Reception Tips
We transmit considerably less power on FM than full-time stations in our area, for example Chiltern Radio run 900 watts and BBC Three Counties run 1000 watts from the Sandy Heath mast, whereas we are only allowed to run a maximum 25 watts under our OFCOM licence conditions.
This means you are spoilt for signal strength from these stations in our local area, but of course the best things in life are not always easy to get!
If you are outside our area or in a poor reception spot a considerable improvement of our signal can be made by:
1. If you listen on a portable radio, extend the rod aerial fully and keep it vertical, move the radio to the best position in the room, reception is often better near a window.
2. Using an outside, loft or simple wire aerial (mounted vertically). A dipole aerial can be constructed as in the diagram below.
The signal we broadcast is vertically polarised. That means our transmitting aerial is mounted in a vertical plane - giving optimum reception on a car radio. This makes the signal less directional and gives us an all-round coverage from the transmitter site.
We have found the polythene plug-in "T" indoor aerials that come with some Hi Fi systems work very well.
This simple aerial could be mounted in the loft or just pinned up in the living room!
The wire elements (any wire will do - a bit of wet string even!) are cut to 33 inches each with the lower one connected to the braiding of the coaxial cable and the top connected to the inner wire of the cable. Remember to mount it vertically.
Make an aerial:
This simple aerial could be mounted in the loft or just pinned up in the living room!
The wire elements (any wire will do - a bit of wet string even!) are cut to 33 inches each with the lower one connected to the braiding of the coaxial cable and the top connected to the inner wire of the cable. Remember to mount it vertically.