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What can I do to improve AM reception? (1 Viewer)

Andy Kim

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 4, 2000
Messages
251
The tuner in my Technics receiver is piss-poor at receiving AM stations. Infact, the little tiny Sony dream machine alarm clock in my room blows my receiver away when it comes to AM reception.
I can barely get ANY at all!
I've tried the AM loop antenna that came with the receiver and have swiveled it in all directions but it doesn't really help at all.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can improve AM reception?
 

Scott Kriefall

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 9, 1999
Messages
332
Location
SLC, Utah
Real Name
Scott
You could try the larger AM loop antenna (part # 15-1853) from Radio Shack. It's normally used with portable radios, but the antenna does have a mini-plug jack to which you can attach a wire lead and then attach the other end of the wire to the AM antenna inputs on your receiver.
If even that doesn't help enough, then the only other possibility is a huge run (several hundred feet) of wire strung outside along a fence or through trees.
 

Wayne Bundrick

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 17, 1999
Messages
2,358
A different antenna may be futile. It's been decades since the manufacturers gave a damn about the quality of their AM tuner circuits. The AM tuner is dead last on the receiver features to-do list these days.
------------------
--Wayne Bundrick
 

Glenn Overholt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 24, 1999
Messages
4,201
I have seperate inputs for my AM & FM antennas. The FM is a loop, as it should be, but the AM is a single wire about 2 feet long, so you might try that. If you need more than two, just stretch it out somewhere.
Glenn
 

Scott Kriefall

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 9, 1999
Messages
332
Location
SLC, Utah
Real Name
Scott
quote: What about the Terk antennas?[/quote]
If you're referring to the Terk AM Advantage loop, then it'll work about as well as the Radio Shack loop I mentioned earlier -- but will cost more. The rest of Terk's antenna lineup is useless for AM reception.
One thing to keep in mind with these AM loops is that you can't simply plug it in, sit it on top of the stereo cabinet, and expect it to work well. You need to experiment with proper orientation of the loop each time you switch stations, and also must use the loop's built-in tuning knob to optimize reception for the frequency you're trying to receive. Yes, it's a pain, but it works... at least during the day. And you can even (sometimes) orient the loop in such as way as to null out interfering stations on the same frequency as a low-powered station you wish to hear.
[Edited last by Scott Kriefall on October 06, 2001 at 07:57 PM]
 

Scott Kriefall

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 9, 1999
Messages
332
Location
SLC, Utah
Real Name
Scott
One other possibility: You could try to find a GE SuperRadio, and use it instead of the Technics receiver. The SuperRadio is a portable radio with an above-average AM tuner, and usually sells for $50 or so. It may not be as good as the aforementioned CC Radio, but it's close -- and it's also much cheaper. You could even use a mini-jack to RCA cable to connect it to a spare line-in on the Technics receiver, although that probably won't be necessary since the SuperRadio has unusually good sound quality for a portable.
 

Patrick Cate

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 18, 1998
Messages
114
I always found it funny how my $1500 home theater receiver gets inaudible AM reception, yet my mom's $10 clock radio gets near-perfect reception.
 

Bill Eberhardt

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
155
I used to get very good AM reception on my Denon 1200 as long as my TV was off. But whenever I tried to listen to the AM with the TV turned on, the interference was extremely annoying. The only solution I found was to listen to the radio on a boom box situated on the opposite side of the room from the TV. I had the same interference problem when the boom box was near the TV.
 

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