Pete,

The real difference between antennas and receiving FM stations versus AM
stations has nothing to do with the modulation, but with the frequency on
which these signals are transmitted. For optimal reception, you need an
antenna that corresponds to the wavelength of the transmitted station. For
AM radios, that is usually a real long length of wire wrapped around a
magnetic rod within the radio. For FM, it is usually a telescoping whip
antenna.

If you find yourself with two radios that are similarly-equipped in terms of
antennas, but one gets your favorite stations while the other does not, then
the one that does not is either broken or has designed-in lousy sensitivity.

How can you compensate for lousy sensitivity? If the low-sensitivity radio
is _close_ to working (evidenced by its being able to hear your favorite
station by putting your hand near the antenna) then you may be able to
substitute a slighter better, directional antenna for the telescopic whip
and get the stations you want. A cheap-and-dirty experiment would be to
purchase a Radio Shack "Dipole FM Antenna [$3.00] and connect one lead to
the whip (fully collapsed) and the other lead to a nearby ground connection
in your workshop (center pin of a 3-prong electric outlet). Elevate the
antenna as high as possible, and stretch the "T" sections horizontally. The
best signal reception will be from the sides of the "T" -- so if you know
the location of your favorite station's transmitter, you can rotate the ends
of the T for best signal capture.

THEN AGAIN... you may just want to take it back to Wal-Mart for an exchange.
Experiment with the available radios by collapsing the whip antennas and
seeing which one gets the most stations and has the least "buzz" from the
store's fluorescent lights.

-larry
K8UT
"Pete" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,

I am new here, so please excuse my ignorance about antennas, or if I am in
the wrong ng. I could not find any help getting the answer to my question
by googling.

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