Why can't I get my favorite radio station?

Question

I can't get my favorite radio station inside my apartment. It's no problem when I get in my car. Do I need a better quality radio, or what? How to know the whether the next radio I buy will pick up the station?

Answer 1

Here's what the Internet has to say:

"Turning OFF as many of these items as possible will lead to better reception of all radio stations in general.

-CD players and/or recorders
-VCRs
-DVD players and/or recorders
-Computers and monitor screens
-Cable TV boxes
-Satellite TV boxes
-Video game systems
-Microwave ovens (honest)
-Halogen lights, especially those tall floor lamps with dimmer controls.
-Light dimmer switches in general…including dimmers built into your walls.

http://www.913thesummit.com/reception.htm

"Predicting local FM reception quality is far from an exact science. Before spending money on elaborate equipment and antennas, a certain amount of experimentation would be prudent. It can be particularly disheartening to spend time and money on a fancy new radio, only to find no real improvement.

To help predict your chances of success, try the following: carry a good, trusted portable radio (with its telescoping antenna fully extended) from room to room, listening to the station of interest. If you can get at least a fuzzy, but listenable signal in any room, chances are good that a rooftop antenna (or even a good indoor antenna) may yield very good results. Or, if you can get the station on your car radio while in the driveway or garage, this is also a good omen. If, on the other hand, you get nearly no reception at all no matter what you try, proceed with caution; a fancy new antenna may be an expensive, but futile, experiment.

Careful tuning and listening are important in determining the type of reception problem you have:

+ Do you almost always hear the desired station, but it's distorted much of the time? Does the audio improve markedly when the receiver is switched to "mono"? This is a classic description of multipath (see definition above). Experimentation with a "positionable" indoor antenna may cure this problem. Severe multipath may be minimized by a carefully aimed outdoor antenna. Some newer receivers have features that help in reducing the effects of multipath.

+ When the desired station fades, does another (unwanted) station take its place, or is the channel empty (except for normal "static" and distant weak signals)? If another station on the same channel is coming in almost as strongly as the desired station, your receiver-antenna combination may be having trouble choosing one over the other. A directional outdoor antenna, pointed toward the desired station (and away from the other station)may help.

+ Is an unwanted station (or "pieces" of its program) interfering much of the time? A strong station on a nearby channel may be "splattering" onto the desired station. As above, a directional antenna pointed at the desired station may help. A good-quality receiver may be the answer as well; check out the "narrow band" feature of better receivers described below.

The almost universal solution to reception problems is a directional outdoor antenna. This antenna, called a "yagi," looks just like a plain TV antenna. There are dozens of different models available in the $25 to $200 price range. Important: this suggestion assumes that the radio you're using has connections for an external antenna (many table radios and most portables do not have such connections). Be sure to check the radio first.

Non-directional (omnidirectional) outdoor antennas, such as "turnstiles" and "S-shaped" may be helpful in many instances, and usually give better results than any type of indoor antenna. But if eliminating multipath and/or interfering stations is the goal, a non-directional antenna may not help. Only directional antennas can attenuate contaminating signals from other directions, such as reflections from nearby hills or buildings, or an adjacent- or same-channel interfering station.

Indoor antennas generally do not work as well as roof antennas. In most cases, a very inexpensive roof antenna will outperform even the best indoor antenna. Again, experimentation is paramount. After connecting the indoor antenna to your radio, try moving the antenna anywhere its leadwire will allow for best reception. In tough indoor reception areas, it's important to move the antenna and, if necessary, the receiver, around the room or house, searching for a good signal spot.

Buying a better radio, receiver, or tuner may be the most expensive route to reception nirvana, and should be considered only if your antenna efforts yielded unsatisfactory results. And there's still no guarantee that a new radio will solve certain reception problems, so determine your return/refund rights before you purchase. Talk to the equipment salesperson about your reception problem to establish why you're considering a new receiver.

A current-model receiver may only marginally improve reception, but may have other features, such as station pre-sets and digital tuning, which will aid in finding your favorite stations. Many "reception" problems turn out to be mechanical tuning difficulties with a hard-to-read or poorly calibrated dial, a problem quickly solved by a radio with digital tuning."

Even more info at http://www.klcc.org/resources/reception.html

Basically...wait a bit for you invest in a new radio. Experiment a lot, know the refund/return policies at stores, and fiddle around with other technologies. I strongly suggest you borrow a friend's radio to check first!

Good luck & happy listening!

Answer 2

Radio reception is affected by the physical structures standing between the transmitter and you.

AM reception is affected by buildings and lights inside the building. Lights on dimmer switches will cause static on AM stations.

FM is also affected by buildings.

Ask the cheif engineer at the radio station in question. He may have some advice for you.

I had problems with a Seattle station not coming in very well at my new house north of town. This was an AM station and the engineer suggested getting a SUPER RADIO made by GE.
This was a few years ago, so I don't know if the same radio is made today. This radio pulls in KVI in so much better than it did before I bought it. This radio also pulls in FM stations quite nicely as well. It pulls in KPLU 88.5, a Tacoma station here in Everett.

Try C Crane Company for other super reception radios. Their products are a bit pricey, but their products are quite good. Here is a link to their CC radio - great for AM reception!
http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/ccradio-plus/index.aspx

An of course if you can, listen to radio programs on your computer. You've got the world right there on your desktop!

Answer 3

the problem is probably your antenna.do you have cable,if so use that connection,do you have internet,a lot of station have digital streams to the intenet that you can listen to through your computer world wide.

Answer 4

u may have to listen online becuz i dont get any reception at my work either and it doesnt matter the kind of radio it just wont come in

Answer 5

Antenna!

Is it an AM or FM station?

Answer 6

STREAM IT ONLINE, MOST RADIO STATIONS DO THAT NOW...

Answer 7

try putting it near the window.