KTRB - Folks, Something's Gotta Give
by Nico on Apr 5, 2009 1:00 PM PDT
Email
PrintI am so glad I took up yoga, because it turns out that if I stand on one leg in the middle of the living room, with my left hand holding my right ear and my spine slightly arched, the A's broadcast comes in clearly for at least the next 10 minutes. Unfortunately, "downward facing dog" turns Vince Cotroneo staticky and Ken Korach appears to be highly irritated if I try to run the washer or dryer during his innings.
Where did KTRB get its 50,000 watts? Was it:
a. At a garage sale.
b. From a guy named Joseph who said to call him Ralph, and whose cell phone number is disconnected.
c. From Dyslexic Circuit City, "Where Service is State of the Rat" and all the towers they sell are 00500 watts.
d. xxcccchhhhh ssschchchcxxxchchchch ring him up strrkkkchchchch $%#$kkxalled!
THE PROBLEM
As I understand it, KTRB's issue is not wattage so much as it is too many stations too nearby that broadcast on or near the 860 AM frequency. This causes the station not to come in clearly, or at all:
- When you drive under any power line
- When you drive in a tunnel
- When the weather changes in any way
- When anyone in the same room as the radio moves
And as if the basic reception weren't bad enough, no matter how you position the radio or youself the signal constantly surges and fades to the point of driving a person crazy. Piping KTRB into a hostage situation would actually work well even when Ray Fosse wasn't conducting an interview. ("Jim, how terrible do you feel, knowing that fans are looking forward to all day to hearing the A's radio broadcast, only to have the experience severely compromised by a lousy signal that reminds listeners of KALX's 10-watt signal back in 1979?")
THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
Here is where I am hoping the community can offer some answers, ideas, or both. I'll start with my planned Monday quests.
Antennae
On Monday morning, I am visiting an antenna guru or two to see if there are ways I can improve KTRB's reception at least in my Berkeley home. I am willing to spend some money because this is extremely important to me. My thought is that perhaps if I put a good antenna on the roof, pointing towards KTRB's tower, reception might improve. However, I am not even certain how much a good antenna can improve AM reception that is being interfered with by other AM stations - a good antenna might help KTRB come in clearer but it will also help KGO (810-AM) to come in clearer, which is not good.
KTRB
I am also planning to call KTRB on Monday to try to speak to someone who is knowledgeable about the station's signal. My recollection is that when the agreement between the A's and KTRB was announced, we heard that plans were in the works for KTRB to boost its signal, in some way, in the near future. Does anyone know or remember exactly what was said, and whether any improvements are forthcoming on KTRB's end?
What Can Fans Do?
Those of you who are especially savvy with regards to electronics, please advise: What can a fan do to help the signal come in as strongly and consistently as possible? Is Poochini barking up the wrong tree looking at antennae? Are there other avenues we KTRBeasts should be exploring? Any help is appreciated.
One thing I know fans can do is to tell KTRB that they care, that the problem is real and impactful, and that there is some urgency to the situation. I'm not sure how much KTRB can do, on its end, because so much is restricted and dictated by the FCC, but it can only help to underscore the depth, and immediacy, of this issue.
Something's gotta give, and I'm hoping that between this awesome community and KTRB - both of whom want the same thing - something can. Help!
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It sounds like you should combine your first two ideas
and buy an antenna for KTRB.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on Apr 5, 2009 1:10 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Better Antenna
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&call=KTRB
Based upon their coverage maps, it seems like you should be able to pick them up fairly easily. I’m guessing you have the same problem I do with AM, a crappy “antenna” in a bad position. My receiver has a simple wire for an antenna, and it barely picks up KHTK (I live in Folsom) which I’ve picked up in Oakland before while at a game.
I’d look at a good antenna, and try positioning it in different locations until your clarity improves. I will likely be doing the same, but mostly because my wife likes listening to AM radio.
A better antenna helps somewhat
But if the source signal is still bad, it won’t solve the issue.
The antenna in most cars is of good quality, yet it cuts in and out all the time on KTRB from the most trival interference. Yesterday, I pull into a gas station to fuel up. The moment the part of my car where the antenna is located was underneath the overhang, reception went out. I switched to KNBR 680, and Jon Miller didn’t even flinch from a simple overhang.
In the house, our sound system picks up other SF-based AM stations great, but KTRB is utter crap with a loud constant buzz.
With XM I can listen to all the games with great clarity, but only 81 of those would be Ken and Vince. Is it too much to ask for me to be able to hear my team’s announcers in my own home 162+ games a year when I live 20 miles away?
I have the same problem in my car
It’s going to be a rough season if I can only go to the gas station between innings….
There's no crying in baseball!
Good luck Nico.
I am having trouble too. Sometimes it’s very clear and somedays I can’t makeout anything said due to the interference. It’s awful and I have not listened as much this pre-season because of it. If it continues I am going to buy the MLB Audio again this year. That’s what i did last year.
This is getting really unacceptable.
When Wolff bitches about fan’s not coming out to the games maybe he should look at the craptastic media contracts the A’s have had. Since the A’s moved off of KRON eons ago I haven’t been able to watch the A’s over air (KICU doesn’t make it to SF) and I don’t own cable. The constant switching of radio stations and poor reception is obnoxious. Even on FSBN we were getting screwed by having the Giants games push us off.
Its hard to build a fan base if people can’t watch or listen to the games. Watching the game on tv is how people learn players names and tangentially follow the team, which is what will bring people who aren’t currently coming to the park to games.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on Apr 5, 2009 1:26 PM PDT reply actions
It is very hard to understand what they're thinking on this front. I blame Crowley.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Apr 5, 2009 8:45 PM PDT up reply actions
I blame Steve Vucinich
Nobody ever blames Steve Vucinich.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
KTRB's signal is horrendous.
I live on Lake Merritt on the top floor of my building, and don’t have too many complaints here, but it’s just awful in the ways Nico describes everywhere else.
Another issue is its reach. You can listen to KNBR (also 50,000 Watts) as far south as the Grapevine, as far north as Redding, and as far east as well into the Sierra Foothills. From my recent travels, I can tell you that’s it is almost impossible to listen to KTRB any farther north than Santa Rosa or east than Vacaville. Royally unacceptable.
The artist formerly known as HigherPie.
I know we go through this like every two months
But I recently (middle of March) got KNBR east of Flagstaff, AZ. Funny listening to a Suns/Warriors game and then finding out it wasn’t a local broadcast at all.
At what point are the A’s going to quit Mickey Mousing EVERYTHING? Is it that hard to get a solid radio and tv contract?
still Swish Fan #1.
I had this same experience
In the Valley of the Sun when I was down there for spring training. That was about ten years ago.
''Around the fifth inning of a night game, things get a little fuzzy. Double-vision sets in. Players begin turning orange.'' -Bruce Jenkins
by fridaynightfan on Apr 5, 2009 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah you can get KNBR in Oregon too.
Some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen were at Raiders games. And I’ve been to jail. - leopold bloom
by designatedforassignment on Apr 5, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
But you can't get KTRB on Oregon St. in Berkeley.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
And Hollister to the South
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on Apr 5, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Looking at possible improvements,
does this seem likely to help?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
the radio you have is significant
Some are great, some are awful. I use a GE Superradio III. Earlier models are more coveted and can be found at garage/estate sales and similar. I don’t think they make them any more – mine was something like $35 – and its pretty good. If you want to fool around, old car radios are sometimes awesome. You’d want to get one that was pre-FM. Add a 12 volt power supply or rig it up in your vehicle.
Here is the antenna I’d like to get at CCrane.
Sometimes the price is lower at www.jr.com.
There are actually beau-coup AM antennas. Here is a review of a couple “loop” antennas.
Would that antennae help, do you think?
I ready to buy it if it will; I just don’t know that much about electronics to know if it will make a difference in this particular situation.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
It’ll help any AM radio. What radio do you have? The CCrane radio is nice I hear. Maybe living in the bay area there is somewhere you can see one retail. Maybe even take your radio to the shop and try things out.
I've tried several to see if one works best,
but it seems like the radio really doesn’t matter – from a transistor to a boombox to the radio in the entertainment system, it’s all the same: Bad.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I have an earlier model of CCrane
am antennae. I used it in southeast Alaska to pick up am stations like the CBC down in Prince Rupert and it made a decent enough difference. Have no idea how it would “sort out” the problem you got with KTRB. Give them a call.
alaska A residing in colorado. (for now)
MLB Audio
is the way to go. i live in Portland and have streamed games online for several years. The quality is excellent and it includes pre game show and Robert Baun. At $14.95 per season it is 100% worth it.
The trouble with internet solutions is that
I rely on Delay Play to synch the TV and radio – because as you know, Ken unleashes an f-bomb about every 12 seconds.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
but that's just for computer use, right?
Which is great if I’m at my desk at work or have my laptop handy, not so great if I’m in the car, yard, walking my dog, at the game, etc.
"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King
But the roof antenna would only work in the house, too
I guess one of those $100 antennas you attach to the radio itself could work outside, though.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Yes, that's how it is for us NRAFs
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers."
the quality is excellent?
I think in past years it was fine, but I listened yesterday for the first time and it sounded muffled and crappy to me. Having an fm signal last year was so nice.
Everything is sunshine when you are Ray Fosse, bitches.
yup, i've used these twin coil ferrite antennas
you can do this on the cheap by tuning a loop antenna with a ferrite core. making a long loop could help. also, leave the tuner tuned to 860 as much as possible with the volume off. the sensitivity of the tuner will improve. ultimately, check the noise on your AC line. if you’ve got stucco, you’ll have to go external.
"We're Menudo," -BB
I'll be interested to find out what KTRB engineers tell you, Nico
In my experience, engineers who work for radio stations will usually respond to any question about reception with a fifteen-minute monologue which reduces to “The signal’s fine when it leaves the station, so it must be the fault of the lousy equipment you have at home, but it doesn’t really matter what you have at home because all consumer electronics are lousy, especially compared to the thing I built myself out of spare parts I filched from the last four stations I worked for. And no, I won’t sell it to you.”
Don't worry - I'm planning to ask very directive questions, like,
“Are there specific plans in the works to improve KTRB’s signal?” and “If someone in the East Bay has lousy reception, given the equipment they have what do you recommend?”
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Of course, the answer to #2 may be
“Move to someplace where there aren’t a bunch of mountains between you and our transmitter.”
If they try that kind of answer,
I’ll be making a few suggestions of my own.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
It wouldn't be a new baseball season without a Nico radio post
When I lived in Rockridge I found that I could pick up KTRB pretty clearly, though not perfectly, by adjusting the AM loop antenna that came with my receiver. It was highly sensitive to exactly which way the antenna was aligned, but I finally found some specific alignment where the background noise was minimal. There was still an annoying buzz though.
I’m in the Sierras now and have no local A’s radio station at all. For home games I have XM, for road games MLB Gameday Audio. The problem is the delay, something like 10 seconds with XM and longer than that with Gameday Audio. So I’ll have to pause the DVR long enough so that TV is behind audio, then run my sound source through Delay Play and use that to sync sound and picture.
I’ve had that XM MyFi for four years and I love it, whether I’m using it hardwired into the stereo system at home, in the car or on battery power at the beach. It’s an expensive solution, though, and as mentioned to sync the sound with TV you also need a DVR.
Where would I find the AM loop antenna that comes with my receiver?
Worth a shot, except that I don’t really know what that means. Unless it’s a plastic rectangle and black wire thingy, in which case I think it’s been tried with little success.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Yeah, the cheap plastic thing is what I was using
It produced an acceptable result near Rockridge BART. It sounds like KTRB reception is highly sensitive to location.
I think the proposed solution to all this is that KTRB has applied to install a new transmitter somewhere up near Sears Point. But that involves going through a long regulatory approval process and who knows when the thing might actually go up (or whether, when it does, the A’s would still be on KTRB).
Spend the $15.
C’mon. Seriously.
"If I told you once, I told you a thousand times: get yourself a hacksaw and a roll of duck tape, and attach your ankle-bracelet monitor to the leg of a gator." -lemurspoker
Personally, I'm ready to spend $100 if it'll help
What I’m trying to figure out is what are the odds a twin coil WOULDN’T improve reception?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
heck, why not go XM then?
that to me is the ultimate radio solution and what I am contemplating with one of those that interchange in the auto and at home.
alaska A residing in colorado. (for now)
We had XM last year at the shop.
The problem is that you don’t have a choice on announcers/stations. You get all the games, but if you thought the opposing television announcers were bad, well, let’s say you wouldn’t like the radio ones at all.
"If I told you once, I told you a thousand times: get yourself a hacksaw and a roll of duck tape, and attach your ankle-bracelet monitor to the leg of a gator." -lemurspoker
by Leopold Bloom on Apr 5, 2009 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions
And Ak,
Ben has one that switches between car and house, and it works really well. We went up to West VA for my father’s memorial service/funeral last year and listened to all three A’s/Indians games that weekend. But the announcer thing is annoying.
"If I told you once, I told you a thousand times: get yourself a hacksaw and a roll of duck tape, and attach your ankle-bracelet monitor to the leg of a gator." -lemurspoker
by Leopold Bloom on Apr 5, 2009 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I thought they had supplemented
that issue with choice of either or home or away. Evidently not.
alaska A residing in colorado. (for now)
Only in the playoffs
And even then, it’s only the LCS and WS where you have choice (home, away, ESPN, spanish.). The rest of the time, it’s home broadcasts only. Even on those odd days where there’s 3 games the entire day and they’re spaced out to have minimal chance of overlapping (extra innings, rain delays, etc) it’s only the home broadcast. The only exception was when our boys and the Red Soxes were in Japan, where there was “home”, away, ESPN, spanish, AND Japanese broadcasts available.
My options at home are going to be minimal if DirecTV and Comcast don’t work out a deal for rights. Then it’ll just be a buzzy Home broadcast when no one is hogging the living room, or my XM.
Thanks - Same Here
I’m glad others are checking in from other locations about this. The CCrane radio I bought specifically for AM sound gets no better reception here in San Francisco than other radios I use for the broadcasts. Only keeping the radio(s) right next to certain windows, turned the right way, works to keep down the interference. Signal strength is still weak though.
The A’s and the station need to address this; this year especially, I’ll be attending fewer games. I rely on radio coverage.
last night while driving in the south bay
i was surprised to get a signal for the dodgers game on 790am
No kidding.
I can get 860am in my kitchen, but not in my den where I watch the game. Verrry frustrating.
This is only a half-joking suggestion
but if I weren’t an NRAF, and I had some kind of electrical/mechanical problem to solve, I’d email AN’s own (still?) AlamedaAphid.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Amen
The A’s broadcast situation this year makes me want to barf. 24 hours before our opening day and I still don’t know if my DirectTV will “allow” me to see my A’s. And forget about 860—I have yet to get truly decent reception in any situation—home, work, car, yard, etc. It is so incredibly frustrating to be excited about where this season is headed and have the distinct impression that I’ll be missing a lot of it due to the A’s radio and TV contracts.
"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King
I feel your pain sister
as I’m in the same pucking situation as well.
Hey at least tomorrow they’re on ESPN, but knowing my luck that game will be locally blacked out and I’ll have to try and watch them on 698, which I do not receive!
by Pucking Insane on Apr 5, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions
they're on ESPN tomorrow?
"If I told you once, I told you a thousand times: get yourself a hacksaw and a roll of duck tape, and attach your ankle-bracelet monitor to the leg of a gator." -lemurspoker
by Leopold Bloom on Apr 5, 2009 4:49 PM PDT up reply actions
No, the Angels are.
And apparently they’re playing the A’s!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/schedules
Says they are.
A black out would be most unfortunate.
by Pucking Insane on Apr 5, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions
said Jack Hannahan's neighbor, just before the dinner party.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Still waiting, me too
I really hope DirecTV gets to show the games. I just switched over from Comcast in January! Only 1 day left to figure this out!
I have not even tried to get this radio station, since I’m so far south (Monterey). If most of you can’t get a good signal in Berkeley/Oakland, etc. I doubt I’d hear anything here!
You might be better off - the tower is in San Ramon, I believe
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
bummer
I get 860 clear as bell at home and in the car and in the office. I live in Pleasanton, work in Sunnyvale and I think the transmitter is in Sunol, which explains wy I have no trouble.
myspace music
yep, the transmitter is in Sunol...
thus, I get great reception… day and night, in the car and at home. Oh well, even if they aren’t moving to Fremont, the radio reception is wonderful here (this year, at least).
And, wasn’t the solution to put another transmitter across the bay… on the Peninsula or something like that. That’s what I recall when the deal was announced. Because they knew reception to the northern part of the East Bay was gonna be crappy with the hills blocking the Sunol transmitter.
Clowns to the left of me... Jokers to the right...
In the same boat.
Nico, please let us know whatever you find out, and make sure you are understood to be representing a large # of people who are really frustrated with the signal. 67marquez and I were both bitching about it yesterday and he lives in a completely different part of the east bay. I’ve tried four different radios in multiple locations in the house and even outside and the reception is uniformly terrible. I would definitely get one of those double-coil antennas or whatever if you find that it helps.
But the overriding situation with the A’s and their history of terrible and ever-changing radio contracts, as mentioned above by dfa, needs to be communicated to the team as well. I would add that as a #4 on your list.
I get good reception here in Sunnyvale
However, if the A’s are trying to build a market in Santa Clara County, KTRB is not the answer. I went to Gilroy yesterday and the signal was nearly lost by the time I got to the Leavesley Road exit on 101. Coming home, I kept getting interference until I got past Blossom Hill Road on 85.
"The glass is half full….and we are going to drown in it." - OptimistPrime
I'm in Marin
and it is bad here too. I can get decent reception at times, but ten minutes later it has drifted and I have to reposition the radio. The reception in my car is weak and has a lot of static. This is doubly disappointing after being able to listen on crystal clear FM for the past couple of years.
I would throw my vote behind any kind of organized complaint to the A’s. I think they need to understand that one of their under performing assets is their fanbase. The can increase the value by treating fan relations – including their media contracts – with the same importance with which they address baseball issues.
I cringe every year as I watch the attendance go down. I hate reading about how horrible East Bay residents and A’s fans in particular are because they don’t support their team by coming out to the ball park. Everyone lays this at the feet of the fans, as if we are supposed to personally overcome the off-putting elements and go to games no matter what. There is no continuity to the media contracts, there is very little public relations and marketing by the team, the team’s image is old-fashioned – and not in a good way. The team itself has created obstacles to the casual fan that Taco Tuesdays and Two Dollar Wednesdays are not going to solve.
There are ways to remedy that, and it starts with being able to watch, listen and read about the team. Every year fans complain because the A’s are treated as the #2 team in the area by the media. It is sometimes supposed that this is the fault of the media outlets, but it is a two way street. The A’s can improve their turnouts if they had a dedicated, long term media partner like the relationship KNBR and the Giants have. They have created a Giants fan culture through the radio station. Interest in the Giants is built year round. Fans get opportunities to hear players interviewed all the time and get to know their team because the announcers talk about them all day. They sell Giants memorabilia on their charity auction show. We’ll see if it helps them during this down economy and what appears to be a rebuilding year for them. But it has to be better than what the A’s have historically done.
I don’t think the A’s haven’t tried, but from here it looks as if they just don’t make this side of the business a priority. Everything about being a fan is difficult. More people get their news from this site than the Chronicle I bet. You can’t pick up the games on the radio. There are no over the air TV games and satellite users may not be able to watch them at all either. Stadium conditions in the last couple of seasons (since “The Tarpening”) are terrible. They were supposed to be able to provide better service, but it has gotten so bad that I really don’t want to go back. All of these things add up, and attendance drops because the team has created obstacles to the casual fan. I hardly see it as the fault of East Bay residents or A’s fans, I think the team is paying for its under performance in fan relations.
I have been an A’s fan for 30 years and I usually go to about 20 games a year, but it is a big challenge now. And I can hardly listen to them on the radio. And I can only watch them by switching to digital cable. And…and…and…
''Around the fifth inning of a night game, things get a little fuzzy. Double-vision sets in. Players begin turning orange.'' -Bruce Jenkins
ahh, the very first regular season games
on now, with my ol buddies, joe and jon.
alaska A residing in colorado. (for now)
Up in Humboldt County...
…(with about 100 listeners I am sure) the local ‘Thunder Country’ radio station plays the games. It is audible in every little podunk town up and down the six Rivers. I find it hard to fathom that the A’s can’t give a decent signal to their intended market, yet I can hear games in valleys, canyons and mountaintops up here. Jeez.
by Chilango on Apr 5, 2009 6:00 PM PDT reply actions
I get a nice clear signal on a tiny hand held radio here in San Francisco
That aside, couple of points -
not sure if you were joking or not about the car going throught the tunnel and past power lines thing, but in case you weren’t, that’ll always be the case for any AM signal. Increased solar flare activity will also cause interference.
My main problem with that radion station is some of the awful political opinion chat that they have on – it’s taken me rather by surprise when I’ve fallen asleep during a game and then woken up to find someone advocating the removal of all foreignors etc etc and so on and so forth. While you’ve got them on the phone, can you ask them to stop this? Ta very much.
Seriously, though, I hope those of you who aren’t getting great reception find a solution. I’m going to look to see if I can find a way of building an antenna – should be pretty easy to build one you can tune so it boosts the signal at the right wavelength.
what have i got myself into this time... http://damiansthirtyyearchallenge.blogspot.com/
by alea iacta est on Apr 5, 2009 6:27 PM PDT reply actions
I think KTRB may be surprised by our complaints --
They’ve probably never had anyone from greater Berkeley tune them in before. They do seem to be adding a lot more sports, so evidently the talk format isn’t bringing in a lot of money.
KTRB’s signal is unusually vulnerable to interference even for an AM station — I even pick up interference from my windshield wipers on KTRB, which doesn’t happen on KCBS and didn’t that I recall on 1550.
car through the tunnel/on the lower deck of the bridge/underneath overpasses/with a piece of paper overhead
KCBS (740) and KTRB (860) are the only two AM stations I have this problem with, and KTRB is MUCH worse that KCBS….
There's no crying in baseball!
i thought it was just MY $300 hi-fi stereo receiver!
but i agree. signal sucks. non-game political commentary is worse.
so i found a couple of options which i’d been waiting till tomorrow to try. i wait no longer to share them with you.
spanish radio: new this year! my signal of 1640 AM comes in great. can’t wait to see what it’s like to listen to the (latin) american pastime. i wouldn’t even think of switching to spanish or any alternate broadcast if bill king was still around, but frankly, the tension between ken and vince is sometimes embarrassing to hear and besides, ken sounds freakishly like al gore (anyone agree?), so i’m gonna give it a try when i’m in the car or at the game. just hope i don’t get confused after chavez knocks in garciaparra and cabrera with a jonron and i start yelling goooooooooooooooooooooooooooollllll!!!
computer radio: those of you who are near your CPU during the game can stream here: http://radio.securenetsystems.net//radio_player_large.cfm?stationCallSign=KTRB you can even plug your computer into your receiver and pretend it’s an AM signal.
strictly prohibited: moderator, you can delete this post if it’s inappropriate to say this, but there are people online who stream their cable sports programming live and you can find it in places such as http://www.justin.tv/ if you try. i would never do such a thing because it’s probably illegal. plus, obviously the TV powers that be need every last cent they can squeeze (otherwise they’d let me enjoy my measly 15 games a year on antenna TV) and hey, they deserve it—if only because they’re making sure we all have brand new TV sets just because, instead of those tired (but perfectly functional) old boxes we bought when our parents’ hand-me-down sets malfunctioned 15 years ago—but if you have no scruples, maybe you can find a free stream and enjoy you some baseball.
don't care if i ever get back.
by AV on Apr 5, 2009 7:15 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Of course I would never do something illegal
The time I was caught jaywalking I was actually helping a one-legged nun cross the street.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
It didn't work too well for Rachel.
Also if you want San Jose to want you, you’d do well to have fans.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Apr 5, 2009 8:51 PM PDT up reply actions
How I plan to make a receiver
I think something like this will work -
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/underground/8585/loop.html
I might try to build it next week as a project!
what have i got myself into this time... http://damiansthirtyyearchallenge.blogspot.com/
by alea iacta est on Apr 5, 2009 7:51 PM PDT reply actions
Dang - I don't have 10 pounds in my wallet. :-(
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
wow, that's a good example of the state of my brain that I didn't even notice that it wasn't in dollars
I guess I’ve been hanging around with some fellow British people this weekend, so I’ve regressed mentally, or something.
Still, the physical principles should still apply
what have i got myself into this time... http://damiansthirtyyearchallenge.blogspot.com/
by alea iacta est on Apr 5, 2009 7:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Well I just went ahead and ordered this f&%#er
from ccrane. Like the Delay Play, if it helps it will be well worth it to me. And like the Delay Play, I’m spending between $100-$200 to (hopefully) offset issues that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Good luck, I hope it works
But it’s a shame that these never-ending problems with the inferiority of the radio and television distribution seem to be as much a part of the Oakland A’s tradition as the white shoes.
you didn't want to wait till I'd made one?
sigh. NO TRUST.
what have i got myself into this time... http://damiansthirtyyearchallenge.blogspot.com/
by alea iacta est on Apr 5, 2009 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I didn't realize it was for me
I thought it was for you, which I thought was horrifically selfish. Whereas had it been for me, it would have been highly appropriate.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
well, i was going to make one as a trial
but, as I say, I get perfect reception in San Francisco, so I don’t need one. Perhaps we’ll have a competition or something, if it works.
Or if I don’t find a job soon, it’ll be ebay time…
obviously, it may well not work.
what have i got myself into this time... http://damiansthirtyyearchallenge.blogspot.com/
by alea iacta est on Apr 5, 2009 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Location, Location
Interesting to hear that others in S.F. aren’t experiencing the lousy reception I get. Hills? Valleys? Nearby electronics?
Side thought: as a conservative, admittedly out of synch with much Bay Area thinking, I find it interesting and, frankly, amusing to hear apparent “liberals” complaining about stations airing views they don’t endorse. Hell, I’ve lived with that for years. It’s called American free expression, a concept worth celebrating. Exercise yours; turn that dial.
Now, back to an equally important topic: A’s baseball!
:nioC .rM
!!kcus uoY ??sciscedsyl etah uoy od yhW
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
I just spoke with Jim Pappas (GM)
and he is going to speak with his engineer and get back to me. He asked me to send him an email for him to reply to; here is a copy of the email I sent to him:
Hi Mr. Pappas,
Thanks for talking with me and for soliciting John Burger’s help in figuring out ways A’s fans can improve their reception of KTRB’s signal. I am in Berkeley, but as you will see if you read the comments in the thread linked below, A’s fans in a variety of cities are having great difficulty with the signal:
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2009/4/5/823609/ktrb-folks-somethings-gotta-give#comments
My apologies for some of the frustration evident in the comments, but at least it shows you that A’s fans are dedicated to listening to A’s games on the radio and that the status quo just isn’t working.
My goal is to find, and offer to the A’s fan base, some practical suggestions. One thing I would like Mr. Burger’s feedback on is something I have ordered on a “heck it’s worth a try” basis, and that is a Twin Coil AM Ferrite Antenna:
http://www.ccrane.com/antennas/am-antennas/twin-coil-ferrite-am-antenna.aspx
Is there anything that is a better bet than this that maybe I have not considered?
Thanks for your help – I will gladly post, on Athletics Nation, any info or suggestions you would like me to publish. At the same time, feel free to tell me something you may wish for me to keep offline and know that I will fully respect the confidentiality.
Best,
Nico Pemantle, Athletics Nation
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
CC Radio Plus
The CC Radio Plus is kinda spendy but I swear by it. Gets better reception that anything else I have owned.
Go A’s
E
Thanks - I can't wait for it to arrive
It’s my Great Hope.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
CC Radio plus
I’ve used one for a few years now, having read about the emphasis CCrane placed on AM sound. Frankly, I’m not wowed by it; it sounds ok. I just don’t hear a big difference. A nice radio for its features if they’re important to you. When it DID sound impressive is when it was bringing in that sweet, clear FM signal; THAT sounded nice!
On our topic, it hasn’t improved reception/reduced interference at my San Francisco location; my cheap Sony—-placed next to the right window at the right angle—-sounds as good as any radio I’ve tried. KTRB’s signal strength on the CCrane is far short of 50% here.
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