Non technical antenna question
take it back to wallmart its a bummer nmb
I have a cheap boom box radio that I recently bought at Walmart and it
plays great music, and cd's, and cassettes. Unfortunately it will not
play my favorite FM oldies station (97.5 MHz) either in my workshop, or my
house (it plays several other stations fine). My other boom box will play
the station (and its 20 years old), and they are both of relatively equal
value (the older one is a brand name - Panasonic). If anything, I would
think the new one should have 20 year newer technology in it, and it
should play at least as good - dunno.
They both have a telescopic whip antenna (I hope that is the right
terminology), and the new one will not play the station I want by either
rotating the antenna, or moving the radio to different positions. I have
tried everything. The only way it will play the station I want, is to put
my hand on the antenna (or even around the antenna - ie I don't even have
to touch it - interesting - I guess my body makes a real good antenna - I
have always wondered about this phenomena). I tried touching it with
other metallic devices (eg, wire, coat hanger etc), and it has no effect.
The only way it will play the station is by getting near the antenna with
my hand.
I see no way of mounting an FM antenna to the receiver (ie the antenna is
factory mounted to the back of the radio.
I have a couple of questions if you will allow me :
- Is there anything I can do to the existing telescopic whip antenna
(such as wrap it in aluminum foil or something else weird like that) that
will enable the radio to pick up the station I want. And also, please
explain why it plays the station I want when I put my hand on or around
the antenna.
- I thought AM and FM antennas were different technologies (so to speak -
eg amplitude modulation versus frequency modulation). How come portable
AM/FM radios only have a single telescopic whip antenna (please excuse me
if that is the wrong terminology). Is the whip for FM, and the AM is
inside the radio, or it uses the cord (just a guess).
Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...Pete
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