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FM Analog Radio = Dead?


artto

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Who amongst us still uses analog FM radio instead of streaming? (EDIT: At home, in your best system for serious listening)

 

If you don't have good internet speed. can't afford it, etc. I get it. I was there once.

 

However, for those who have a choice, are you still using radio instead of streaming? If so why? Please include the relevant things like location and station(s), distance, antenna, tuner/receiver used, etc

 

I've just concluded an long term (informal) "experiment". I don't want to reveal my conclusions until I hear some of your experiences. Thanks!!!!

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Only FM in my car when not using copy CD's for my own music. On the rare occasion I have FM on, I noticed they still play the same old songs they played years ago. The most guilty is Classic Rock stations. HINT: The Rolling Stones, not including the greatest hits, had 26 Studio Albums, and 10 Live Albums. So why do we only hear the same 5 Frikkin' songs over and over.

 

The worst is Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seeger. Played at every Wedding for the last 30 years, and still on the air today. Yuck.

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38 minutes ago, billybob said:

To be sure, you are talking about home based versus mobile FM?

Thanks!

Yes, at home, serious listening, not mobile. 

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1 minute ago, artto said:

Yes, at home, serious listening, not mobile. 

Never. Not even an antenna hook up at home. FM is crap compared to all other choices. Besides I just got 800 used CD's in a great buy. Time to make a Network Server!

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8 minutes ago, soundbound said:

I haven’t listened to FM for years. I miss the good FM of the 1970 decade.

Me too, like when DJ's actually got to choose the music and could even play a whole side of an album, like they did of Led Zeppelin IV when I was home with the flu in High School and heard that the day it was released. Now it's all processed cream cheese from a corporate committee playlist!

 

 

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11 minutes ago, ClaudeJ1 said:

Me too, like when DJ's actually got to choose the music and could even play a whole side of an album, like they did of Led Zeppelin IV when I was home with the flu in High School and heard that the day it was released. Now it's all processed cream cheese from a corporate committee playlist!

 

 

 

Exactly.

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1 hour ago, artto said:

Who amongst us still uses analog FM radio instead of streaming? (EDIT: At home, in your best system for serious listening)

 

Radio  is well and Alive  ,  You have to add  Satellite or Mobile Radio to the Equation  ,   since Radio is now  Digital  and Analog

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Can relate but, thinking the OP has other plans for this thread.

Have a nice tuner here that is old school analog, of course, that does well even at this semi-remote location for stations using a made for inside, small form factor unamplified short run to the outside.

Not studio quality, yet close enough. In a city, can use the antenna that came with unit, vintage attached type with, or at near signal saturation. Very nice.

Which, brings it to analog happy.

Pretty decent I will say for this day and time of digital HD radio transmission, using off air for their analog signal.

Streaming?

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, artto said:

Who amongst us still uses analog FM radio instead of streaming? (EDIT: At home, in your best system for serious listening)

 

If you don't have good internet speed. can't afford it, etc. I get it. I was there once.

 

However, for those who have a choice, are you still using radio instead of streaming? If so why? Please include the relevant things like location and station(s), distance, antenna, tuner/receiver used, etc

 

I've just concluded an long term (informal) "experiment". I don't want to reveal my conclusions until I hear some of your experiences. Thanks!!!!

I do!

While I have CD's, cassettes, and LP's, the overwhelming majority of my home listening is analog FM. I don't own a TV so I don't stream anything nor do I watch programming on my computer, so my FM stereo is running almost constantly.

 

I've never bothered to look up the possibility, and the component requirements to stream internet FM to my system, but I don't want to have to operate two components (PC and stereo) to get my FM. I also don't have a smartphone so I can't run any feeds/apps to my system, and I don't want any expenses that go along with that.

 

I find it quite acceptable for sound quality, and the stations available to me.

 

I live in the center of CT, and it just so happens the local NPR station (WNPR)  transmitter is roughly 5 miles away so the signal quality is very good. It doesn't really matter in this case because they're predominantly news and talk radio vs. music.

 

The classical music station (WMNR) I listen to is again, roughly 5 miles away. It's a translator signal with 10W output.

 

The next closest FM station I listen to regularly is a college station (WWUH) whose transmitter is roughly 25 miles away.

 

The last station I listen to regularly is an independent, community radio station (WPKN) roughly 35 miles away.

 

While I can't listen to the above stations with a full-quieting stereo signal, the mono performance is plenty good for me.

 

I live in a condo, so outside antennas can't be used. I was using a cheap, tuneable rabbit ears antenna and it mostly worked, but signal strength seemed to change seasonally in addition to whatever variables affected reception.  Roughly a year or so ago, I found a B.I.C. Beam Box. No longer made, I thought it might improve my FM performance. It certainly did. Definitely an elegant, effective solution if you can't mount an outside antenna and you're not too far from transmitters. As a radio technician, I had access to the testing equipment to verify its operation and tune it to perform best with the non-commercial end of the FM band that I listen to exclusively. The condo association is planning to install vinyl siding on our units and I'm tempted to install an omni-directional outside FM antenna in my attic and run the cable down to the first floor prior to the siding install. With radio reception, height is everything. Just getting the antenna outside can be a real help. To really improve FM reception, a directional antenna  with a rotor provides real, tangible gains; wish I could have one...I've installed them for friends and seen definitely improvement, cleanly picking up stations 90 miles away.

 

I also was using a low end Yamaha digita tuner, whose model number escapes me. I've always had good luck with them and that included this one. However, I did not like the meager, 3 segment signal strength meter, and always wondered if a higher end tuner would improve my reception. So I found a higher end Yamaha tuner on eBay, a TX 500-U. It's performance advantage is the switchable Wide/Narrow IF filter. In the narrow position, signal strength is improved significantly. I won't buy another tuner if it doesn't have this switchable IF filter. Combined with the B.I.C. Beam Box, I've got all the performance I could ask for, but I have been reading about some of the very high end FM tuners such as Magnum Dynalab and wonder if they could improve not necessarily signal STRENGTH but the FIDELITY of the broadcast.

 

All the complaints I see above about poor FM broadcast radio content seems to be focused on the commercial end of the band, 92-108MHz. I agree it's a wasteland. Side story: When I was in the military, there was crap on the FM dial. I couldn't wait to go home on leave so I could listen to my favorite album rock station (this was the late '70's/early '80's). But every year I would wind up hearing the evolution of the same artists and the same cuts. Consequently, I became disgusted with commercial FM, and found a safe haven at the low end of the FM band.

 

If you're fortunate enough to have stations nearby in the non-commercial end of the FM band, 88-92MHz, take a listen and enjoy the variety.

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4 minutes ago, billybob said:

NEC tuner from their Authentic line of audio products, Japan 1980.

NEC  is top notch quality  ,  always been  , best Electronics in the Medical Field as we speak

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32 minutes ago, RandyH said:

Radio  is well and Alive  ,  You have to add  Satellite or Mobile Radio to the Equation  ,   since Radio is now  Digital  and Analog

The OP's question was specifically about FM, not whether it's D or A.

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Besides off air, use Siri/XM stilleto to NEC integrated for digital satellite reception at home. Very stable and cannot sneeze at the quality using their simple window sill antenna. All channels virtually the same in quality. Clear LOS required.

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Chicago has a great radio station (WXRT 93.1) that plays an excellent mixture of music with dj’s that love music, not just an annoying personality. Amazing selections of music both new and old with an old school feel. My Fisher 500c just sounds great paired with Cornwall’s and given the opportunity I definitely give that setup time during the week. 

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No ads on national fm radio station Klara! 

That's a positive thing! 

No deep learning controlled Playlist, but an annotated Playlist composed and introduced by a dj or presenter. 

I love turning the dial until I find a station playing a song I like. 

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