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Listening to the radio on the ADF

An American pilot told me a long ago he only kept his ADF to listen to the baseball. The frequency range is inside the medium-wave band Wikipedia European transmitters.

I’ve been trying to listen to BBC Radio 4 in southern UK on 720 kHz: I can hear the programme, but it’s difficult to understand what is said without increasing the volume to uncomfortable levels. It’s a King KR-87 ADF, through a KMA-24 audio panel and David Clark Isocom intercom, to an A20 headset.

How can I improve sound quality? More as an educational exercise (bluetooth is better).

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

Make sure you select ANT not ADF should work perfectly.

It’s more noisy than FM radio band but it’s normal quality for AM reception to be noisy during daylights? BBC on ADF near Elstree works neat for Tuesday’s night jazz way better than Saturday’s afternoon cricket

I had load of fun with radio near Murcia, ATC/FIS were not replying as I was very low, the only thing I could get to cope with loneliness was from ADF

Last Edited by Ibra at 17 Mar 15:55
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Any young person taking up flying these days will probably ask “Listening to the what on what?”

We will then explain that this is like a podcast, and they will respond “podcasts are for OLD people, like facebook and web forums”

Biggin Hill

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Yep, surprising that there still are some people watching the tube and listening to radio… makes me feel younger

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

Used to listen to the BBC on 198 KHz probably 200Khz in those days up to a 1000 miles from the UK. Beter than Radio Luxembourg or Caroline

Last years we listened RTL (234) during my IRME renewal with my fellow instructor., a very nice flight :).

LFMD, France

Sound quality on our older adf’s are very dependent on good antennae. If you have the external wire ant, try cleaning the connection points on the feed thru as well as the wire itself. I know some units had a combined sense/loop unit, in witch case you may have to live with whatever sounds you get. The King was a common and good unit. See what you can do. Of course, in the states we have stations that put out 500000 watts, those come thru no matter what. lol carl

Inspector Dude A&P IA
21D, United States

US AM stations put out up to 50 kW power, AM radio is not big business any more in the age of the Radio Garden etc app. Stations in Mexico and Bonaire, intended for US and Caribbean audiences do put out more power.

There’s apparently a station in Hungary and maybe a couple in Saudi Arabia that still put out 2MW. Link

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