The GE Superadio really does have very good reception, from 530 through 1700. The dial alignment might be a little off; make sure you're actually tuned to 1520 based on other stations you know that are above/below it. Also, make sure you try several positions with the radio, since the internal bar antenna only picks up in a front-to-back direction.
 
> Does the radio pull in this station when you're outside near
> your truck? Perhaps this station just doesn't permeate your
> building. The GE Superadio really does have very good
> reception, from 530 through 1700. The dial alignment might
> be a little off; make sure you're actually tuned to 1520
> based on other stations you know that are above/below it.
> Also, make sure you try several positions with the radio,
> since the internal bar antenna only picks up in a
> front-to-back direction.

When i'm in my truck it does, sitting inside listening to it.. (my truck radio pulls it in not the super radio)
>
<P ID="signature">______________
jras20</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by jras20 on 02/09/06 02:16 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> > > I'm not that happy with it, I really was hoping to pull
> in
> >
> > > one of my favorite 250 watt am radio station thats about
>
> > 53
> > > miles away with it. The strange thing is, my truck
> > factory
> > > radio can pull it in, my sony walkman can pull it in
> with
> > no
> > > problems most of the time. I dont know what else to do
> > with
> > > it.
> >
> > I need the 411 - your location, the call letters of the
> > station you are trying to get. I regularly listen to a
> 250
> > watter over 80 miles away, and a 500 watter 110 miles away
>
> > with no trouble at all. Weak, but listenable. And ground
>
> > conductivity in Dallas isn't all that great.
> >
>
> I'll send it over you through email, but the call letters
> i'm wanting to get is KHLT 1520am.
>
i had this problem..then i bought a 5.00 radio on eaby form 1978..am/fm/tv..works great..even better than my now non working ccradio plus..which is worthless..please dont buy a ccradio..they are junk!!<P ID="signature">______________
note to the NAB..satellite radio..its worth paying for!!</P>
 
> I'll send it over you through email, but the call letters
> i'm wanting to get is KHLT 1520am.

I have looked up the ground conductivity for your area, its not great, its not that much different from my area.

First of all - some stock car radios, particularly from the 60's and 70's, had GREAT AM sections. Combine them with the 60 inch whips that cars and trucks used to have, and you had a great DX setup. Equal to or better than the GE.

Secondly - it is possible you got a defective GE Superadio. It happens - mass production for Radio Shack being what it is. Try the GE on other things - like WBAP 820, KTRH 740, KLIF 570. These ought to be easy catches for a GE in your location. If you aren't getting them, and the rest of the band is so-so (weak reception on "locals" like KLBJ 590 and WOAI 1200) - then return it. Go somewhere else and try another one. I haven't tried your particular reception area in several years, but there is no reason why a good GE won't work on your target station. You could check e-Bay for GE Superadio 2's - some users swear they are even better than the 3's. I haven't had that experience, but I am chasing a design problem on a 1 that might explain some variability in performance.

Thirdly - the station itself might not be living up to its theoretical transmission area:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KHLT&service=AM&status=L&hours=D

If they don't keep up their ground radials, don't watch their pattern, etc., they could degrade to almost nothing. They do have to protect KOKC to the North - here in Dallas KOKC sounds almost like a local. A good indication of whether your station is doing well is if near sunset you hear KOKC underneath them. That would also be another check of the GE Superadio. If you hear a lot of KOKC, especially in the daytime, it could mean your station is very weak.
 
Thanks for the infomation, yeah sometimes I think that station doesnt put out as much power as it should, I think about half the time they are off the air. On my rooftop antenna, if I turn it over towards there, I can pull in there fm 92.5 KYKM just like a local. I gues I really need to get a antenna rotator, my only problem is that my TV antenna is on the same pole as the FM. which both are on a 30' pole.<P ID="signature">______________
jras20</P>
 
> Thanks for the infomation, yeah sometimes I think that
> station doesnt put out as much power as it should, I think
> about half the time they are off the air. On my rooftop
> antenna, if I turn it over towards there, I can pull in
> there fm 92.5 KYKM just like a local. I gues I really need
> to get a antenna rotator, my only problem is that my TV
> antenna is on the same pole as the FM. which both are on a
> 30' pole.

You can always point the antennas in different directions off the same tower.
 
> > Thanks for the infomation, yeah sometimes I think that
> > station doesnt put out as much power as it should, I think
>
> > about half the time they are off the air. On my rooftop
> > antenna, if I turn it over towards there, I can pull in
> > there fm 92.5 KYKM just like a local. I gues I really
> need
> > to get a antenna rotator, my only problem is that my TV
> > antenna is on the same pole as the FM. which both are on a
>
> > 30' pole.
>
> You can always point the antennas in different directions
> off the same tower.
>
Yeah... I try not to move the TV to much, I have it just about right onto Austin's towers, but my FM I half to go up on the roof and reach as far as I can to loosen the bolts and turn it if I need to.<P ID="signature">______________
jras20</P>
 
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