DVENTUROUS I 90.7FM--='KSr§ ER - 'll} :" r .... '· KSER • \ 'U I 1;'12 . ,\f-'KIL , 1[Jil l COMMUNITY RADIO THE MYSTERIES OF FM RECEPTION found on most TVs. A pair of ears can be Turn on a new FM station and you discover found at Radio Shack or other stores for under why radio engineers say the "M" stands for $20. "magic." One listener in Lake Stevens can only If the signal is barely receivable you will hear KSER if she sits in the driveway In her car. Her need to invest in an outdoor antenna. The best neighbor 3 houses down the street gets a perfect bet is the Yagi, (fishbone style) TV antenna. If signal. Driving south in north Seattle, the signal you have an old VHF TV antenna on your house "If you could begins to break up. Turn left and down a hili that but now get your TV from cable, just hook your suspend the should theoretically obliterate the signal and It FM receiver to the old antenna wire and pOint suddenly becomes sharp and clear. Several . the antenna toward the station. If you want to radio from the people report a poor signal on their $700 entertain­ buy a Yagi, they can be found at most audio ment system and a good signal on their $29.95 supply stores and prices range from $20 to over chandelier with­ bedside clock radio. $100. Try the whole rig in several spots on the KSER is being well-received in many areas, roof before you bolt it down. out looking too from east Bainbridge Island, to Port Townsend, If you are a cable subscriber, you should from near the summit of Snoqualmie pass to immediately request that KSER be added to the kooky to the Capital Hill , Seattle. Some folks in British Columbia stations delivered by your cable company. have checked in. Granite Falls and Camano Island neighbors, you'd They have a limited number of channels for report good signals and one friend gets .KSER in radio and select stations based on listener have perfect West Seattle with just a twist of the rabbit ears that demand. You can playa big part in getting came with his TV. KSER into more homes by writing your cable reception. " One area, though, is plagued by poor recep­ company and requesting they carry it. (They tion of almost all stations: south and central Everett. don't respond to phone requests.) The plateau between Everett and Lynnwood is one of the highest places along all Puget Sound and the Viacom Cable vision, 8914 Roosevelt Way way it drops gradually on the northern end creates N.E., Seattle, 98155 a shadow effect that blocks most station signals TCICablevision, 1140 N. 94th, Seattle, from the south . We plan to attack this problem with 98103 a small translator station on the east side of Whidbey Island, aimed at Edmonds, Mukilteo and Many people have asked about indoor, Everett. In those areas, KSER will be heard on a powered antennas. I don't feel any are as good different frequency on the dial but it will be heard as an outdoor Yagi. In apartments or places much better. This translator is still months down where it's hard to install an outdoor antenna, try the road. rabbit ears first. We'll try to accumulate For those of you in other areas having trouble information on the powered antennas and I with reception, here are some hints on the "magic" hope you'll call me if you have experience with of FM. When listening in a moving car, you will them. often hear the "Picket Fence Effect." FM signals, In fact, I'd like to hear any questions, advice are, for the most part, line-of-sight. Obstructions or old war stories about FM reception. Each and micro-null points in the radiation pattern can location has its own set of problems and produce small drop-out areas. These "lumps" In solutions but I'm committed to finding a way to the signal can be quite small. You notice this when bring the adventure of community radio you stop your car at a light and the signal fades listening into your home. • Programs for: and then when you inch forward, it comes back . Sometimes, as little as six inches can make all the Music, Spoken difference. Move your radio and antennas around /' Joe Hamelin, Arts, Public to search out a better signal. Technical Director, One lifelong FM nut claims that the best place Affairs 742-4541 is always a spot about 6 feet off the floor, 2 feet • Volunteers down from the ceiling, in the middle of the liVing I/ 'i' room . If you could suspend the radio from the • Schedule I, chandelier without looking too kooky to the \ neighbors, you 'd have perfect reception . \ Try moving your radio to a different side of the room , a different electrical outlet, a different room. If the signal is scratchy and the stereo light flashes, try selecting the "Mono" mode. If that doesn't help, try installing a set of "Rabbit Ears" such as are Folk and Blues KSER is located at 14920 Hwy. 99 in Lynnwood, Washington; phone 742-4541. Sixty One Highway: Thurs, 9-11 pm, Blues with Ray KSER is operated by a small paid staff and Varner a large corps of volunteers. Programming is selected for quality and diversity. Bluegrass Bonanza: Sat. 9-midnightwith Pete Stiles and a mix of old-timey, hillbilly, fiddle, banjo and all KSER at 90.7 FM is licensed to the Jack kinds of bluegrass. Straw Foundation, a non-profit, tax-deduct­ ible organization at 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, 98105-6999. Eclectic and Cutting Edge Music KSERSTAFF I\ ' llll,l gpr 1\,',lI1C\" K"ith MUSIC ON KSER Guitars of Perception: Mon. 11 pm - 1, Marty Clare M lI'll ~tll It\ ItlllC'1 follows the guitar from the Elizabethan court to the r llhlil ,\ 11.,111' Ed BI l<l1l r The Morning Show: M-F, 4:45 to 9 am: Stu gypsy campfire. Dc\'elopllll'I1I ' Chuck Clp.l, ol1 Witmer begins the day with jazz, blues and world Exposure:Wed. 11 pm - 1, Peter Dervin explores Engll1l'(·nl1f; : I,x 11.1111('1111 folk music, news from the BBC and other world contemporary music and sounds. Ch iel Board Wayn E' Chall news sources. °flerato r. The Sunlit Room: M-F, 10:30 am to 3 pm : a Headphone Theater: Thurs. 11 pm -1, with Richard mix of acoustic music from classical to jazz and Maddox and featuring -April 4: Tangerine Dream ; folk. Hosts: Monday: Joni Decker, Tuesday: Jerry April 11: Laurie Anderson ; April 18: Philip Glass; Volunteer Coordinators Houck, Wednesday: Jaco Bazzi (featuring "Noon April 25: Steve Reich . to One with Nature"), Thursday: Carlos Welch , Childrl'I1" H () II \'Clll1llllil1t~, Not This: Alternate Fridays, 11 pm -1, with Herb f'<"m l,l )(.'.1111 .1 11 Friday: Stu Witmer. Levy ; April 5: New music (electronic & improvised) Li ll'r,l ll1ll.' l\ "m~<lr c' l 1-(l ddle' Jazz from San Francisco; April 19: Highlights from the Soundworks Computer Series at the 1990 Goodwill KSER CITIZENS Games Arts Festival. Vintage Jazz: Mon. - 9-11 pm. with Hal Sherlock. Warp and Weft: Alternate Fridays 11 pm -1 with ADVISORY COUNCIL April 1: jazz quartets; April 8: the great 1956 RoiX' 11 ,\ ncicrSO I1 F Imol1cis recordings of Art Tatum ; April 15: Fats Waller on Victor Ingrassia; sounds and music woven . tangled Edmol1d, and blended in an audio collage. Mdrg,lrl't BC"m,l rd the Compton Pipe Organ; April 22 : the art of Joe Stt'\'e Burr, E\'ereM Sullivan Wild Oscillations: Sat. midnight - 2 am. John Ewcll M,l c1ry, 1',Hl'It Persak introduces the best of contemporary pop/ M dfg,lr('t Riddl" M ukilteo Tuning the Sky: Sat.-6-9 am . with Dave Gardner . dance music . lim 1-(ollcledll bl ' ll~ 1 April 13: all blues - the music; April 20 : all blues Paul Sh,lIllr h~ !f lnl(H l - the color; April 27: dealer's choice - your Musical History Tour: Sun. 12:30 - 3:30 pm . Monte Dori, Sill( I,'ir I 51(,\,(,11' requests featured. Wright re-creates this week in time in eight different lamp, Sl1l'C lcloll I " lll1wr xxl years from 10 to 45 years ago. He plays the music Traf's Trip: Sat. 1-4 mainstream jazz with Traf Nancy W ei', E\'PI"('M of the week and reports on what was in the news, Hubert. M ,lfIe Z,l(u,e l\\.lIvw illl' the movies and on TV. Music goes beyond the Top 40 and into R&B. country, and obscure recordings THE JACK STRAW World Music by pop groups. FOUNDATION African Airwaves: Wed. 9-11 pm with Doug Classical Music DIRECTORS Paterson; April 3: Taarab music from the East Dave G,lf(lner, Pr('sick'ilt African coast ; April 10: Music of Zimbabwe Visage: Sun . 5:30 - 7 p.m. with Andrew Faltonson . M drn,l B,1I1ol1 feature Thomss Mapfumo; April 24 : The Kenya April 7: Morton Subotnick, "The Wild Bu ll ," Katlw L.1111 Singles - guitar music. Paul (hil(', "Ascent into Air," and revelations about the secrets Laura H,l ll Con Salsa: Sat. 9-noon , a discriminating and of the "Ghost Score. " April 14: Born in 1891 , A l1l1ll ' I.1I111'OIl varied selection of the best dance music from the Sergei Prokofiev can still raise an eyebrow - i'.ic k lohlbOI1 Caribbean Basin with Sonny Masso.