Radio has been one of the most revolutionary technological devices for over a century, and while many of us may have dropped it in favor of video and digital music players, radio remains a force to be reckoned with around the world. Since its conception, the technology has garnered a continued interest, allowing for advancements […]
Did You Know Your Smartphone is also a Pocket-Sized FM Radio?
Apple likes to say there’s an app for everything, but what about receiving FM radio frequencies on your smartphone? Apps like Spotify and Pandora allow smartphone users to stream music via the internet on their devices, but there actually isn’t an app for turning your device into a miniature FM radio in your pocket – […]
The Great Modern AM Revitalization Project
Whether you’re aware of it or not, AM radio is a huge part of American culture. AM radio stations, which are less expensive to run than FM radio channels, give a beautiful snapshot of modern American society. FM radio has become so mainstream that only those with good funding can have a voice, but on […]
Is AM Radio Going Extinct?
Since the advent of AM radio at the start of the 20th century, countless new competitors have been born. As early as the end of the Second World War, AM radio had already begun to fall out of style with the development of FM broadcasting. Modern digital technologies have only exacerbated the threat, with the […]
How to Properly Match Antenna Impendance
When it comes to AM/FM radio broadcasting, the most pertinent aspect is the ability to transfer maximum power with minimal energy loss. Efficiency is the key. The method by which this is accomplished is through impedance matching between the target radio towers and the transmission line carrying the power. Of course, the quality of materials […]
History of AM Radio Broadcasting
The history of amplitude-modulated (AM) broadcasting can be said to have begun in 1906 when Reginald Fassenden first transmitted from his home in Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Using an Alexanderson alternator and a rotary spark-gap transmitter, his voice went out to radio-equipped ships within several hundred miles. In 1916, Lee De Forest set up experimental radio […]