Radio Reception Tips

Minnesota Public Radio's engineers recommend the following if you're having difficulty receiving an FM radio signal.

Car Radio: Car radios typically pull in stations better than home radios. But, because the car is moving, the reception consistency can vary quite a bit. There are no simple improvements that can be made to a car radio. Replacing the radio is no guarantee that reception will improve.

Clock or Table Radio: Many of these radios use the electric cord you plug into the wall outlet as an antenna. Make sure the cord is fully extended (not bunched up). Some repositioning of the cord or radio may improve the reception. If your radio has an external antenna connection on the back, attach a simple wire antenna (see "External Antennas," below). These are available at low cost from home electronics stores such as Radio Shack and Best Buy.

Stereo Systems: There should be two connections marked "FM Antenna" where the two wires attach. If there is only one connection on the radio, then use the "FM antenna" connection for one wire of the antenna and the "ground" connection for the other. It works really well if the home stereo can be connected to an external TV antenna if the house has one already installed.

Portable Radio (Walkman): The headphone cord is also the antenna. Try a headphone with a longer cord. You can go on the Web to search for customer feedback on the different brands to find the ones with better reception abilities. Sony products are usually a good bet. Reception with any portable device will vary depending on the circumstances in which it's used.

PC Radio Card: If the card has an antenna connection, connect to an external antenna or TV antenna. A cable TV connection may work also, but not all cable TV systems carry the full FM band, so this is a "maybe" solution.

External Antennas: If your device has an external connection for a radio antenna (you can see if it does by looking at the back of the unit for a screw- or plug-type connection labeled ANT or FM ANT), here are some options:

• A "T" type wire antenna can be attached, provided you're willing to experiment with positioning it on the wall behind the receiver (the antenna has to be fully spread out to work).
• A "rabbit ears" antenna can help, though these can be fussy with positioning.