Step 3 - Reception Problems

Besides the problem of static, there are also the problems called "fading", "multipath" and "fade out". These problems are caused not by electrical noise but by the nature of the radio waves themselves.

Fig 1: Visualizing Cause Of Fading

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• Fading

  Besides electrical interference, AM broadcasts are also susceptible to other types of interference, especially at night. This is because AM radio waves bounce off the ionosphere at night. These radio waves then interfere with the signals from the same transmitter that reach the vehicle's antenna directly. This type of interference is called "fading".

• Multipath

  One type of interference caused by bouncing of radio waves off obstructions is called "multipath". Multipath occurs when a signal from the broadcast transmitter antenna bounces off buildings and mountains and interferes with the signal that is received directly.

  Fig 2: Visualizing Cause Of Multipathing

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• Fade Out

Because FM radio waves are of higher frequencies than AM radio waves, they bounce off buildings, mountains, and other obstructions. For this reason, FM signals often seem to gradually disappear or fade away as the vehicle goes behind a building or other obstructions. This is called "fade out".

Fig 3: Visualizing Cause Of Fade Out

Courtesy of © TOYOTA, LICENSE AGREEMENT TMS1002