  Postbop Member Username: Postbop Post Number: 21 Registered: 09-2007 |
Maybe it's just my car antenna, but does anybody else have any trouble picking up Air America 1310 around Detroit? I live on the east side and get it during the daytimes, but nighttimes are a wash. Forget about tuning in from my house. It is so great to have a liberal alternative to all of the conservative and neo-conservative voices on the airwaives; it's too bad there aren't more public stations available. Anyone else dig Thom Hartmann? I think he's first-rate in his opinions and interviews. I'm sure he would sound even better without all of the radio static. | ||
Vic_doucette Member Username: Vic_doucette Post Number: 357 Registered: 10-2003 |
Like many AM stations, AM 1310 had a directional transmission pattern, sending more power toward some directions and less toward others. Also like many AM stations, AM 1310 is required by law to reduce power (in its case, I think from 5,000 watts to 1,000 wats) between sundown and sunrise, to avoid interfering with other stations on the same frequency at night, when AM signals can go hundreds or thousands of miles due to bouncing off the ionosphere. The station -- which is licensed to Dearborn -- is unlistenable on the east side at night, just as it was unlistenable on the east side when it was WKNR in the 1960s. Ain't nothin' you can do. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2118 Registered: 01-2004 |
Listen to Thom Hartman online. http://www.thomhartmann.com/ Hes from Lansing BTW. | ||
Mcp001 Member Username: Mcp001 Post Number: 3089 Registered: 11-2003 |
Maybe they "forgot" to pay their bills...again. | ||
Jazzstage Member Username: Jazzstage Post Number: 168 Registered: 08-2007 |
I feel your pain brother.... Although, I really haven't listened since they changed their lineup. | ||
Docmo Member Username: Docmo Post Number: 306 Registered: 10-2005 |
Try WJR instead for your talk radio. Better signal. Better content. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 1047 Registered: 02-2007 |
Yes, Detroiters need to further embrace the Conservative Ideology. How's that working out for yas? lol. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3891 Registered: 12-2005 |
I used to listen to them on http://www.airamerica.com/. For your car you might look for an antenna amplifier. I've used a 9-volt inline version on other radios. | ||
Parkguy Member Username: Parkguy Post Number: 156 Registered: 04-2007 |
Here is a link to a signal coverage map for 1310. The red line marks the night-time coverage. http://www.radio-locator.com/c gi-bin/pat?call=WDTW&service=A M&status=L&hours=N | ||
Postbop Member Username: Postbop Post Number: 22 Registered: 09-2007 |
Parkguy- Thanks! It figures- I'm about 5 miles outside of the nighttime range Docmo- WJR? Sarcasm, I hope. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3893 Registered: 12-2005 |
Parkguy, thanks for the cool resource. According to that map though the red is "local" and the violet is "distant." The map is labeled nighttime coverage. | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 7518 Registered: 11-2006 |
progressive talk radio is dead on arrival. If it were not for the token conservative program, Michael Stein, Sunday morning, they would have been gone already. | ||
Wschnitt Member Username: Wschnitt Post Number: 39 Registered: 07-2007 |
Liberal talk radio is always boring. The message is too depressing. | ||
Vic_doucette Member Username: Vic_doucette Post Number: 358 Registered: 10-2003 |
Postbop -- here's a link to information about the GE Super Radio, a modestly priced AM/FM portable radio that has extremely good reception, especially on AM. I own two of them and have given a few more to radio-geek friends. There's no guarantee it will solve your problem, but it's the best cheap way to try to solve the problem I can think of: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2 0h45/radio/superadio/gesr_faq. html | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 777 Registered: 09-2005 |
Yeah Batty, that Sunday morning slot is prime-time. | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 1049 Registered: 06-2004 |
wait a minute... are you saying that Keener 13 is off the air? | ||
Parkguy Member Username: Parkguy Post Number: 157 Registered: 04-2007 |
The Super Radio is great, but remember that it does not receive digital (HD) radio. It has a signal amplifier that will really help with weak or distant AM signals. And, it has an external antenna connection (at least on older models it had one). | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 7543 Registered: 11-2006 |
When that Sunday morning slot is the only interesting slot for the station, that makes it prime time. | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 157 Registered: 07-2006 |
I love listening to Randi Rhodes & Thom Hartmann. That coverage map posted earlier is a bit "liberal" (ha!)--I live in Brandon Twp. and rarely does it come in during the day, and never @ night. I have noticed that one of my parent's vehicles has a much stronger radio and it comes in better [in the Brandon Twp. area] on theirs. In my car, 1310 doesn't even seem to have that strong of a signal when I'm driving in the city or southern Oakland. (Message edited by dustin89 on November 25, 2007) | ||
Frankg Member Username: Frankg Post Number: 33 Registered: 08-2007 |
Air America is also on XM radio. Air America is my favorite station! | ||
Skylark Member Username: Skylark Post Number: 6 Registered: 08-2007 |
I have the same problem Air American cuts out at 5:15pm from my house on the east side. Its like they turn the power down at night. I listen online or to the the archived shows if there's something of great interest to me. | ||
Ventura67 Member Username: Ventura67 Post Number: 163 Registered: 12-2003 |
Love Thom Hartmann! I often get 1310 here in Washtenaw county. When you're on the west of the Detroit suburbs and you start to loose 1310 you can usually get 1290 AM which has Thom in the same time slot and the other Air America shows with a slightly different line-up. (My Dad used to listen to WJR but got hip to the liberal stations real quick when he figured out he was being dumped on by their neo-con views.) | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3906 Registered: 12-2005 |
I have to reiterate trying an antenna amplifier. I have another one that has three knobs: gain, range and tuner. You can select the exact frequency before (to avoid) amplifying any noise adjacent to that frequency. This is before it even gets into your radio. Works great for shortwave. Haven't tried it on Air America though. | ||
Rogerjab Member Username: Rogerjab Post Number: 61 Registered: 06-2005 |
You really have to be an idiot to embrace conservative talk radio. Between George Bush and John Engler they've brought this area, and middle America to their knees. By the way I always start my weekday mornings with "The Young Turks", best drive time radio by far. | ||
Postbop Member Username: Postbop Post Number: 23 Registered: 09-2007 |
Ventura67- If you love Thom, (if you haven't done so already), read his book, 'Screwed'. It's great, rational, pro-active, commentary on the suppression of the middle class. Rogerjab- I listen to 'The Young Turks' also, although now that it is dark in the morning I can't listen to the first part of the show. I might invest in a GE 'superradio'. I saw one on EBAY for $60. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2129 Registered: 01-2004 |
I like when Bobby Kennedy is on there, and Thom Hartmann is solid info. The pseudo-Limbaugh sounding Ed Schultz is completely unnecessary. I can REALLY do without the corny-ass Stephanie Miller with the dumb ass sound effects and constant gafawing at her own jokes. I listen to all sorts of radio because one of my jobs is from home, so I also wade through all the neocon bilge like Hannity and Limbaugh as well as Beckman and Paul W. Smith. At least Limbaugh and Hannity do not pretend to be unbiased radio - WJR is full of shit. Paul W. should stick to selling cars on all those crappy commercials and keep his narrow opinions to himself. Or at least come out and say what you are. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 292 Registered: 06-2007 |
Does anyone have any estimate as to what percentage of AM programming is local these days? I've been fooling around with the AM dial at night because I'm fascinated with the out-of-area frequencies that come in. It gets dissapointing to hear nationally syndicated programs I can hear on local stations coming in on stations out of New York. I'm interested in hearing something unique to that region. Ontario is good for this. They are very local-oriented on AM, and as an added plus, they still play music. I came across a country-music station from Sarnia that was playing this old and rare stuff Detroits 2 FM country stations don't. Unfortunately, I cannot find many stations from the US that are either heavy ion local content (at least at night) or still plays music, | ||
Postbop Member Username: Postbop Post Number: 24 Registered: 09-2007 |
Stephanie Miller's show is sometimes boring, and at times unlistenable- They can go for a whole hour without talking current events and opinions; small talk and dumb jokes. There are usually no good guests with opposite viewpoints to discuss. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 458 Registered: 11-2003 |
I only listen to 1310 on Sunday afternoons for Leo Laporte The Tech Guy, in my opinion, the best mainstream tech call-in show in the nation. I would listen on Saturdays, too, if they carried his Saturday show. I wish they carried both days. As to reception, it's never good and it sounds way worse than other AM stations in the car or my radio. As to the rest of the format, I don't like political talk on either side. It is, to me, not very entertaining. For talk radio I listen to WDET for the drive times and Detroit Today; and sometimes, if I need to know weather or something, WWJ; and then also I have a slew of podcasts I listen to on topics would never be on mainstream air. | ||
Fjw718 Member Username: Fjw718 Post Number: 167 Registered: 11-2005 |
Every night i can get CKLW on my radio at my apartment in Manhattan. Always some conspiracy theory nutjob talking about reptoid shape shifters and illuminati....Funny Stuff! | ||
Locano Member Username: Locano Post Number: 5 Registered: 09-2007 |
I love Stephanie Miller, but I can understand why people don't like her. She certainly isn't your typical liberal radio host. I didn't know 1310 had Leo Laporte at all! I've been sorely missing him ever since TechTV was turned into G4 and dropped his show. I'll have to tune in! | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 158 Registered: 07-2006 |
I was just out and about & Thom Hartmann was coming in quite well this early afternoon. | ||
Vic_doucette Member Username: Vic_doucette Post Number: 359 Registered: 10-2003 |
Speaking of those coverage maps, Dustin89, in my experience they are anywhere from 25% to 33% "optimistic." The better to sell it to you, my dear. | ||
Parkguy Member Username: Parkguy Post Number: 160 Registered: 04-2007 |
Leo LaPorte's show is available as a podcast. You can find it on iTunes or any other podcast directory. "This Week in Tech," or "TWIT." |
