It is expect that nearly every household in the United States has at least one radio. The invention of the radio was dependent upon two previous discoveries: the electromagnet and telegraph.
The electromagnet was discovered in 1825. This discovery opened the doors to global communication! Five years later, Joseph Henry successfully transmitted an electric current via wire which was stretched over a mile and which caused an electromagnet to trigger the sounding of a bell. Thus, the electric telegraph was born. One of the most recognizable names associated with the telegraph is Samuel Morse who is most notable for the series of dots (brief sound) and dashes (more sustained sound) which was used to transmit messages by alphabet code (thus known as Morse Code). Telegraph became the sole means of rapid long distance communication until 1877 and the invention of the telephone.
Batteries are interesting, aren’t they? Used by the general consumer, they are small, but powerfully packed instruments which produce power used for many cameras, alarm clocks, radios, and other devices. What makes this power production possible? In the case of the telephone and it’s early design and use, batteries produced the essential source of power for the electromagnet.
Batteries have two ends to which one is assigned a + or positive, and the other a - or negative. When a battery operated device is switched on, the electrons which are produced by the batteries, quickly move from the negative side to the positive side of the batteries. Something was needed to interrupt this rapid flow of electrons or find the batteries totally expended in a brief time. In order to accomplish this, a wire is often inserted between the positive and negative terminals and a load, such as a radio, creating a small magnetic field in the wire. The electromagnetic waves which are present now, have the capability to transmit sounds (speech, music, and so on) as well as visual images undetected by sight through the air.
There are several scientists who must be mentioned as essential to the telephone as it is known to most of us. Mahlon Loomis created wireless telegraph. Guglielmo Marconi, proved the possibility of radio communication. In 1985 Marconi, transmitted and received a radio signal. Using the Morse alphabet, he sent the first wireless signal which was transmitted across the English Channel and in due time, he was able to receive the Morse letter S which began in England and reached Newfoundland which became the beginning of transatlantic radiotelegraphy (1902).
Wireless signals gained far reaching use as a means of communication for rescue work when an accident or disaster occurred at sea. In 1899 the United States Army began utilize wireless communication which originated from a lightship off Fire Island. The US Navy was about two years behind the Army in utilizing wireless telegraphy.
In 1903, President Roosevelt (Theodore) and King Edward VII communicated via this new and improving technology. The well known Robert Perry, using radiotelegraphy, conveyed the message that he had found the Pole.
The first AM radio entered the world of telecommunication in the early 1900’s. This device made the use of somewhat weak waves possible for communication. This was the time when the term radio, as we know today for radio devices, began to be used.
It is believed that in December 23, 1900, professor Reginald Aubrey Fessenden was the first person to successfully transmit human voice by radio waves. By 1915, speech was first sent across the United States beginning in New York City and sent to San Francisco. Somewhat later, transmission occurred across the Atlantic Ocean from Arlington, Virginia, to Paris at the Eiffel Tower.
It is truly fascinating all the scientists and the physics theories that led to the invention of the radio. Marconi, Alexander Popov, Oliver Lodge, Fessenden and many others, have all made important contributions to an invention that made the world so different, that most likely none of them would envision. The radio era was born.
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Are you looking for a less that politically correct talk radio. One in which no subject is off limits? One, which dives into phenomena, challenges the scientists, academic theories and is not afraid to debunk or confirm conspiracy theories? How about a radio show, which discusses weather control, Bird Flu, oil price manipulation, secret military projects, mythology, Earth cycles and even ghosts?
Well, radio listening fans there is such a show on the radio and it is Coast-to-Coast Am with radio legends George Noory and on the weekend Art Bell. Two gentleman un-afraid of the dark willing to go our on a limb and talk about the coming super storms, volcanic SuperPlumes, UFOs, human mind control and ancient civilizations, cultures and customs.
Indeed this radio show is called Coast to Coast by it is really a Seven Seas and five continent endeavor with listeners literally around the globe and it is not uncommon for callers to call in from Singapore, Japan, Australia or Guam. Coast to Coast has 13 million listeners with open minds willing to discuss Gods, Religion, Aliens, Agnostic Beliefs and even friendly witches.
It is a show that makes you think. Some of the shows are quite scary indeed as callers often call in with stories of seeing the light and near death experiences or getting messages from beyond the grave. In fact the Coast to Coast Halloween Special does just that and more as they listen to ghost chasers and real ghost stories tell their tales.
The show often hosts prominent scientists, meteorologists, archeologists, climatologists and more. They have storm chasers, ghost busters, ancient history explorers and future predictors. The have Shamans, psychics, dream interpreters, occult experts and collective consciousness researchers. Not a week goes by with the interview of a famous author in any one of several hundred interesting, fascinating and sometimes horrific subject matters.
All the cool people listen to Coast to Coast Am, ask your friends about, they will tell you. It is even on XM radio on the “Ask” station and with affiliates around the globe, you can find them on your radio dial. But beware, there are subjects that can be quite frightful along with the scientific discovery discussions about every possible subject known to mankind. On Coast to Coast they hear you loud and clear. Think on this and thanks for listening.
Communication is an important part of every human activity at present. Whether it is a recreational outdoor activity or a social gathering or even other group occasion involving a number of participants, the need for disseminating information and connecting the awareness of each individual is important to the success and even safety of all. For this concern, an effective and reliable communication medium is highly important.
Consider for example a group recreational activity of outdoor hiking. In this particular event, communication measure is important between the group involved and the organizer or management committee to ensure the safety of every participant ensuring that they are in the planned route or that important information are relayed immediately to guide the decision and actions of the group. In this activity likewise, there is the tendency for the participants to separate at some point as such, communication between each group is important to note their individual action and the occurrences as they partake in the said event.
For such necessity, communication measure is important and the solution to such event comes in the form of the modern age long range walkie talkie. The long range walkie talkie are considered the epitome for radio technology development giving its users the luxury of wider range for communication with better sound quality and the benefits of its other functionalities for convenience and reliability. Designed both for indoor and outdoor usage, the long range walkie talkie offers unmatched communication functionality enable users to communicate and relay information with ease and comfort for the success of their need.
The long range walkie talkies are made to cater various communication needs for different situations through its different modularity and designs. Most common to these kinds are those made based on a half-duplex channel system (with one radio transmitting at a time though with numerous listening channel) and those with push-talk transmission system (P.T.T; containing a switch to start transmission). All models and designs of these modern long range walkie talkies though are built with expansive radio transmission and reception system given wider radius field of signal proving effective for communication necessities. Made for various necessities and usage, most long range walkie talkies are now made to suit personal and recreational usage. Its sleek designs, easy to use system, and wide array of functions aside from its made radio transmission device make these gadgets a must have for every individual.
So next time you are planning a social event or an outdoor recreational activity, these modern long range walkie talkies would surely ensure both success and safety for your event.
Your standard amateur radio is a transmitter and a receiver, usually bought as one piece of equipment, called a transceiver. Most new equipment is quite advanced, and takes some time getting used to. Some hams, particularly old timers, prefer the old analog transceivers that have knobs and needle meters instead of digital readouts. Amateur radio enthusiasts use different kinds of equipment for communication. Some use base stations, some use handheld radios. Some use systems installed in vehicles. Depending on your interests in ham radio, you may want to try all different kinds of stations.
The ham radio can fit in your pocket, or take up all the space in your garage, or sit in your car- it’s all up to you, and it is important to work out what interests you have. Many new operators start off with tiny handhelds, and work their way up to huge shortwave installations on the countryside. Many are on a very restricted budget, and may join a ham society to get access to equipment. Ham radio clubs have a lot to offer, including meetings, equipment such as transceivers, antennas and books. These clubs exist almost all over the world, and are usually well known in the local community.
If you want professional transceivers for business use, with or without license, there are lots of hand held sets at a good sale price for good quality. You’ll find products of all the popular brands, such as Icom, Kenwood, Motorola, some electronics tuned out-of-band for ham club activities, some all the way between 137-174 mHz and around the 70cms band. There are new outlet listings every day of new and used HF rigs, marine radio, air band & VHF UHF scanners and software. There’s even a CB section for the rest!
Radio is probably one of the most popular free services. We can listen to it just everywhere. At home, at work, in the bus, in the car, while we walk, etc. With the term “radio” we usually mean a sound service that we can receive and is usually free, without any subscription or expensive equipment. With radio you also get free music. You can listen to it while working or you can relax and enjoy listening to your favorite band. There are many ways to get such free sound service. Each has some advantages and disadvantages but the fact is that the old FM radio as we know it is far the most widely used broadcasting service.
You can listen to radio stations that are broadcasting over internet. This service is still free, but you need access to the internet and a computer. There are also some devices (network players) that support internet broadcasting, but you still need access to the internet, either wireless (WiFi) or over local network. The advantage of internet broadcasting is that there are thousands of stations so it easy, at least in theory, to find a station that plays music according to your taste. Cable and IPTV systems also offer radio stations but this is limited to the place where you have the connection.
Satellites also offer a lot of radio stations. But to receive satellite stations you need a satellite receiver, so this type of reception is only suitable for home listening. There are also mobile satellite radio services, but in general they are not free. You have to pay a subscription. Despite the fact that satellite services are cheap and you get large coverage areas, this type of broadcasting is not suitable for general reception. Satellites do offer a huge choice of stations, but the receiving equipment is pretty complex.
Therefore, terrestrial broadcasting is the most popular platform for radio. While AM broadcasting is still used in some countries, mainly for international broadcasting, it is the FM radio that we can find it on every corner. There are many reasons for its popularity. It is free, you only need a simple and cheap receiver. Receivers are now integrated also into mobile phones, MP3 players and many other devices. The quality of FM (frequency modulation) is very high. With quality stereo reception and some high-end receiver you get superb sound quality comparable to vinyl records.
Because of many advantages of terrestrial broadcasting there are many stations interested in using this media. Of course, the radio-frequency spectrum is a limited resource and only a small fraction of the whole spectrum is allocated to broadcasting. Therefore, we can fit only a limited number of stations into this band. In addition to this, to prevent harmful interferences there are many strict rules on frequency planning which further limit the number of possible radio stations that we can receive.
But despite all the disadvantages and limitations the FM radio will be used for many years to come. Interestingly, there is still no comparable digital broadcasting system that could replace the old analog radio.
FM radio is a well known and used technology. It is used all around the world. There are some minor differences in modulation parameters and frequency bands but the basic principle is the same. It is amazing how popular this radio has become. FM radio receivers are found everywhere, even in mobile phones. In the last decade broadcasting has made a big step toward digital technologies. We are now in a phase of transition from analog television broadcasting to various forms of digital broadcasting. And television is far more complex than radio–simple stereo sound service. Why is there no suitable technology for digital radio?
The answer is pretty simple. We have to look at key aspects of the transition of television broadcasting. Analog television uses one frequency channel (from 6 to 8 MHz bandwidth ) for one program. Digital television broadcasting is using the same radio-frequency channel to broadcast multiplex–a digital package of many TV programs and other services. The advantage is obvious–using the same radio-frequency spectrum we can now broadcast many TV channels and other services. Therefore, digital television broadcasting means more efficient use of frequency spectrum. There is another very important aspect of digital TV broadcasting. Since both technologies are using radio-frequency channels with the same bandwidth it is possible to switch from analog to digital step by step. Such change from one technology to another usually takes years and needs detailed preparations on a large scale.
To switch from analog FM to digital broadcasting we need a suitable technology that will offer comparable quality, mobile reception, capacity for more radio stations, efficient use of radio spectrum, step by step transition and cheap receivers. There are many digital technologies that are already available for sound broadcasting. Unfortunately, none of those technologies is suitable for a direct replacement of existing analog broadcasting.
Currently there are already many efficient audio codecs that can be used with any digital technology. There are also digital transmission technologies suitable for digital sound broadcasting like T-DAB, DRM and DRM+. DVB-T and DVB-T2 in particular can also be used for radio. All those technologies can provide excellent quality and mobile reception. But this is not enough.
FM radio uses about 250 kHz wide channels. Channel spacing is 100 kHz in most parts of the world and 200 kHz in USA and some other countries. This combination of channel bandwidth and spacing makes it very difficult to simultaneously use analog and digital broadcasting. Therefore, the transition with existing technologies will be difficult. Some partial solutions like HD radio are nothing more than additional data and audio transmitted along main analog carrier.
There are probably only two possible approaches for the digitalization of FM band. Either to find a suitable technology that will satisfy all the above mentioned requirements or to select one technology that is future proof enough and make a totally new frequency plan for fast transition. Currently, the digitalization of frequencies used for FM radio will have to wait for a while.
If you’ve ever listened to a radio station, you might have wondered how they choose which songs to put on air. The answer is both simple and complex.
You may be surprised to learn that music choice in any show is very rarely down to the Air Personality. Today the scheduling of songs also involves sophisticated computer programs.
Here’s how it works
Most radio stations, or sometimes groups of stations employ a Music Director. It’s his or her job to listen to all of the new releases that are sent weekly by record companies. These are known as Promo Copies and are distributed free of charge. Stations get them long before we ever hear them on air. There may be 20 or 30 of these delivered by post or even online as sound files each week. Record companies do this because playing the song on radio stimulates sales. When you hear a song you like, you will try to buy or order it at a music store.
At the listening session the Music Director often joined by the Program Director, and a group of the Presenters (DJs) who make up a small committee. They listen and rate the suitability each particular song for the station sound and its’ potential to become a hit. Most offerings are rejected and only a tiny proportion will make it on air. This active group of songs is called the Current Playlist.
In smaller stations the Program Director may make all of the decisions. Sometimes record companies employ representatives to bring songs to the attention of radio station staff. They are called Pluggers. In most parts of the world it is illegal for them to offer any kind of financial incentive to get airplay. This is called Payola and there have been several scandals regarding this type of activity. However, the wheels are very often oiled with the supply of concert tickets for listener contest prizes or even artist interviews.
Once a song makes it onto the Playlist many radio stations use sophisticated Market Research techniques to ensure that they are playing them with the optimum Rotation. This is the frequency of repetition that satisfies the listener desire to hear their favourite song. The basic objective is to play songs not too often and not too infrequently.
Radio stations use a Sample of their audience to get a general opinion of this popularity. Usually, this involves playing short sections called Hooks (the bits you remember) of the songs and asking if the respondents wish to hear them more or less often. The results are then fed back into the scheduling computer, either elevating or lowering airplay. Because this type of testing is carried out by telephone, the phrase given to this is Call-Out Tracking. This method is usually applied to the Current song category. These are perhaps 20 fashionable hits of the moment.
When a song loses its appeal it is said to be Burnt. The very newest debut songs are called Breakers.
Radio stations will often evaluate larger groups of songs by using a different system, called Auditorium Music Testing.
To do this they once again use a Sample group who represent a robust cross section of the target market. Perhaps a hundred or so people are invited to a theatre, where the radio station will play a large number of Hooks. As the clips are played, the people taking part have to score the songs on a scale of one to five. This represents the level of appeal from love to ****. When these votes are tabulated, along with information on social class and age, it gives an accurate snapshot of which songs the station should play. In order to make sure that this information is valid, station with repeat this procedure a couple of times each year.
The central group of songs is called the Core. They are the most important songs that define the Station Sound. This creates a particular musical footprint that identifies the product and distinguishes one radio station from another.
Radio is a highly competitive business, and more importantly advertisers will only spend with the top ranking stations. Using and applying Music Research allows radio stations to compete for both audience and revenue.
About the author:
Gavin McCoy is a UK based Award Winning radio and marketing consultant.
Just as it has revolutionized the television industry, high definition technology is now changing the way we listen to the radio. High definition radio (HD-radio) makes tuning into your favorite station a whole new experience. Using high definition technology, any station in the country can deliver super, CD-like sound to its audience. High definition technology also makes it possible for listeners to receive information services such as traffic and weather alerts and stock information on their radios.
Pioneered by a company called iBiquity Digital, HD-radio was created in response to satellite radio, which, in the mid-90s, posed a real threat to traditional, or analog, radio. HD-radio mixes digital signals and analog signals, a combination that has made it possible for traditional stations to embark on the inevitable conversion to digital. In 2002, iBiquity made its HD-radio technology available to networks around the nation, and many of them jumped at it.
HD-radio offers a host of enhancements to traditional stations, and iBiquity says the following improvements are possible:
-In terms of sound quality, AM radio will sound like FM radio.
- FM radio will have crystal clear, CD-like sound
- Reception will be free of static, free of white noise, and station loss will no longer be a problem.
- Special services like On-Demand radio will be possible for listeners with HD-Radio. Wireless services will deliver news and traffic updates.
These upgrades are available to networks for about $250,000. Now, about 300 broadcasters are utilizing HD-radio. Thousands more should follow in the next few years. When they do go high def, they’ll still be able to broadcast in traditional, analog fashion. The ability to transmit digital signals is a big step for networks, but one that seems inevitable, given the improvements that result. Thanks to HD technology, some stations are now providing different kinds of programming from a single spot on the radio dial.
Fans of traditional radio should embrace HD technology because it delivers better audio quality and more options for listening. HD-radio is also free. Listeners don’t have to go through a subscription service to get it, and they won’t have to worry about receiving upgrades from their providers. However, listeners will need to purchase special components for HD-radio and find stations that are broadcasting in HD.
Added bonuses with HD broadcasting include the display of weather, news and song info on the screen of the radio. Listeners can also buy music through their HD systems, and they’ll have access to special recording options for music. High definition radios are becoming more and more common. They’re currently priced at about $150. Automobile manufacturers have started to install them in new cars. Plans are even in the works to apply high definition technology to MP3 players and cell phones. What will they think of next?
Radios are one of the first types of communication to be invented that are still used in the modern age. The main reason for this is because of the ease of use and the low cost it takes to use it. They are a very important component of many businesses such as the construction industry.
In the construction industry the person operating the crane is very high up and most defiantly out of reach of and site manager giving the instructions below. Some people might suggest the use of mobile phone for communication but the cost per day would be too high for it to be a viable option. Instead you can use a radio for communication as it would be very cheap, in fact all it would cost is the initial price of the radio sets at the shop. If you do decide to buy a radio set then make sure that it is rechargeable as buying multiple batteries per week for the use of the radio is also very expensive.
When in pursuit of a criminal the police use radio communications in order to coordinate themselves around the suspect in order to increase their chances of catching him. It can also be use for calling for backup and is one of the first things that are used when a dangerous situation occurs. This just goes to show how important these devices are for this type of job, without them many different produces would have to be changed in order to get the job done to the same standard.
There are a lot of different kinds of antennas for the operator of ham radio. There are antennas like the quad and yagi and non directional antennas like the vertical. Each of these kinds of antennas have their own place. There are wired antennas of all sizes and types depending on the occurrence being utilized and how much space you have to put an antenna up.
The yagi antenna type is directional and has a few elements that are designed for 1 frequency. There are antennas that will tune to 2 or 3 frequency bands but drop some bandwidth and power in the design. These kinds of antennas are intended to be mounted on a pole or tower support type with a means of putting them in the place that you like the signals to go. They are so popular with the critical hams because of their capability to transmit and receive radio signals in the preferred direction.
The quad antenna, like the yagi antenna, is also a directional antenna. These directional antennas tend to be so large at some occurrences. They are so effective directional antennas if you’ve the place to put them up. Quad antennas are created of wire and some other kind of supporting formation such as fiberglass or bamboo poles. They’re mounted so they can be turned into the preferred direction as well.
Antennas that are wire, for the most part made with a particular frequency. They could be so simple in design like a dipole, which is 2 pieces of wire lined in the center and placed between 2 supports and comparatively flat or assisted by 1 pole and the sides inclined like an upturned “V” shape or assisted by 1 pole with the wire inclined in the position that you like the signal to go. These antennas are so simple to tune, design, and install and are so popular with starting operators of ham radio. Wire antennas could be so complex with a lot of pieces of wire, coils, signal traps, tuner and insulators components.
Such antennas are the commonly used Ham Radio Antennas types. Antenna tuning, design, and installation could use a lot of the operator’s time, but it is so rewarding when these signals come in and out where you like them to, with the utmost power transfer.