OT - AM aerials

OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to ask
and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What is the
best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame them)
and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with their
oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial" is the
proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice that will
make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?

bhk

bhk wrote:
OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to ask
and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What is the
best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame them)
and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with their
oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial" is the
proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice that will
make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?

Surely even an "oldish Roberts" will have a ferrite rod for AM, if so
the first thing to try is simply rotating the radio and/or moving it
about a little.

If none of these helps much and/or it really has no internal ferrite
rode aerial then there is little better than "as long and as high as
possible" for an AM aerial. Even the HF end of the MW band has a
wavelength of 200 metres or so, thus even a half-wave aerial is 100
metres. Try and get the wire away from mains wiring and outside the
house, tying it to a tree or the guttering may get it a bit higher.

--
Chris Green

"bhk" wrote in message
...
OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to
ask and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What is
the best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame them)
and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with their
oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial" is the
proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice that will
make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?


A longer piece of wire?
In the shape of an inverted L is what we used to do in those days long ago,
around a window will help.

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

you need a multiple turns coil....

Basically you buy a roll of insulated single core copper wire, wind that
round into a circle about 20cm diameterI would say 25 turns would be a good
starting point.

Leave about 2m spare at each end of the coil, twist the two wires together
and connect the ends to the radio.

you then turn the aerial around to the strongest signal level for the radio
station of interest.

Regards

Stephen.





"David" wrote in message
...

"bhk" wrote in message
...
OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to
ask and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What is
the best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame them)
and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with their
oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial" is the
proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice that
will make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?


A longer piece of wire?
In the shape of an inverted L is what we used to do in those days long
ago, around a window will help.

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

"bhk" wrote in message
...
OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to
ask and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What is
the best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame them)
and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with their
oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial" is the
proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice that will
make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?

AM reception problems are usually more to do with interference than signal
strength. If you've tried rotating the radio and repositioning it, a lot
depends on whether the radio disconnects the internal aerial (I assume it
has a ferrite) when an external aerial is connected.

Bill

In article ,
bhk wrote:
OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to
ask and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What
is the best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame
them) and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with
their oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial"
is the proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice
that will make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?

I'm afraid DAB would be the cheapest answer for decent reception if
they're in a reasonable signal strength area. Dunno why they won't
'countenance' it because although it may not be up to FM quality it's
miles better than AM.

If the Roberts with its built in ferrite aerial can't be orientated to
get a decent signal the cure will be expensive.

I have a roughly 15 ft rod aerial externally on the top of the house
which has a balancing transformer on the end feeding RF balanced screened
cable with a matching balanced to unbalanced transformer at the other end
connected to a Quad AM3 receiver - which is designed for an external
aerial and has no internal one. I get pretty well interference free
reception on LW, MW and SW. But I've no idea what they cost these days.
I'd say no change from 200 + quid fitted.

--
*Stable Relationships Are For Horses. *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
I have a roughly 15 ft rod aerial externally on the top of the house
which has a balancing transformer on the end feeding RF balanced screened
cable with a matching balanced to unbalanced transformer at the other end
connected to a Quad AM3 receiver - which is designed for an external
aerial and has no internal one. I get pretty well interference free
reception on LW, MW and SW. But I've no idea what they cost these days.
I'd say no change from 200 + quid fitted.

I did a similar thing recently for the Roberts factory and it must have been
that sort of figure.

Bill

In article ,
Mallory wrote:
you need a multiple turns coil....

Basically you buy a roll of insulated single core copper wire, wind that
round into a circle about 20cm diameterI would say 25 turns would be a
good starting point.

Leave about 2m spare at each end of the coil, twist the two wires
together and connect the ends to the radio.

you then turn the aerial around to the strongest signal level for the
radio station of interest.

The snag with AM/MF reception these days is interference from the myriad
of electronic devices all around. And the only real cure is to site the
aerial above it and use a screened downlead. Seems interference at those
sort of frequencies radiates mainly horizontally.

--
*Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"bhk" wrote in message
...
OK I know this is not the place for this but I don't know where else to
ask and there appear to be a number of old-stagers lurking here. What is
the best arrangement for picking up local AM broadcasts?

Trying to help an old couple who won't countenance DAB (don't blame them)
and the programmes they want aren't on FM. They are content with their
oldish Roberts but the reception is dire. Presently the "aerial" is the
proverbial bit of wire hanging on one screw terminal. Any advice that will
make a modest improvement and keeping them happy?
bhk
Get them to take the Prozac, and buy them a DAB radio.

Even with DABs limited bandwidths it's going to be infinitely better than
noisy MW,
with far more choice of UK radio stations

Steve Terry

In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
Get them to take the Prozac, and buy them a DAB radio.

Even with DABs limited bandwidths it's going to be infinitely better
than noisy MW, with far more choice of UK radio stations

And on something like a portable radio will sound as good as FM anyway -
better even due to lack of multi-path.

--
Is the hardness of the butter proportional to the softness of the bread?*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.