NHPR Reception Guide

NHPR strives to serve all of New Hampshire with its mix of state programs, such as The Exchange, and Word of Mouth as well as national programs, such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Car Talk, and A Prairie Home Companion.

Through a network of full-power FM radio stations and lower-power FM translator stations, NHPR serves more than 150,000 listeners each week. Despite our best efforts, however, there are pockets of New Hampshire where our signal is weak. New Hampshire's mountainous geography, a lack of available frequencies, and competition from other radio stations all impact NHPR's ability to deliver programming to your radio.

Common Reception Problems
NHPR broadcasts exclusively on the FM band. FM stands for frequency modulation, and utilizes frequencies between 88 and 108 MHz. FM radio offers reception that is superior to AM, which often features static and signal fading. With FM radio, signals are broadcast via line of sight. That is, the radio waves travel in straight lines, much like a flood light illuminating the darkness. Among the most common maladies:

Multipath When NHPR's signal reaches your radio via multiple paths, it causes multipath distortion. This can occur whether you are close to our transmitters, or at a great distance. Radio waves that reflect off objects such as buildings, mountains, or automobiles can distort what you hear. You will hear the direct signal, and a reflected signal a split-second later. Your "s" will sound like "shh." It may also sound like a wooden stick being run against a picket fence.

Weather-related One phenomenon that you may notice is when you receive interference from another station on one of our frequencies, or when that station takes NHPR's place on the dial. This is usually a weather related problem and is caused by a Temperature Inversion in the atmosphere in the New England region. It is only a temporary problem and should last from a few minutes to an hour, so stay tuned.

Weak Signal The distance between your radio and NHPR's transmitter can greatly effect what you hear. The further the distance, the greater the opportunity for interference. A weak signal is represented by static, hiss, or intermittent fading. Try switching your radio from stereo to mono to improve the signal.

Maintenance On occasion, NHPR will need to turn its transmitting equipment off or down in order to conduct routine maintenance. Every effort is made to do this during "off hours" and restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

Improving Your Reception
If you are picking us up directly off the air and have a noisy signal, try these suggestions.
1. If you have a portable radio, move it to a different location in the room, or re-orient the antenna near a window. Metal structures inside of walls can reflect and cancel out FM signals in the area of your radio's antenna. Keep the antenna in the clear for best results. 2. Move the radio's power cord around to straighten out its length toward the plug on the wall. Several manufacturers use the power cord as the antenna, so it helps to keep the cord away from surrounding metal objects if possible. This is particularly helpful with bedside clock radios. 3. If you have an outside directional antenna, re-orient it toward the station for maximum received signal strength. You may discover that the strongest signal does not come from Concord. This could be due to terrain or large objects near you in the path from our transmitter to your receiving location. Orient your antenna for maximum signal strength on your receiver. Adjust for maximum reading on the receiver's signal strength meter, or LED display if there is one, or adjust for loudest signal. Also, check the feed line and all connections from the antenna to the radio to make sure they are all good. Losses in signal strength can occur with dirty or corroded connections that produce noise or static in your radio.
4. If you have a wire dipole antenna (a flat, T-shaped wire) attached to the antenna terminals on the rear of your receiver, check to see that it's fully extended. Next, try changing the orientation of the antenna, it should be broadside to the station you are trying to receive for the most effective performance. If it is vertical, change it to horizontal. If it is horizontal, try vertical.

External Antennas
The antenna is where the radio receives the FM radio waves. Properly utilizing an antenna can greatly improve your reception.

Dipole antenna
A flat, t-shaped wire that attaches to terminals on the back of your receiver. If often comes with high-end, component AM/FM Stereo Receivers. Dipole antennas are inexpensive and are sold by a variety of retailers.

Amplified antenna Receives a weak radio signal and boosts it for your receiver,strengthening reception. These are more expensive than dipole antennas. It should be noted that, in the presence of a stronger FM signal, the reception can be degraded. Amplified antennas can be found at a variety of retailers.

Directional antenna
Similar to old-fashion television antennas that are connected to your radio with coaxial cable. Directional antennas can be found at a variety of retailers.

Cable Television Reception Many cable television companies distribute FM radio stations via their cables. Contact your cable company for more information. If you receive NHPR via cable television, and experience poor reception, contact your cable company. If you find that NHPR is fuzzy or noisy on the dial, check other stations. If they sound OK, call your cable provider and report it. This could indicate problems with the cable TV's headend receiver or antenna system.

Listen Online NHPR's programming is simulcast on the internet. In addition to the live programming, you can access NHPR's audio archives, including feature stories, The Exchange, and The Front Porch. If you live in an area where we have a marginal signal, the internet can be a great source of NHPR programming.

Learn more at our Frequently Asked Questions page.