"MossadAgent86" wrote in message
...
I want to rant a short while and then ask a question about AM reception.

Years ago (I think) all radio's had superheterodyne circuits which allowed
for
great sensitivity and selectivity. I figured that, for all time, all
radio's
would be superhet circuitry. Now the modern AM radio's I buy are all crap,
esp
car radio's. They can not pull in stations, for nothing.


Nearly all radios still are superhets, they may be crap superhets, but they
are superhets. I don't have any radios made in the last few years, but, if
people are choosing AM radios based only on price, then they are likely
getting poor radios. If most people don't notice the difference between a
good radio and a poor one, then the extra money is wasted.

I noticed Doug Smith's post on the increase in noise and interference.
Those are important points and he's right.



What modern (new or used) AM radio can I buy that can pull in distant
stations?

I have a Realistic DX440, which does a good job. Others have tried and like
the GE superradio and CC radio. The GE is much less expensive.

What sort of radio are you looking for? A portable, table top or a car
radio?


Is there a way to boast the strength of a common AM radio (by placing a
pipe
alongside it...or some such)?

Sure. You want a good antenna. An outdoor random wire will get much more
signal. A tuned loop antenna can reduce off channel interference and be
rotated to null out interfering stations.


Lately, I buy cheap (old transistor) radio's at
yard sales, hoping that some of them will have good AM reception. Very few
do
have.

Those radios may need repair, or may never have been very good. AM dxing is
more of a challenge than it was 25 years ago, but it can still be done.

Frank Dresser