AM Radio Reception?

[ultrarunner]

Question for Radio Buffs...

Some of the worst AM radio reception experienced is with new vehicles and clock radios

My 1950 Plymouth and 1959 Rambler have tube AM radios and provide perfect reception along my work commute. Any late model BMW or similar has the worst to the point of total static at certain points along the way.

Inherited a 1940's radio and phono combination with excellent sound and reception yet a Sony click radio pales in comparison.

Looks like the pinnacle of AM mid century last century

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had a Military Police 87 Caravelle, and found a OEM AM radio to put in the vacant spot. That was the most amazing radio for sensitiivity and selectivity and even sported AM STEREO! Strange.

I believe that in a cost conscious environment, not much money will be put into AM. Face it, it you listen to it at all, it's to listen to a local AM talk radio station. Not much quality required there.

Quality RADIO of any kind, always costs more money. More and more electronic devices also interfere with AM radio. LED pedestrian signals just for instance,

 

[k0ua]

Question for Radio Buffs...

Some of the worst AM radio reception experienced is with new vehicles and clock radios

My 1950 Plymouth and 1959 Rambler have tube AM radios and provide perfect reception along my work commute. Any late model BMW or similar has the worst to the point of total static at certain points along the way.

Inherited a 1940's radio and phono combination with excellent sound and reception yet a Sony click radio pales in comparison.

Looks like the pinnacle of AM mid century last century

Several new cars (especially electric cars) don't even have AM radio's as an option because of the difficulty of getting them quiet enough to allow AM reception. The listenership is way down and AM radio may be on the way out. My Amateur radio rigs are excellent AM band radio receivers. Of course Millions of old boatancher tube type radios are still in service make excellent AM radio receivers.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I made the drive north to Olympia with the 67 Fleetwood the AM reception was the best ever tuned to 50,000 Watt SF KGO...

Never thought about electrics.

Some old tube radios have great sound once warmed up...

 

[oosik]

This is how it goes around here. I listen to FM stereo. The FM signal travels further out here in the wheat fields. My son comes on a ride with me. He has his tunes loaded on a thumb drive. Plugs his thumb drive into the appropriate port on the dash. Then fiddles with the touch screen digital display. We listen to his tunes. One of these days I might learn how he does this.

For now its nice that we both like the same music.

 

[ChuckT]

Doesn't that get old unless you refresh the contents regularly?

 

[ChuckT]

I use audio CDs. Commercially produced they usually have a few dogs included but I can skip them. Don't usually indulge tho unless I know I'm on a long road to nowhere.

 

[plowhog]

Some of the worst AM radio reception experienced is with new vehicles and clock radios

It's a combination of two things. First the newer vehicles have computers and all sorts of other devices that emit interference. This degrades the quality of the signal that is able to be received. Next the antenna systems for AM radios are a big compromise compared to antennas of years past.

So your older vehicle has an antenna much more optimized to pull in an AM signal, and the radio is operating in an environment of much less interference.

 

[Hay Dude]

Several new cars (especially electric cars) don't even have AM radio's as an option because of the difficulty of getting them quiet enough to allow AM reception. The listenership is way down and AM radio may be on the way out. My Amateur radio rigs are excellent AM band radio receivers. Of course Millions of old boatancher tube type radios are still in service make excellent AM radio receivers.

Tell Rush Limbaughs 60 million listeners that :laughing:

I brought my Massey Ferguson tractor in from Europe and unless its me and I cant find it, it doesnt even have an AM band in the tuner. Just FM, IPod, AUX and weather bands.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Of the few CDs I own, I think there is one song per disk I like. I have a lifetime subscription to XM. Not sure I would pay for it at this point. Mostly listen to Patriot Radio, but you do get kind of sick of them preaching to the choir. What's the point? We have a local community radio station that plays better music thean XM, but they have limited range.