Question I don't quite get how radios work...

[SerbianGuy211]

I have zero knowledges on radios, so please be reasonable.
I'm looking for some radio recievers on AliExpress that are able to play radio stations that are not nearby me. I like this one radio station, for example, that is 100km far from me. Another one is double of that. I know that the radio I listen to frequency is FM 103.3 However, I don't get if that frequency is tied only to that radio or is there more radios with the same frequency that are closer to me? How can I know that the one I'm tuning into is the exact one? Is there even a radio possible of doing that? The one I'm looking into is

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/326...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_7,searchweb201603_52


I have a radio on my phone but it only lets me connect to local stations. Is this any different? Any help would be great.

 

[jsmithepa]

Just remembered FM have distance issues, Google says no more than 50-65KM ooops.

U don't say where u from, in U.S. many station webcast so u can listen to them though the Internet. In the U.K. I hear it's all digital now.

 

[SerbianGuy211]

Listening to a radio that far typically requires a roof-top directional antenna, and you hope there isn't another station with a similar frequency close by that will overwhelm the weaker, far-away signal.

U don't say where u from, in U.S. many station webcast so u can listen to them though the Internet. In the U.K. I hear it's all digital now.

I'm from Eastern Europe. So basically it's not so doable?

 

[Alabalcho]

@SerbianGuy211 - you need good (read: large) antenna if you want to have any chance of catching these stations. These are small! And here is pretty good explanation.

Find a radio HAM club around you. The older the guys, the better. They will help you design and build the antenna. After that - good FM tuner with hookups for external antennae.

Forget about AliExpress.

 

[kanewolf]

Most radio stations stream on-line. You may be able to listen to your favorite station on one of the streaming apps like spotify.

 

[AllanGH]

Maybe this will be of some help to you?

https://www.taitradioacademy.com/lessons/introduction-to-radio-communications-principals/

Of possible additional help:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio

The following two documents at least touch upon the idea of transmission/reception range/distance:
http://www.ti.com/lit/ml/slap127/slap127.pdf
https://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk1/1995/9547/954716.PDF

And one more:
https://kicp.uchicago.edu/education/explorers/2002summer-YERKES/pdfs-sum02/background.pdf

 

[SerbianGuy211]

This really seems like much more work than I expected. I just wanted to listen to some countryside tunes (that don't exist where I live since I'm in a big city) and wish to connect to some nearest rural place's radio station. I thought just a basic radio will suffice. Thanks for the help anyways.

 

[Math Geek]

think you're initial thought was not realistic. an FM tower has so much power to broadcast giving it a specific range that varies with line of sight and other factors. if you are outside the range, like you are, your options are to have the FM station get a stronger tower so the signal can reach you. this is obviously not going to happen. or your other option is to get a REALLY big antenna yourself so you can receive and amplify the very small amount of that station's broadcast you can get.

of course if there is another station closer broadcasting on the same channel, then you'll get that one and not the one further away. generally station channels are arranged so they don't step on each other locally, but that is here in the US with the FCC keeping tabs and controlling things. no clue what the set-up is like where you are. check for an internet stream of the channel or get a really big antenna, like pointed out above, is your only options.

 

[ElectrO_90]

many station webcast so u can listen to them though the Internet. In the U.K. I hear it's all digital now.

Yes we do have Digital Broadcasting here, which means we can have FM as well, but many modern radios have DB so we get CD quality sounds, as well as the TV now has lots of Radio Stations (all digital quality)
As you said as well, Radio is broadcast a lot online as well.

http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/ if you are interested in UK Radio stuff
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/ TV stuff

 

[ElectrO_90]

I have zero knowledges on radios, so please be reasonable.
I have a radio on my phone but it only lets me connect to local stations. Is this any different? Any help would be great.

Think of the station as a loud speaker. The further you are away from it the harder it is to hear it
Then you are getting closer to other speakers that are louder than the one you want to listen to
Then eventually you are so far away you can't here the original speaker, only the ones near you now
That's radio - sort of

Are you sure they don't broadcast the station you want ONLINE? Have you been to their website?