“How far from a FM station can reception be expected, is the distance different for AM and Weather”
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Accurate, clear, and drift-free radio reception for the Sony SRF-M37W | SKU:8692471 Walkman depends on a multitude of factors. It is not possible to give a definitive answer as to the exact distance that any particular radio broadcast can be received at any specific point of the day or night. Factors that affect reception include the time of day reception is being sought, the distance from the station’s transmitter to your Sony Walkman, the altitude of the broadcast tower, the type of material that your office building or home is made of, signal strength the radio station emits, the location of the FM/AM receiver within the home, electrical storms, seasonal conditions, the types of structures in the neighborhood such as tall buildings, rolling hills, or mountains, and the quality of the receiver and its antenna. FM radio signals are broadcast at a much higher altitude than AM signals. As a result, FM band radio interference can be caused from multipath reflections of radio waves off tall buildings or nearby mountains in the neighborhood. AM radio stations periodically reduce power at night or perform maintenance operations on the transmitter that could adversely affect reception capabilities. It should be noted that the transmission of AM radio broadcasts in general are much longer than FM broadcasts. In the daytime, AM radio broadcasts via ground wave transmission may reach listeners within a several hundred mile radius. However, at night, AM signals traveling via sky wave may travel hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the intended radio market. Long distance or DX reception of remote AM radio stations is possible after sunset because of an AM broadcaster’s ability to bounce signals off the outer reaches of the earth’s atmosphere to radio receivers outside of the intended radio market. AM DX reception is best during the winter months and is at its lowest point of performance in the summer. The reception area of most FM signals can range between 40-100 miles. FM coverage is much shorter than AM because FM signals travel in straight lines (line-of-sight) and have reduced interaction with the earth’s ionosphere. However, FM mono reception offers better sound quality when compared to its AM counterpart. FM mono signals are susceptible to much less interference than traditional AM radio broadcasts. FM stereo broadcasts provide high fidelity sound quality to the target radio audience and provide the shortest reception range in any particular market on the 87.5-108 MHz frequency band. An examination of the various sources of radio interference is an important subject as it pertains to the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman’s overall day-to-day performance. Typically, most sources of radio interference come from entertainment devices within the home that emit RF or radio frequency waves. In addition, radio interference may be caused by phenomenon occurring outside the home, in the immediate surrounding area of your home, deteriorating atmospheric conditions, electromagnetic solar activities i.e. solar flares, sunspot activity, and/or interference from adjacent broadcast frequencies on the AM/FM bands. Listeners typically experience interference from nearby electronic equipment in their home from such items as computers, cordless telephones, microwave ovens, cellular telephones, televisions, stereo systems, compact disc players, electric power tools, and everyday household appliances such as a vacuum cleaner. RF interference can be caused from electrical motors, lighting equipment, metal objects, broadcasting equipment, or nearby power lines outside the home. A competing broadcast station that is adjacent to the station being listened to will occasionally bleed into the currently tuned station to degrade reception opportunities as well. It is my experience that moving a portable radio closer to a window dramatically improves AM/FM reception. Lastly, you can change the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman’s FM/WB sensitivity switch from DX to Local if the FM/WB program is received with excessive static or noise. Weather Band channels are broadcast on the VHF (Very High Frequency) FM band on seven different reserved upper tier spectrum frequencies. The typical WB reception area is approximately 40 miles from the weather stations broadcast transmitter to the Sony Walkman’s current location. There are more than 1000 WB stations across the U.S. that broadcast forecast and emergency weather event information to the public on low power F.C.C. licensed 100-1000 watt transmitters. The WB function is compatible with reception of government weather broadcasting services in the United States (NOAA Weather Radio), U.S. Adjacent Coastal Waters, Canada (Weatheradio Canada), Bermuda (Bermuda Radio), Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Pacific Islands, including American Samoa. Please note that not all customers will be able to receive all 7 WB channels depending on their geographic location. The Sony Walkman’s Weather Band reception includes: Channel WX 1-162.400 MHz, Channel WX 2-162.425 MHz, Channel WX 3-162.450, Channel WX 4 162.475, Channel WX 5-162.500, Channel WX 6-162.525, and Channel WX 7-162.550. The Sony SRF-M37W Walkman Radio does not feature a weather alert override function or S.A.M.E. county-by-county message encoding for county specific weather alert messages. AM reception can be improved by repositioning the unit horizontally until stations comes in with reduced noise, if needed. The Sony Walkman incorporates a ferrite bar antenna to bolster this unit’s AM band reception capability. FM/WB reception can be enhanced by extending the headphone cord antenna as much as possible to achieve full quieting results, when necessary. Lastly, the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman features an advanced digital phase locked loop (PLL) synthesized tuner across its three broadcast bands for the most accurate tuning and radio reception results possible. Good Luck.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.This is a non product specific question. As a result, any answer provided in this forum would apply to any radio product sold in the U.S. market by Best Buy. It is impossible to give a definitive answer to this question because accurate radio reception depends on a multitude of factors. It should be noted that the transmission of AM radio broadcasts in general are much longer than FM broadcasts. In the daytime, AM radio broadcasts via ground wave transmission may reach listeners within a several hundred mile radius. However, at night, AM signals traveling via sky wave may travel perhaps hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the intended radio market. Long distance or DX listening of remote am radio stations is possible after sunset because of AM’s ability to bounce signals off the outer reaches of the earth’s atmosphere. The reception area of FM signals is much shorter than AM because FM signals travel in straight lines and have reduced interaction with the earth’s atmosphere. However, FM reception offers much better sound quality and is susceptible to much less interference than traditional AM radio broadcasts. The operating instructions indicate that the Sony Portable Digital AM/FM Radio with Weather Band SRF-M37W features a Local/DX switch for helping improve reception across the FM and weather bands. AM reception can be improved by repositioning the unit itself until stations comes in with reduced noise. Lastly, the Sony portable radio features a PLL or phase locked loop digitally synthesized tuner for drift free radio reception.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Picks up as good as your car stereo.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.At night one can get signal skip...My wife has listened to Seattle's classical station in New Mexico.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.20 mile from nearest tower where I live picks up OK, but outside off that not good reception.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.There are number of variables associated with reception distance including broadcast power, receiver sensitivity, broadcast interference, physical obstacles, solar activity, weather, etc. To keep things simple though FM stations are considered line of sight so the fewer obstacles between the broadcast antenna and the receiver, the better the reception. Have you ever tried to listen to an FM station in a retail store? Not good! The net of this is that the curvature of the Earth is the ultimate source of FM blocking so the practical maximum distance for FM broadcasts is 90-100 miles under ideal conditions. AM is a completely different animal though still subject to the previously stated radio reception variables. High powered (50,000 watts maximum in the U.S.) AM stations are commonly heard 500 to 1,000 miles away at night when conditions are good and sometimes even go significantly farther. This is because a portion of the original AM signal is reflected back to earth by the ionosphere and so is not limited to line of sight reception. Weather stations in the U.S. are an extension of the FM band and therefore share the distance limitations of their other family members.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Sony FM portables usually perform very well in this regard. With my SRF-M37W I get indoor reception of the 100kW FM stations for at least 50 miles away; outdoors can be around 70 miles; can vary greatly if the terrain is hilly. The length and placement of the headphone/earbud cable is also a factor in FM and WB reception. AM is about average; I have not tested it extensively. See my review of this product on this website. The Weather Band is pretty sensitive: At my suburban house I can pick up a different weather transmitter on all 5 WB presets.
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Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Frequency Range : AM: 530-1710kHz; FM: 87.5-108MHz; Weather Band: Ch. 1-7 FM is Line of sight modulation and distance from the broadcasting tower has many factors such as the height of the broadcasting tower, curvature of the earth and obstructions such as mountains or buildings. AM travels much further as it can pass through mountains and buildings and can under the right conditions bounce off the ionosphere giving a much greater listening range, FM cannot do this.
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