In Reply to: FM Reception posted by Macncheez on May 24, 2017 at 13:47:44:
Multipath.
Good FM reception with truly good sound in stereo requires
i) a signal strong enough to fully quieten the front end of the receiver, and
ii) a signal as free as possible from multipath reflections (from hills, towers and high rise). Multipath that will be audible, can't be dealt with by FM front-ends.
Even car radios will splutter when behind a hill or in a city full of office towers. But mild mpath causes the sound to deteriorate long before spluttering.
This second requirement may need a directional antenna. Directional means that it can pick out the best possible signal. It will also give you signal gain.
FM's lambda is ~ 3metres / ~11 feet. So, truly good sounding FM from a good FM tuner can't always be achieved with a small antenna. Particularly so in hilly urban areas.
My favourite station - the strongest FM signal here* - is transmitted from two hills (*Canberra, Australia.) In the car I switch from one frequency to the other when I'm blocked from one site or the other, almost every drive. And multipath is the reason.
*Click right down below for a data-reduced (compressed) internet feed.
*Today's Music listings
http://www.abc.net.au/classic/music-listings/
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- Adding to 6BQ5's points - Timbo in Oz 15:45:56 05/26/17 (0)