Radio static - sudden increase

[MrAl]

Hello there,

AM has always been a problem really because the proper reception depends highly on the amplitude of the RF signal and way too many things can affect the amplitude. Weather is one, and new industry another. Someone in your area may have gotten a new device that causes a problem too. So many things. With FM the reception depends mostly on frequency and only a little on amplitude and it is hard to interfere with the frequency unless the signal is very weak. I listen to FM once in a while, a jazz station in my state, but it's not exactly close by so i do get static with that sometimes too. It can be static one day and no static the next, parked in the same exact spot. That's because the signal strength isn't that great from the station to begin with.
Another source can be the new LED headlights. Some use a converter inside which can interfere with radios. The problem is the LED's are so close and the station so far. The LED headlights don't have to put out that much RFI to mess up some stations. I was lucky when i did my conversion it didn't seem to affect the radio, or at least not the station i listen to. Don't know if it messes up other stations AM or FM.

Is there really anything that good on AM anymore anyway?

If you are always close to home (within a mile or two) you could broadcast your own station. You could have a receiver at home that picks up the AM reliably and rebroadcasts it on an FM station that is not being used. The legal broadcast limit in the US is 100 milliwatts or at least it used to be, but you can check that first.

[scot850]

News article recently says manufacturers are talking of dropping AM in new cars.

Neil.

[wizechatmgr]

By chance are both antennas fully seated in the rear of the radio?