If you are in the Hartford, CT area you can hear Beethoven.com programming on your radio! We broadcast on the AM dial at 1290 Khz on WCCC and this signal can be picked up within about 10 miles of downtown Hartford. See coverage map below. If you have a HD radio, you can hear us on the HD2 channel of WCCC-FM, 106.9 Mhz. This signal can be heard within about 20 miles of downtown Hartford.
AM radio reception is full of variables, some of which are under the control of the listener and some of which are not. Please refer to the coverage map of WCCC for the following discussion: COVERAGE MAP
First it is important to note that due to Federal Communications Requirements, WCCC has to reduce its power at night so if you reception is OK during the day and not so good at night that may be the problem. Many AM stations have to change their power or the direction they send their signal in order to prevent interference to other stations.
If you live or travel within the smallest circle on the map, than you are in our prime coverage area and in theory you should be able to hear WCCC AM 190 fairly well. On a practical basis, listeners within this area should not experience too many reception problems.
If you live within the second larger circle, you are in what is called the secondary coverage area and you may have to do some experimenting to optimize your reception of Beethoven Radio 1290.
If you live outside the second largest circle, but within the largest circle, you are in what is called the fringe area and while reception of 1290 is possible, it may be difficult.
Reception outside the larger circle is certainly possible. The coverage of AM radio stations can be quite unpredictable and we have heard from listeners in several neighboring states.
ARE YOU MOBILE OR FIXED?
When discussing ways of improving AM reception, we must distinguish between fixed location reception, such as in a home or office, and mobile car reception.
Some of the best AM receivers can be found in cars. Although this is not true in every case, the average car radio will pick up more station than even an expensive home receiver. One reason for the difference is that the car receiver has one very important advantage over the typical “fixed” radio; an external antenna!
Intermittent noise and/or buzzing while listening to WCCC in the car that does not appear to be coming from the car is most likely coming from other noise sources in the environment. Power and other utility lines, traffic light controller, neon signs can all add noise to AM reception.
A common complaint about car reception is that the signal is plagued by a loud buzzing or humming sound. This is most often caused by electrical interference generated by the car itself. If the noise changes along with engine speed, the problem is caused by an engine component, such as the alternator or the ignitions system. If the noise is constant, it may be caused by the fuel pump or blower motor. If the noise is present intermittently, than it might be caused by the windshield wipers, the air conditioning system or even a nearby cell phone.
If the problem is that all stations appear to be weak, or that stations get stronger and weaker as if you were throwing a switch, the problem may very well be the antenna or the wire going to it. With the car parked in your driveway and the radio tuned to a weak station, try touching the antenna. The there should be a change in reception (probably for the worst). If not, the antenna may not be working. Next, try gently snapping the antenna back and forth. If the signal cuts in and out the may be a bad connection at the antenna. In either of these cases, or if reception is uniformly bad across the dial, a qualified automotive electrical technician may be able to help (always have the antenna checked before buying a new car radio) Speaking of antennas, make sure that that it has not been damaged and that it is extended to its full length which is very important.
If you are considering purchasing a new car radio, you may want to check out HD radios. WCCC was the first AM HD station in the state of Connecticut and more and more stations are switching to HD. HD provides greatly improved fidelity and stereo reception on AM stations so equipped, along with song titles on the radio display!
Home or office reception of AM signals can be problematic. Certain building materials, such as aluminum siding and the metal and tinted glass often used in modern office buildings block AM signals quite effectively. To see if it might be possible to pick up a given station at your home or office, try to listen to the station in your car parked as close to the building as possible. Since car radios are generally far superior to any other type of AM receiver, if you can’t get AM 1290 in the car you may not be able to get it inside. One alternative in this case is to listen to us on the internet at Beethoven.com.
People use a variety of radios for home and office reception, ranging from clock and table radios to boom boxes and component stereo receivers. Unfortunately, the manufacturers of these devices often install inferior AM tuners inside their equipment, making good AM reception difficult.
Most AM radios have a bar or ferrite rod antenna built into the case. These antennas are very directional so the first thing you should try to do when attempting to tune in to 1290 for the first time is to physically rotate the radio to see if the reception gets better or worse. You may be surprised at the difference this makes. If possible, leave the radio in the position that provides best reception.
Electrical devices in the vicinity of the radio can cause interference so if your radio is near a TV, answering machine, telephone, charger, fluorescent light or cell phone you may want to try to move it farther away.
If your radio has a whip antenna, it may or may not be used for AM reception (the rods are much more common). Try extending the antenna to its full length and then try various positions of the whip to see if it makes a difference.
Some home stereo and AV receivers have detachable AM antennas, and these are often never installed when the system is set up. These often take the shape of a plastic loop approximately 3” in diameter and they should be connected to the AM Antenna terminals on the back of the set and adjusted for best reception. Other sets have rod antennas attached to the rear panel. If these are adjustable, make sure they are pulled as far away from the back panel of the radio as possible and keep speaker and power cable wires away from them.
Believe it or not, some high-end receivers don’t come with any AM antennas but provide a terminal on the rear panel marked “AM Ant” or similar where a wire antenna can be connected. Your first thought may be to hook up a very long piece of wire to this terminal but you will probably find that doing so results in hearing on or more station across the entire AM dial! This is because the long wire is overloading the AM tuner’s input. If you are going to use this AM antenna connection, start with 20’ or so of wire and be prepared to trim it back in 2’ lengths until the overload disappears. Remember, just as with portable receivers, the keeping this antenna away from possible sources of electrical noise is important.
If you want the ultimate in AM pulling power and audio fidelity, several manufacturers make radios designed with AM reception in mind.
If you want a portable, the GE Superradio III is the radio to get. Believe it or not, for the modest price of around $50 this radio provides exceptional sensitivity (pulling power) and excellent selectivity (the ability of a radio to separate one station from another). It also provides some of the best audio quality OF ANY AM RADIO AT ANY PRICE! These radios are available from numerous electronic emporiums as well as Amazon.com.
CC Crane company (http://www.ccrane.com/) offers the CCRadio Plus in the $140 range. Most reviewers report that while this radio compares nicely with the GE Superradio reception-wise, it lacks the Superradios excellent audio performance on AM.
Radio Shack (radioshack.com) has tried to compete with the GE Superradio III by offering the OPTIMUS 12-603A. Selling for about $40, this radio works better than about 99% of all of the other portable radios out there, but in my opinion falls short of the Superradio, especially in the areas of selectivity and fidelity. Keep in mind that many Radio Shack stores have generous return policies, so it may be possible for you to try this radio in your home and then return it for a refund if it does not perform the way you want it to.
If you are looking for a tabletop radio, there are several to choose from.
Tivoli Audio’s (http://www.tivoliaudio.com/home.php) Model One is a very nice home radio, offering decent AM reception with good audio quality.
Cambridge Soundworks (http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=aud_radio) offers several models that have good AM performance.
A company called Radiosophy makes a nice table top HD radio that works very well. Sangean and Sony also have very good component style HD tuners available.
These are just a few of the high quality AM receivers we are familiar with. There may be others. Don’t gamble, purchase your radio from a vendor that has a good return policy.
Avoid expensive component stereo receivers and tuners, nearly all of these units offer terrible AM reception and fidelity.
If you are looking for a radio that offers shortwave reception as well, both Sony and Grundig offer a large selection of portable and home receivers. Since these receivers are designed for pulling in weak shortwave stations that are often crowded together, they often work well on the AM broadcast band. However, the audio quality that these radios offer is generally no where near as good as the quality offered on most of the models mentioned above.
For the ultimate in AM reception you need a McKay Dymek AM-5 high fidelity AM tuner. These haven’t been made in close to twenty years, but they available from time to time on the used market, including ebay.com. The AM-5 needs an outside wire antenna to work properly.
All in all, you can’t go wrong with a GE Superradio III which offers excellent reception and extended AM fidelity at a very reasonable price.
I would be more than happy to help you with your reception problems. Contact me at jramsey {AT} beethoven.com.
John Ramsey - Chief Technical Officer |
