this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2024
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Aren’t low frequencies better at penetrating materials?
yes they are, you can detect lower bands pretty much everywhere. The problem is modulation: AM sucks balls when it comes to noise rejection. Some AM stations switch to digital encoding which uses the same band so good propagation + good audio quality within some range. After you get too far away signal just drops, if you're willing to put up with higher noise level range of normal AM radio is basically global
This depends very highly on the condition of the ionosphere and its ability to reflect the signal. This doesn't make its useful range global, even if you can pick up very distant broadcasts occasionally.
On a clear night I can catch a Cardinals game on KMOX on the Indiana/Ohio line. There have been reports of people in Glasgow being able to get the broadcasts. But it's really only good for talk radio. Any music sounds like shit. But listening to a baseball game on AM radio is such a peaceful way to soend a sunmer evening.