Happy Easter folks! Overhead in Park Slope an hour or so ago: Family out for Easter fighting in the street. Fat dad says, “You are a fucking piece of shit of a mother!”
@EyepatchFox: Funny you ask that. I just rearranged things in my apartment and had to deal with this. Just have a simple dipole FM antenna and there’s no really rhyme or reason to how to lay that wire. I just spread and toss it until it works.
@common: I know! I also wish someone would just teach these economically stable, predominantly white folks in Park Slope to behave properly for once. I’ve tried their artisanal mayo and porridge. They seem to have a nice culture. But if they could only behave correctly will the world truly respect them as a people… Or some shit like that¬
5:55pm
moe:
great set loved that bill pursell cut and the Ligeti is timeless... the mysterious Millennium is a treat... thanks bill happy bunny day...
@EyepatchFox: “…why is it better at night? Does humidity make the signal bounce around?” Humidity, maybe in all seriousness. But also, at night there are less “things” happening on the airwaves that might inadvertently interfere with things. if Ike shows up here, ask him. He’s the FM signal strength guru.
Radio Waves have a size, shape & a direction. A smaller antenna is sometimes better ! Plus - they bounce off metal anywhere & thus 'echo' - very strange indeed...
FM is line of sight, AM bounces around. when there's less stuff happening at night, less cloud cover, fewer cars and other interference things come in better. thunderstorm activity west of you will make fm skip happen sometimes - i got an indiana station where wfuv was supposed to be a couple of times during summer electrical storms
My antenna is one of those long Y shaped floppy things. I just inherited an old stereo from a dead relative just as I moved back to NJ, and I've been SO excited to once again listen to WFMU all proper-like. But it's always static-ish.
My apartment windows face south east, towards lower Manhattan, so I guess my antenna is on the wrong side of the building. Maybe I can see if there's a lightening rod on the roof, and attach it to that! :D
“My antenna is one of those long Y shaped floppy things.” Yeah that is a dipole antenna. One thing to note with those things: The plastic “hub” where the two branches of the Y branch out is sometimes cheap and connections can break in there. Meaning the antenna visually looks right, but a wire is disconnected so the antenna is essentially busted. But like Dale says I would recommend going to a 99 cent store and see if they have an plain/simple antenna and buy that if you can’t get the one you have to work. Can’t be more than $4.
i always put those up on the wall as high as possible in a tee shape. you can put it behind a picture or curtain if you don't want to look at it. they work surprising well as the length is tuned for the band already. if there's static maybe there's a slight break in the wires or the connector posts are tarnished
Um. It's a stereo? Is that specific enough? Here, this is my classy set up: instagram.com...
6:07pm
JakeGould:
@EyePatchFox: NYC stations transmit from the Empire State Building as well as 1 Times Square. Believe 1 World Trade Center is operational again, but in general all of the NYC stations will come in really clear to you because of that.
you could try a set of rabbit ears, but you'll need the right connector. if the set has an 'antenna in' that takes a coax you might be able to try something from radio shack, and if it doesn't work return it if you keep the box pretty.
Well, I just switched the Y antenna with the little Sony antenna that was hooked up to the AM ports on the back. It's improved. Only.... when I put the antenna in BOTH FM ports it stopped. I could only put it in one. Odd. But it sounds better, so YAY! Thanks, guys!
- mono is easier to pull in than stereo in FM
- so I wonder if you're getting better reception...in mono? Sometimes little clock radios pull in a clearer signal than big stereos for such reasons...
- Why you no listen online ??
if you put it outside you should ground it. if you live 5 stories up and have to drop a ground wire and standoffs and drive a ground rod it may not be feasible.
I mean, I COULD listen online, but the stereo sounds better than my computer speakers, and..... it makes me feel more connected somehow. Maybe it's just flashbacks to the 90's.
Dale, the distant FM reception you experienced was not the DIRECT result of T-storms, but was due to sporadic E skip: a more-than-avg. densely ionized patch of the E layer about midway between you & Indiana.
A dipole's (including rabbit ears) best reception is with the ears perpendicular to the direction the signal's coming from, and directed the way the signal is polarized. IIRC, WFMU is vertically polarized, so up & down; I don't know about WMFU or the Rockland xltr.
with the right connector you can use any input - you can use 1/8 inch stereo mini plug to two rca jacks. radio shack used to carry those. but still i prefer over the air.
But Dale, it's unlikely the patch of E(s) was directly above where the storm was at that time; the ioniz'n occurs some time after the storm & drifts away from that spot.
Anyway, just because you're located in a certain position w.r.t the xmtr doesn't mean the strongest signal you're getting is coming directly from that direction; it may bounce off conductive objects. Some of those objects can move, hence the apparent motion of the signal source.
So, Fox, chances are good that you'll improve your reception if you point the dipole up & down, inconvenient though that may be. However, reflection of the signal off conductive objects can change the plane of polariz'n.
Well, my Dad is bringing me some speakers and an old receiver, so I may have more options in the future. The current Sony was owned by my Aunt who didn't EVER play the stereo except on Christmas. So it's practically new.
just play with the position of the antenna you have - get the legs out, and not hanging down. if you get serious you can try other antennas. 99 percent of the time i just listen to fmu which has a fantastic mt. hope signal so i'm good.
6:45pm
JakeGould:
@Gaylord: My philosophy is to just not be an asshole. I think all stores should have signs that read, "Welcome! Don't Be an Asshole. --The Management."
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sugarwolf:
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P-90:
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fxo:
for they will rise.
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...ahhhahah♩ahhahaha
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dale:
Eyepatch Fox:
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dale:
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www.solidsignal.com...
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dale:
dale:
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Revolution Rabbit Nov63:
- so I wonder if you're getting better reception...in mono? Sometimes little clock radios pull in a clearer signal than big stereos for such reasons...
- Why you no listen online ??
Listener Robert:
dale:
Revolution Rabbit Nov63:
Gaylord Fields:
dale:
glenn:
Eyepatch Fox:
Listener Robert:
Revolution Rabbit Nov63:
Eyepatch Fox:
dale:
i prefer listening over the air too, eyepatch.
Eyepatch Fox:
Listener Robert:
glenn:
dale:
Listener Robert:
Revolution Rabbit Nov63:
- but if it has any input for Tape or anything else, you can use that.
- Also - btw, a good easy upgrade on an 'affordable' stereo is better speakers if you find them anywhere (thrift stores, yard sales)...
Eyepatch Fox:
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