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Video Killed the Radio Star


Image result for am radioAM broadcasting, the official device of listening to the Boston Red Sox game in the car during a family trip to grandma’s house. AM broadcasting, believe it or not, did have its peak from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was known as the Golden Age of Radio and it was the way to get any form of entertainment at home. This was perfect for people living in rural area to get their entertainment and for politicians to reach the ears of millions with one microphone. It has established a new way for people to listen to the latest news and music, until FM and eventually televisions would take it’s spot.

Image result for am radio
Many early radio attempts could only transmit radio signals a short distance and most just transmitted Morse through them. The first radio broadcast was done by the US Navy and its many stations on January 1 1905. Later France and the United States would establish a small market of receiver lines for jewelers to obtain the accurate time, which sparked the interest of many due to not only be able to receive the accurate time, but also receive the weather in Morse code and obtain news summaries making it quite handy. The person credited for inventing the AM technology is a Canadian-born inventor Reginald Fessenden. He was able to create a transmitter that transmitted a speech over a mile. The only problem was it was distorted the further from the transmitter.  

How AM technology works by sending out frequencies from a transmitter, for example 690,000 hertz. That frequency is then transmitted out into the air where an antenna collects the stray frequencies sent out by the transmitter. The turner then collects the 690,000 hertz frequency and ignores the rest. The frequency is in a sine form and goes to a detector where it makes out the signal into sound. This signal of audio is then amplified through the speakers.

Image result for am radio work
AM although useful at one point, it is now surpassed by better options like FM, television, or even the internet. For example there is not a lot of music stations on AM broadcasting because AM is more prone to signal dropping that it’s radio brother, which did not help it’s popularity and is the reason why AM is full of talk shows and news stations. AM broadcasting is now left for emergency broadcasting for alien invasions and such


FUN FACT: Franklin Roosevelt used AM broadcasting for his fireside chats during the Great Depression




source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AM_broadcasting
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radio8.htm

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 26, 2017 at 11:21 PM

    I love the imagery you use to open up your topic, and the information you provide is well thought out and explained in an easy, simple form. I wanted to ask, because I am confused, what is the major difference between AM and FM? Is it simply the strength of the radio waves or is there more depth to it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jose EscobarNovember 27, 2017 at 9:08 PM

      You are right Diego the major difference are the radio waves. Due to AM (Amplitude Modulation) having points of varied amplitude, thus the name, it is much more prone to static when there is a change in amplitude. In FM (Frequency Modulation) the amplitude are uniformed, this changes in frequency are ignored by the receiver causing no static drops at all.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousNovember 27, 2017 at 6:56 PM

    1430 KYNO Fresnoooo. AM radio is alive and kickin' man. But on a serious note, you did a really great job briefly explaining the history of AM radio.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 27, 2017 at 10:13 PM

    I sometimes wonder who uses AM radio or who did use it. I always enjoy reading your summaries of the origins of these devices keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete

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