ral (02/08/83)
Hans Fantel had an article in the NY Times awhile ago suggesting that an antenna does wonders for FM reception. If it is impossible to install an outdoor antenna, maybe the BIC Beam Box (an electronic antenna) would help. I have the same problem receiving WQXR, WNCN and WNYC, but I have been too lazy to try a Beam Box or install an antenna.
shauns (02/08/83)
You've got the right idea-the best thing you can do for your FM reception
is get a good antenna. Living in an apartment is a problem-but if you have
a room in your place larger than about 2-3meters on a side, you can put up a
rhomboid antenna. This is a wire type antenna that is non-resonant and highly
directional, which means lots of gain to pull in those weak signals and and
narrow beam width to keep out nasty multipath. If you live in one of the
stone canyons of the N.E. (such as New Haven trying to pull in New York) you
know how important directionality is. A useful article on this type of antenna
appeared in Audio magazine a year or two back; I suggest you look at it or
dig up the ARRL Antenna Book for more detail.
In regards to classical stations-I've heard some pretty poor ones, but in
general they have to be better because the classical listener won't stand for
all the tricks that Pop stations pull, such as compression, limiting, etc.
Secondly, the source material is far better in the classical station. Most
Pop tunes are gain-ridden to the point that they only have about 6-10dB dynamic
range-and then, to reach the maximum audience, the station will modulate to the
hairy edge. What comes out is not much better than AM. However, if you're
hearing hiss on these stations, it may be because they're not broadcasting in
your direction or a big hill is in the way. Given the much lower transmit power
of the usual classical station and the wider dynamic range of the programming,
I'd expect to hear hiss from this type of station first.
Blather, blather, blather...
Shaun Simpkins
uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,chico,pur-ee,cbosg,ihnss}!teklabs!tekcad!shauns
CSnet: shauns@tek
ARPAnet:shauns.tek@rand-relaykarn (02/11/83)
ANY antenna that provides gain over isotropic, by definition, *IS* directional. Even a 5/8 wave vertical; it provides gain in the plane normal to the antenna at the expense of gain in the plane containing the antenna. Of course, you may not much care about receiving FM broadcast stations that may be overhead, but if you're receiving satellite transmissions, you do. Phil Karn