Reception Tips

Information and suggestions from WFUV Director of Technical Operations George Evans and from you, our listeners.

Tips for better reception:

FM Reception Tips

FM radio works by line-of-sight: Your receiver's antenna must be able to "see" our transmitter in one of two places: Fordham University in the Bronx, or Riverside Church in Upper Manhattan.

Indoor antennas are extremely directional and can be unpredictable, so it may take some experimentation to get it just right. Move your radio to different parts of your home to find the clearest spot - the higher the better.

Quality counts, too. The better the tuner, the better your chances. Make sure your tuner includes antenna terminals on the back. Extend the full length of your receiver's antenna - you can even attach a few feet of wire to the antenna terminal on the back of your radio and dangle it out a window.

Antenna Upgrades

Still unclear? Try a new antenna (recommendations below). A good "T-wire" or dipole antenna works well. Try it positioned horizontally and vertically. You can also try a high-gain FM, amplified antenna or outdoor FM antenna. Start off inexpensively and work your way up.

A note about amplified antennas: Amplifiers only strengthen the signal, and stronger is not always better. If your reception has a great deal of static, amplifying it will also amplify the noise. The best ones allow you to control the level of amplification while optimizing the desired signal.

Next, try an outdoor FM or Yagi antenna. Some are for outdoor use only, some can be put in your attic. Try the Terk TV36 or Terk TV38, depending on how far you live from WFUV. Finally, try and call your cable company! There are a few systems that still carry an FM band.

Store Information:

Keep in mind these are merely suggestions, and your experience may vary.

Many of these items are featured in the WFUV Recommends store in the Electronics Category.

C. Crane Company, Fortuna, CA
1-800-522-8863
Email ccraneco@aol.com

Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com

FanFare Electronics, Buffalo, NY
1-800-268-8637 or 1-716-683-5451
www.fanfare.com

Terk Technologies, Commack, NY
1-631-543-1900; Tech Support: 1-800-942-8375
www.terk.com

Tivoli Audio, Boston, MA
1-877-297-9479
www.tivoliaudio.com

NAD
www.nadelectronics.com

Related info:

HD Radio is a whole different story; more info here.

You can always use your computer or an Internet tuner to listen to one of our WFUV On-Air or FUV 24/7 All Music streams.