If you listen to AM radio stations at night that are just impossible to pick up during the day, chances are you’re benefiting from sky-wave propagation. Propagation is just the technical word for how radio signals travel through the air. Sky-wave propagation is the specific name given to radio waves that travel through the sky. Sky-wave propagation takes place between sunset and sunrise. It’s the flip side to the ground wave propagation used to transmit during the day. Continue Reading
Tag / radio reception
Tips for Improving FM Reception
Tuning in an FM station isn’t the same as tuning in an AM station. That’s why, when you have a reception issue, the first thing you’re usually asked is “Which band or station are you trying to receive?”. FM transmissions are line-of-sight. That means that obstacles between you and the transmission you’re trying to receive […]
AM Reception Tips – Part 1 – Radio Noise Problems and Static
Troubleshooting AM reception is a very common theme here at C. Crane. Many of us have worked here for years so we’ve heard a lot of different scenarios and helped many people figure out what will work best in their given situation. A lot of people are surprised at what we ask them to try […]
Fun with Radio Waves – By Gordon West, WB6NOA
Radio waves are invisible and travel at the speed of light. We are surrounded by harmless radio waves, sent out from TRANSMITTERS aboard satellites as well as those tall antenna towers you see on the horizon. Because radio waves rapidly decrease in intensity with the square of the distance traveled, we are safe from this […]