Imagine listening to AM radio while watering the plants on the balcony or sipping your favorite beverage with a book open in your laps.
Isn’t it a blissful way to spend a lazy weekend indoors? All is fun and games unless the radio reception starts acting up. It’s so annoying when a feel-good song is up, and all of a sudden, that static noise starts buzzing; not gonna lie, that kills the whole vibe.
Have you wondered what might be the reason behind bad AM reception in your area? It used to happen with me every single time and got me thinking.
Whenever I tried listening to my favorite gardening podcast, the reception would go poof! I had to run to different corners of my house trying to catch some good signals.
But not anymore! Because I found out some effective ways to improve this situation. Hey guys, it’s me, Stacy Smith, and today I am going to talk about “how to improve AM radio reception at home?”
Let’s dissect the matter, shall we?
Interferences In The Reception
The best way to solve a problem, and I am sure many of y’all will agree, is by getting to its root cause. So, before discussing the solution, let’s talk a little about what causes bad AM reception.
1. Noise Interference
Anything that operates on or gives off radiations causes disturbance in the AM reception. I have several appliances all over my home that function simultaneously and create radiation noise in the air.
These devices include fluorescent lights, microwaves, ovens, televisions, motion-sensing lights, light dimmers, battery charges, etc. Seriously, the list can go on and on.
Do you know about the new traffic lights that are being installed these days? Those are the latest addition to the list of noise creators.
The old incandescent lamps are being replaced by LEDs in the new type of traffic signals, which is undoubtedly a good step towards energy conservation. But it isn’t good news for those of you who want to listen to the radio but have these lights near your house.
2. Hindrance From Other Stations
Can you hear more than one radio programs at a certain frequency, creating a chaotic combination? Then the disturbance might be caused by another closely located broadcast transmitter.
These interferences caused by the stations positioned on the next dial can be overcome by using a radio with better selectivity. Additionally, the desired frequency is often blocked by other devices like microprocessors or computers.
Turning off these devices while listening to AM radio might solve the issue.
3. Amplified Or Powered Antennas
Even though powered antennas are intended to improve the listening experience, more often than not, they are the primary reason behind bad reception. This happens because of their poorly designed technology.
While it is good to try and introduce new tech, the designers need to be more careful about the efficiency of their creation. The antennas are engineered with the intent of receiving more signals, which consequently ends up collecting interferences from other remotely located stations.
This, in turn, increases the noise in the reception instead of bettering the quality.
The amplified antennas are not of much use, especially in urban environments where the radiation traffic is at its peak. A passive antenna with no power proves to be better in these locations.
How To Improve AM Radio Reception
I hope you now understand the major reasons that disrupt AM radio reception at your home or in your cars.
What do you think? Was all of that helpful? Now, let’s move on to the fun part - the solution.
1. Boost The Signals
They say ignorance is bliss, but not in this case! Pay attention to the devices that are running in your home. Improving radio reception is easier than you expect; it’s just that you need to be mindful of certain things.
Are there cookies being baked in your microwave? Is someone watching the TV while you struggle with your radio? Are your kids showing off their gaming skills on the PlayStation at the same time? All of this could be creating a radiation cloud and can hinder your signals.
Try moving your radio away from these sources and relocate your antenna. Also, switch off the appliances that aren’t in use to improve the reception.
- Excellent AM loop antenna apply to most home radio stereo receiver;
- This AM antenna has 2 pin tin-plating bare wire to connect the AM antenna jack of stereo receiver radios;
- The AM antenna designed for improve the AM signal reception, help you get more stable AM signal and stations for stereo receiver radios;
- Magnetic Base Mounting FM Antenna with F Type Connector,GND AM Loop Antenna with 2 Pin Bare Wire Terminal for Indoor Home Radio Stereo Tuner Receiver Speaker;
- Compatible with Indoor HD Radio Receiver Tuner, AV Audio video Receiver, Home Theater Stereo Receiver with Bluetooth, Home Stereo Power, FM Radio Music System; Fits All Radio Stereo Receiver with F Type Female Socket Antenna Interface: Pioneer Onkyo Yamaha Marantz Panasonic Sangean JVC Sherwood and ect;
- Very Easy to install, Plug it into the antenna port on the back of the stereo receiver; Improve FM AM radio signal reception;
2. Fine Tuning The AM Antenna
AM antennas are typically of two types: active, which are powered, as I discussed above, and passive, which do not require any power source. The latter is better in urban areas and is directional. This implies you can physically point them in different directions to find where the reception is better.
Some antennas, like the AN-100, have tuning knobs, and you can simply fiddle with them until you find the desired station. The tuned signal eliminates unnecessary and overlapping stations at the frequency you want to listen to.
3. Get A Better Radio
Humankind is living in a time of advanced technology, and there are a number of new options on the market every day. If your AM radio reception stays poor for a long period, and none of the above-mentioned hacks seems to work, you should consider replacing the radio.
Final Words
I’ve reached the end of today’s guide; hopefully, you had a fun time reading it.
In the modern age of the internet, where most things are available with a single click, radio seems redundant and out of place. However, I believe there are some old souls like me out there who aren’t ready to let go of the old-school ways just yet.
Let me know if these methods worked out for you. All this radio talk reminded me of the Queen of rock, Freddie Mercury’s legendary lines: “.. and everything I had to know, I heard it on my radio.”
I’ll leave you at that; see you next time, folks! Take care and stay safe.