Practically Classics Forum

How do the two compare I remember when radios had VHF, then it became FM and now AM seems to have cropped up . The good old BBC seem to be giving FM frequencies but not an AM equivilent. Is it a totally different thing or is there a conversion....rather like 1 inch = 2.54cm

I'm sure John will jump in and slap me but I think that AM and MW are the same thing,
FM is a different system so there is no conversion.

FM and AM stand for Frequency Modulation and Amplitude Modulation respectively and are different ways of converting sound into a radio signal and are incompatible. MW, or Medium Wave, represents a band of radio frequencies on your tuning dial and uses AM, as do Long Wave and Short Wave. Most BBC transmissions are on FM only, as the sound quality is much better, with the exception of Radio 4 which also transmits on Long Wave. Unfortunate for people like me who have a car with an AM only radio. I'm sure John will be along in a minute to explain it much better.

Whoops; I assumed AM was some kind of new name for FM. Anyway, I was trying to see what is available at the shop, where the reception is crap . The radio will only receive MW or FM but the FM reception is non existant . Looks like we can get Five Live or Radio Plaid (AKA Radio Wales ) .

Have you tried doing what they have had to do in the factory here, getting a bit of wire and running it up the side of the building then shoving it in to the FM socket on the back of your radio. Probably not the most lightning resistant solution but it means I have to endure rubbish music whenever I walk through the factory.

i listen to radio 4 long wave, to improve the reception i ususally stick a bit of steel on top of the fm antenna.. except in the van where the reception is brilliant....

rich. wrote:i listen to radio 4 long wave, to improve the reception i ususally stick a bit of steel on top of the fm antenna.. except in the van where the reception is brilliant....

Keep up at the back there Long wave is AM not FM

Martin Evans wrote::The radio will only receive MW or FM but the FM reception is non existant .

That's probably because FM uses the same wavelength bands as VHF (Very High Frequency) which needs pretty much line-of-sight to the transmitter. The shorter the wavelength the less able is it to "go round corners", hence LW being used to transmit round the world, albeit in low quality. SW can also be used for long distance, but only by bouncing off the ionosphere like a snooker ball, so the principle still holds true.

So if you live in a hilly area (and I suspect you do!) then you may be way off line-of-sight to the FM transmitter hence the poor signal. Put an aerial on top of the hill and it'll be fine.....

suffolkpete wrote:FM and AM stand for Frequency Modulation and Amplitude Modulation respectively and are different ways of converting sound into a radio signal and are incompatible. MW, or Medium Wave, represents a band of radio frequencies on your tuning dial and uses AM, as do Long Wave and Short Wave. Most BBC transmissions are on FM only, as the sound quality is much better, with the exception of Radio 4 which also transmits on Long Wave. Unfortunate for people like me who have a car with an AM only radio. I'm sure John will be along in a minute to explain it much better.

No, I'd have said effectively the same thing, but dysphasia would have meant more words needed to make exactly the same statement so thank goodness that you got there first!

suffolkpete wrote:

rich. wrote:i listen to radio 4 long wave, to improve the reception i ususally stick a bit of steel on top of the fm antenna.. except in the van where the reception is brilliant....

Keep up at the back there Long wave is AM not FM

ive got a very poor reception here & my bit of steel on the radio works a treat