A mixture of modern-day electromagnetic interference from many sources can cause issues when trying to tune in to radio broadcasts, especially if they are low-powered or distant.
Using a software-defined radio with a spectrum display can show the noisiness of the current station.
The usual suspect is the RF ground path, and this can be helped by using a counterpoise and low inductance ground connection, thus reducing the noise from the station.
This can be further reduced by using ferrite cores around the wires to stop them from being ground paths for RF, which in turn lowers the noise even more.
These methods aren’t new, but they are effective, especially when visualising the results on a spectrum display.
This shows how modern interference can affect vintage tech and what can be done to lessen its impact.
