[David]

The conserative, pro-2nd amendment talk show I sometimes like to listen to is often pre-empted by sporting events (basketball, football, etc.).

It is a nationwide radio talk show, mostly on AM stations.

My question:

Would a short-wave radio enable me to clearly listen to this radio talk show on other out of the area AM stations (for example, in other cities in the state or even other parts of the country)?

:confused: :D :confused:

Thanks...

[garrettwc]

It depends on whether or not the radio program in question is broadcast via shortwave.

Shortwave is a different band, just like FM. Other options are an AM radio made specially for long distance listening. Check out C. Crane Company on the web for some of the better ones.

Other alternative is to check for a website for the radio program. See if there is another affiliate close to you, or one that broadcasts over the web.

[QuickDraw]

The AM signal does not "travel" very far during the day,thats why
they have 50,000 watt signals.Now at night time,its a different story.The fcc requires stations to reduce power so as not to interfere with other stations on the same frequency in other cities.
If the show your interested is replayed at night on a not too distant station,odds are you could hear it.
To answer the original question,unless the show was aired on a shortwave station.Its possible,but unlikely.
Try going to the shows website(everybody has one) and see if they have streaming audio and listen over the internet!
Hope this helps.

QuickDraw
Ham radio guy
Longtime AM DXer
Marksman in training

[4v50 Gary]

Also depends on your antenna and receiver. The taller and longer the antenna (and provided it is tuned to your receiver), the better your reception and transmission.

Get your ham license and unlike me, learn how to use it.

[Skunkabilly]

Get your ham license and unlike me, learn how to use it.

LOL...not that I been doing that... :rolleyes:

Edited for stupidity :rolleyes:

[RUT]

>>Get your ham license and unlike me, learn how to use it.<<

Let's hear it for the dits and dahs!!

===RUT=== (K1--)

[Skunkabilly]

-.-- --- -- .- -- .- ... --- - .- -.-. - .. -.-. .- .-..!!!
Not sure I understood the reply to the original question but can dual-band radios pick up all the civilian AM/FM stations?

[David]

Thanks for the info -- I will check the show's website to see if they broadcast on short-wave.

[C.R.Sam]

Actually, shortwave that also picks up commercial broadcast AM n FM would be at least triple band.

Sam

[Mike Irwin]

I thought FM was airwave transmission, meaning that the larger and taller the antenna the better reception you get, while AM is groundwave, meaning that the height of the antenna is less important than its sensitivity?

[444]

The AM broadcast band is very low in frequency. During the day, the ionosphere forms a "D" layer that absorbs low frequency radio waves. At night, the D layer is disappears and the AM broadcast band transmissions are then reflected off the ionosphere making long range reception possible.
So Mike, your assumption is true during the day, but not at night.
Another factor that effects what you can hear on the AM broadcast band via "skip" is the directivity of the antenna. If you are using an omnidirectional antenna, you are probably going to be hearing multiple stations on the same frequency. If you want to get serious, you need to find a directional antenna that will null out the stations you don't want to hear which in turn aims the antenna at the station you do want to hear. Here in the west, pretty much everything on AM is wiped out my Mexican stations. The AM broadcast band, along with pretty much all low frequency bands is strongly effected by man made and atmospheric noise. Getting the antenna up high gets it further away from made made noise sources. It also allows the antenna to work in the directional pattern it was designed for as the effects of ground are reduced, although this height would be very high for frequencies as low as the AM broadcast band.

The FM broadcast band is much higher in frequency. It is usually above the MUF (maximum usuable frequency) and goes through the ionosphere rather than being reflected by the ionosphere. This makes it good for line of sight (usually 10 degrees beyond the visual horizon) distances only, under normal conditons. Obviously the higher the antenna, the further the distance you can hear since this increases the distance to the horizon.

By the way, AM and FM are MODES of transmission. They are simply different methods of adding data to the carrier signal. They have nothing to do with frequency. However, in the US, we commonly use AM and FM to refer to two different frequency bands even though you could transmit either mode on either range of freqencies.