If you are within reception range of a Vision relay station you may be able to listen in on your radio receiver. This isn’t available everywhere, but the number of locations is significant and is always growing.
For your nearest site, go to our Station finder page.
Tuning to most radio stations is pretty easy – turn the dial and there it is. In many locations, this is the case with Vision. However, for some listeners, tuning to Vision requires a little extra effort (which is well worth it!) The Commonwealth Government regulates use of the ‘air’ (radio spectrum and, because of this, many of Vision’s relay stations are restricted to low power output. These are typically assigned to 87.6, 87.8 or 88.0 FM. In relatively flat terrain, you can expect to have a broadcast reception range of up to 10 km from the transmitter using a radio with an external antenna (eg a car radio). Reception inside a building will be more limited and unpredictable due to variations in factors such as:
THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Car radios typically have a more sensitive tuner and an external antenna, so they are better able to pick up weak signals than most portable radios. If you can receive a Vision station on your car radio parked outside your home, you can generally also receive Vision inside the building, provided that you have a good radio tuner and an appropriate, correctly installed antenna. Portable radios will only be useful then you are reasonably close to a transmitter. The antenna on many smaller radios is inside the unit, but if there is an external one, fully extend it before moving the radio around the house to find where the signal is strongest, then adjust the angle of the antenna for best reception.
Sangean DPR 45 radio
Good results have been reported with Sangean brand radios which are available from specialist electronics stores or online. These can cost more than $100 so, before you part with your money, ask if you can return the unit if it doesn’t work out for you. Clock radios and other cheap portable units generally have very insensitive tuners and will therefore have difficulty picking up a weak signal. You may need to try a more sensitive radio receiver. Non-portable radio tuners (for example, a component in a home stereo) are generally more sensitive, and will usually have the necessary connection for one of the following types of external aerials;
There are several alternatives:
The following radios are a bit more expensive, but get excellent results:
PR D7
PLL synthesized tuning system with 10 memory presents and automatic station search.
The manufacturer says the radio is 'ultra compact and good for travelling'.
It can use both rechargeable and standard alkaline batteries.
Available from http://www.ibuys.com.au/
More expensive than the PR D7, this has a three-band tuner accessing AM, FM (with RDS) and DAB+ digital radio.
It also comes with an alarm timer and a sleep timer and includes a device to autoscan for stations.
RDS means the radio can display information on screen from radio stations that employ the data service (this doesn't include Vision)
Available from http://www.ryda.com.au/
AM signals generally travel further than FM, are less hindered by hills and mountains, but are more open to electrical interference. By far, the most effective factor in improving AM reception is a better antenna. That said, it is worth remembering:
The key to extending the reception range of an AM broadcast is to improve the quality of the antenna. If you need one, there are a wide variety of higher quality antennas available on the market.
Annoying buzzes are often transmitted through an AM radio, for example:
It is best to eliminate the interference at its source. Here’s a list of possible solutions:
There are several alternatives:
The following radios are a bit more expensive, but get excellent results:
PR D7
PLL synthesized tuning system with 10 memory presents and automatic station search.
The manufacturer says the radio is 'ultra compact and good for travelling'.
It can use both rechargeable and standard alkaline batteries.
Available from http://www.ibuys.com.au/sangean-stereo-tuning-portableradio-receiver-prd7bk-p-1546.html
DPR 45
More expensive than the PR D7, this has a three-band tuner accessing AM, FM (with RDS) and DAB+ digital radio.
It also comes with an alarm timer and a sleep timer and includes a device to autoscan for stations.
RDS means the radio can display information on screen from radio stations that employ the data service (this doesn't include Vision)
Available from http://www.ibuys.com.au/sangean-portable-digital-radiodpr45-p-1836.html
Our technical department says there are other radios which are suitable, including the PR D4, the PR D6 and the DT 120
Unfortunately we aren’t in a position to offer a support service. However, your local TV antenna installer will usually be a good source of assistance, plus there is a wealth of information available on the internet. For example, the ABC website has an excellent, detailed explanation of FM and AM radio reception issues. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/reception/radio/radio_troubleshooting.htm
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