[milford3]

I grew up listening to AM music.  Later, FM came onboard.  Cars, receivers, they all jumped in to the FM.  How many members still listen to FM in their homes?  I for one are now computer based and CD based wiith A turntable. A look back in the past.

[Devil Doc]

I listen to VPR all the time through my GFT-555 Adcom tuner. Got an antenna on the roof. They take pride in minimal compression.

Doc

[toocool4]

I am pure analogue at home. FM only Tuner Ion Systems FMT 1, Tape deck Nakamichi CR-7 and Turntable Acoustic Solid One to One.

On the move Sony Walkman.

At work computer and Internet radio.   

[SteveFord]

I listen quite a bit and somehow have 6 FM tuners in the house at the moment.
Make that 7, I forgot one...
I'm happy to say that there's still some good stations out there.

[FullRangeMan]

http://www.redepampa.com.br/novo/radiosonline/princesafm.php

[Opus Flatus]

I still enjoy FM Radio, there are a still a few good stations with good programming in and around NYC. I listen mostly to WNYC, WBGO, WFUV, and WQXR. John Schafer does an excellent daily show, New Sounds Live, on WNYC and I enjoy Marshal Crenshaw's Saturday night show on WFUV. When I'm up in the Hudson Valley I listen to WDST out of Woodstock. I have a few vintage analogue tuners that I enjoy listening to - Modded KT-7500 and Pioneer F99X (Downstate) and modded TU-717 (Upstate). I want to modify my SONY XDR-HD1 next. One day I will invest in proper antenna's instead of cheap dipoles and cubic quads I've made.

[Mikeinsacramento]

Does listening to baseball on AM count?

[milford3]

Opus, I grew up in the Hudson Valley.  I fondly remember the station WNEW from Long Island. 
Sadly, for me, FM music is in such a dive that I no longer listen to it.  I'm strictly AM talk radio now.  Bands like Opeth, Edenbridge, Lacuna Coil, Kamelot, Therion and even the new Disturbed are not aired on FM stations anywhere.     

[doug s.]

I grew up listening to AM music.  Later, FM came onboard.  Cars, receivers, they all jumped in to the FM.  How many members still listen to FM in their homes?  I for one are now computer based and CD based wiith A turntable. A look back in the past.

fm is my primary listening source.  w/a truly quality fm tuna,  you will be amazed at the sound quality, if the station broadcasts an uncompressed clean signal, (which today, unfortunately means you can eliminate almost all commercial fm stations), and you have good reception.  (quality antenna really helps for good reception.)    i am fortunate enough to have three really nice stations that broadcast music i enjoy.

ymmv,

doug s.

[doug067]

Yea, I'm out here. 49 this year. Grew up on FM coming out of Chicago and a really good local station. That stations still around after all these years. Out out control with tuners and antennas here. Have a sony  xdr-f1hd for hd listening, a Magnum dynalab 100t tube tuner for FM and now got a sirrius srh-2000 satellite tuner. Getting ready to put together a computer based internet tuner. All antennas mounted on a 30 ft pole. Satellite, Fm. Best I could find. Thought I was the only one left. Thanks for posting.

[medium jim]

fm is my primary listening source.  w/a truly quality fm tuna,  you will be amazed at the sound quality, if the station broadcasts an uncompressed clean signal, (which today, unfortunately means you can eliminate almost all commercial fm stations), and you have good reception.  (quality antenna really helps for good reception.)    i am fortunate enough to have three really nice stations that broadcast music i enjoy.

ymmv,

doug s.

Nothing better than a good FM tuner and I too have several stations that play good music.  Yes sirree, a good antenna is essential.

Jim

[Mr Peabody]

I too grew up listening to FM but I sold my tuner aroune 1999 that was in my main system never to return.  Aside from the fact that most FM stations have gone to heavy rotation hell and ran by idiots who read magazines and charts instead of using their ears, radio is so inferior to a quality CD player or turntable.  I even sold all my cassettes and deck.  I just didn't enjoy it or the tuner any more because the quality lagged behind my CDP and turntable.

I still scan the ban in the car or put radio on as background occasionally when working out.

HD radio must be charging crazy prices for licensing or something, it's a rare receiver that will have it and the auto industry certainly hasn't jumped on board.  I was pretty excited when I heard about HD radio but it's not expanding and sadly many stations in my area program them as poor as the main station.

[toocool4]

I have to say we are very lucky in the UK we still have plenty of quality FM stations.
 
I stay away from the commercial stations, as the quality is bad. The BBC in the UK still do an amazing job, as long as you are not listening to that dreadful BBC radio 1 most of the other BBC stations have quality broadcasts.

[doug s.]

"...radio is so inferior to a quality CD player or turntable..."

you are sorely mistaken.  it is clear you have not listened to a quality sounding tuna broadcasting quality programming with a quality (uncompressed) signal. 

i can't argue with your other comments regarding the quality (sic) of commercial radio, which is truly pathetic.  regarding hd radio, its demise cannot happen soon enough, imo - its sound quality is not as good as that of analogue fm.  and its sideband artifacts pollute adjacent stations, making for difficult reception in many cases...

doug s.

[toocool4]

Lucky for us in the UK, they will not switch off the analogue transmitters till we have over 50% take-up of digital.
 
I am hoping most people will stick to the good old FM. Digital broadcast is way behind good quality FM broadcast.

[milford3]

I too grew up listening to FM but I sold my tuner aroune 1999 that was in my main system never to return.  Aside from the fact that most FM stations have gone to heavy rotation hell and ran by idiots who read magazines and charts instead of using their ears, radio is so inferior to a quality CD player or turntable.  I even sold all my cassettes and deck.  I just didn't enjoy it or the tuner any more because the quality lagged behind my CDP and turntable.

I still scan the ban in the car or put radio on as background occasionally when working out.

HD radio must be charging crazy prices for licensing or something, it's a rare receiver that will have it and the auto industry certainly hasn't jumped on board.  I was pretty excited when I heard about HD radio but it's not expanding and sadly many stations in my area program them as poor as the main station.


Just got home from food shopping.  The FM rock station was playing the Chile Peppers.  How many times are they going to air this band?  Enough already!

[doug s.]

Just got home from food shopping.  The FM rock station was playing the Chile Peppers.  How many times are they going to air this band?  Enough already!

there are pretty-much nearly zero decent commercial rock radio stations on the airwaves any more... they all have playlists dictated by their owners.  and a dbx 3bx is mandatory on almost all of these stations as well, as the dynamic compression used is so over-done...

the best new music radio station i have heard broadcasts out of riga latvia.  you can listen on line; yes, the sq is not the greatest, but it is a great station.  (sq on the analog broadcast in riga is fantastic.):
http://tunein.com/radio/Lat-R5-NABASaeima-931-s48034/
http://www.radionaba.lv/
http://www.radionaba.lv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1365&Itemid=98

doug s.

[bogiedr]

I recently finished putting together a vintage system with the intention of listening to Marian Macpartlan on Saturday night on WUSF followed by Jazz in the night, great programs! Anyway, my Sansui TU717 did not come with an antenna ... help? I had probably 10 of them around the house at one time, who knows what happened to them. Can I find an old fashion antenna at the Shack? Other than a roof antenna, what else do you folks use?
Thanks for the help. 

[doug s.]

I recently finished putting together a vintage system with the intention of listening to Marian Macpartlan on Saturday night on WUSF followed by Jazz in the night, great programs! Anyway, my Sansui TU717 did not come with an antenna ... help? I had probably 10 of them around the house at one time, who knows what happened to them. Can I find an old fashion antenna at the Shack? Other than a roof antenna, what else do you folks use?
Thanks for the help. 

do a websearch on "AntennaCraft - FM6" and you will find a nice antenna that costs ~$30.  sure, roof mounted is ideal, on a rotor if your stations are in different directions.  but even stuck in the attic works well.  (as long as your roof isn't metal.)  a 300 ohm wire diple shows up on ratshack's web site for $8.  or you can search for "hd6000" and find a smaller directional yagi, (not that the fm6 is big); the hd6000 costs ~$20.  paint it to match the ceiling and simply attach it there...

doug s.

[Mr Peabody]

I have had good tuners before, the one I had last was a Kenwood KT-3300D, if you know anything about FM you realize Kenwood made some of the best.  My KT-3300D sounded as good as an Arcam tuner but killed the Arcam in regards to reception.  I know subjectively there were better however taking in to account the FM frequency response is only about 50 to 15k at max I don't see how any one can make an argument a tuner can hold it's own against quality CDP or turntable.  I'm glad you all enjoy the radio hobby but let's keep some perspective.  At the time I sold my tuner I was using a Krell CDP and still have my Rega P3 table.

I've had pretty good success with Terk, sort of rabbit ear style antenna.  The higher you can place the antenna the better though, so I'm sure if it's feasible the attic style would give better results.