Hello everybody.
Here in Buenos Aires, Argentina there are some radio stations in the AM system that has about 85 years old, and double mine (44 actually).
In between, lots of things appeared: shellac and vinyl records, tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, computers, digital newspapers, TV, TV color, digital and HD TV, FM and FM stereo, AM stereo (disappeared?), cells with FM receiving and MP3, Internet, Radio and MP3 streaming, MP3 players, and lots of new electronic communication systems. But AM is still well alive.
Why do you think that AM, being the most primitive, the one with the lowest quality and the less efficient system is still alive?
Note that I still use my 3 tube regenerative receiver, one of the most primitives one, although using not so old technologies.
Kind regards.
Here in Buenos Aires, Argentina there are some radio stations in the AM system that has about 85 years old, and double mine (44 actually).
In between, lots of things appeared: shellac and vinyl records, tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, computers, digital newspapers, TV, TV color, digital and HD TV, FM and FM stereo, AM stereo (disappeared?), cells with FM receiving and MP3, Internet, Radio and MP3 streaming, MP3 players, and lots of new electronic communication systems. But AM is still well alive.
Why do you think that AM, being the most primitive, the one with the lowest quality and the less efficient system is still alive?
Note that I still use my 3 tube regenerative receiver, one of the most primitives one, although using not so old technologies.
Kind regards.
AM Radio was given up for dead in the US in the 1970's -- and then "talk radio", "24 hour sports radio" were reborn. "Bible Radio" never died.
Music isn't entirely killed off on the AM band, at least here in NJ, and driving through most of this enormous country you can always pick up "Country" or "Western" or both.
Music isn't entirely killed off on the AM band, at least here in NJ, and driving through most of this enormous country you can always pick up "Country" or "Western" or both.
Here in Buenos Aires, most of the Christian (And variants) are in the FM band. And there are some specialized sports radio on FM, absurd.
AM signals can reach longer distances, and they're not as "line of sight" as VHF FM signals. If I'm camping away from any city or town, there will be nothing on FM, but various weak but audible AM stations, particularly at night. Some will be from cities over 500 miles away.
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AM has about the simplest possible receiver, which can even work with no power supply. Until recently I assume many countries did what the UK did and had some arrangement of emergency AM transmitters for use when WW3 started.
AM signals are the easiest to receive. Crystal radio receivers are not high-tech but they do work in an emergency.
Try building a simple circuit which can receive a digital or an FM signal. You can't.
Try building a simple circuit which can receive a digital or an FM signal. You can't.
There was a Canadian station we used to listen to as kids -- "CKLW" -- I think it had one of those 100kW transmitters to reach Sgt Preston in the Yukon. When you'd go out on a date in the summer, i.e. parking, all the radios were tuned to CK. All you could hear were buttons popping, perspiration and CK.
Friends of mine used to listen hard from some of the flame-throwers from Mexico.
At one time, some guys in the UK listen to American blue-grass using a loop antenna and regen receiver. Now you can just download "I-Heart Radio" on your Kindle or IPad and listen to almost any US Station.
Yes, but with only simplicity a radio station can´t survive. there must be some other reasons to.
In this morning's NYTimes -- how "timely"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/u...e-its-lost-in-the-static.html?pagewanted=1&hp
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/u...e-its-lost-in-the-static.html?pagewanted=1&hp
I once listened to the San Antonio Spurs game on our local clear channel AM station WOAI. On a car radio in Flagstaff, AZ.
I worked DX on 20 meters, but only CW -- our high school allowed us to put a vertical on the roof -- which was 6 stories in the air. We had a Hallicrafters HT-44/SX-117 and a Heath HA-14 amplifier.
Later they figured that a vertical on the roof, installed by a bunch of high school kids, was akin to a weapon of mass destruction for the students below! The antenna and traps were crafted from aluminum tubing that the US Navy used for antennas (or so we were told) -- one of the parents was foreman of the plant.
Ok, before having the callsign, I like listen shortwave radio stations in a General Electric 4 band AC/DC radio which hasn't the cover, it was made in aluminium chassis and like listen radios and see filament reflex on the chassis. I still have some QSL´s from BBC, RNW, VOA and others, including a cubic calendar from RNW from near 199x made by the program of Alfonso Montealegre, not sure the name of the program.
After this receiver, I had a RCA with a push pull of 6V6´s, and iron chassis so no reflex in it, but I did ita beat oscillator (6BZ6) to listen ham radio SSB systems, and to receive RTTY in the legendary Commodore 64C first, and then in a 286 machine using the also legendary "hamcomm". Still in the HD.
After this receiver, I had a RCA with a push pull of 6V6´s, and iron chassis so no reflex in it, but I did ita beat oscillator (6BZ6) to listen ham radio SSB systems, and to receive RTTY in the legendary Commodore 64C first, and then in a 286 machine using the also legendary "hamcomm". Still in the HD.
This was my first regen receiver:
The Knight Ocean Hopper would pull in stations from Latin America, the Islands, Mexico -- I had a 50 foot long-wire antenna.
Before that I had a couple crystal radios, the first of which was from Remco.
The Knight Ocean Hopper would pull in stations from Latin America, the Islands, Mexico -- I had a 50 foot long-wire antenna.
Before that I had a couple crystal radios, the first of which was from Remco.
My first shortwave receiver was a Radio Shack "P-Box" kit, where the plastic box doubled as perf-board. The lack of a calibrated tuning dial was a problem. But, I got QSL cards from Radio South Africa, HCJB, Radio Havana Cuba, Radio Nederland, and others. It's sad to hear that many countries have ceased shortwave broadcasts.
I still have a big Sony multiband portable that's "serious" enough to have a BFO for CW and SSB reception. It's not picking up much on shortwave indoors these days. I should haul it up the mountain away from all the RF noise and have a listen. Maybe it's easier to find pirate broadcasts, without the big broadcasters and Russian Woodpecker hogging the spectrum.
I still have a big Sony multiband portable that's "serious" enough to have a BFO for CW and SSB reception. It's not picking up much on shortwave indoors these days. I should haul it up the mountain away from all the RF noise and have a listen. Maybe it's easier to find pirate broadcasts, without the big broadcasters and Russian Woodpecker hogging the spectrum.
Since several years I don't currently listen SW, but I know several high power stations have been migrated to internet, and shut down those giant RF emitters. So, less RF on air, which from my point of view is good.
WOWO Ft Wayne Indiana is still going (1190AM).
A selection from a decade of visits to tower and studio sites in the Northeast and beyond
I used to listen to it when I was a teenager living in W. Columbia SC. You couldn't receive it well during the middle of the day, but from dusk to dawn the skip was good and it came in strong.
A selection from a decade of visits to tower and studio sites in the Northeast and beyond
I used to listen to it when I was a teenager living in W. Columbia SC. You couldn't receive it well during the middle of the day, but from dusk to dawn the skip was good and it came in strong.
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