- Moving a radio a few feet often fixes more than a new radio would.
- HD2 and HD3 subchannels need an HD Radio receiver.
- NOAA Weather Radio needs a weather radio, not an FM set.
Most radio reception problems have free fixes. Before you replace a radio or give up on a station, it helps to know where the station’s signal comes from and what in your home might be getting in the way.
Where Austin’s stations are licensed
Many stations Austin listeners think of as local are licensed to nearby towns. The FCC’s public files show, for example:
| Station | Frequency | Licensed to |
|---|---|---|
| KUTX | 98.9 FM | Leander |
| KHFI-FM | 96.7 FM | Georgetown |
| KLJA | 107.7 FM | Georgetown |
| KLQB | 104.3 FM | Taylor |
| KOKE-FM | 99.3 FM | Thorndale |
| KTXX-FM | 104.9 FM | Bee Cave |
| KAMX | 94.7 FM | Luling |
A license town is not a transmitter location, but it is a hint. If a station licensed to the north fades on your commute south of the river, you are probably not imagining it.
Home fixes, in order
- Move the radio to a window, as high in the house as practical.
- Fully extend the telescoping or wire antenna, and try it horizontal as well as vertical.
- For AM, turn the whole radio; most AM antennas are inside the case.
- Move the radio away from TVs, chargers, LED lamps, routers and computers.
- Try the same station in another room before deciding the signal is weak.
Tip: Walk a small battery radio around the house on the station you care about. Ten minutes will show you the best spot, which is free, before you spend money on an antenna.
Hills and buildings
FM signals can be weakened by terrain and buildings. West of town, a ridge between you and a station’s transmitter can matter more than distance. Downtown, tall buildings reflect signals and cause flutter as you drive. Indoors, a north-facing room may get one station well and another poorly. That is why one fix rarely works for every station.
In the car
- Expect dropouts in parking garages and under long overpasses.
- Save two or three stations for the same content (news, sports) in case one fades.
- For Longhorn games, UT lists both KVET 1300 AM and KVET 98.1 FM in Austin; switch if one is noisy.
HD Radio subchannels
Some stations carry extra programs on digital subchannels called HD2 or HD3. Austin FC’s Spanish-language broadcasts, for example, are on TUDN Radio Austin at 104.3-HD2. An ordinary FM radio cannot receive these; you need an HD Radio receiver, which many newer cars include, or the station’s stream.
The 91.7 schedule
If you tune to 91.7 and hear something unexpected, you have probably caught the other station. KVRX and KOOP share the frequency under an FCC-approved time-share, so what you hear depends on the time of day. See Austin Live Music Radio: Where to Hear Local Artists on the Dial.
Weather radio is separate
NOAA Weather Radio, including Austin’s WXK27 on 162.400 MHz, uses VHF frequencies an FM radio cannot tune. For storm warnings at home you need a weather radio or a scanner. See Austin Weather and Storm Coverage: Flash Floods, Warnings and Weather Radio.
When a stream is the better answer
If a station simply does not reach your home, its stream is the easy fix. KUT, KUTX, KVRX, KMFA and the commercial stations all stream from their websites or apps. Keep a battery radio for outages anyway; streams stop when the power and internet do. The full list of stations is in Austin Radio Stations by Frequency: The FM and AM Dial.
Outdoor FM antennas
An outdoor FM antenna can transform reception in the Hill Country, but treat the install like any rooftop job: keep it well clear of power lines, at least 1 1/2 times its height away as the Consumer Product Safety Commission advises, and ground the mast according to electrical codes. Our antenna guide, The Best TV Antenna for Austin and the Hill Country, covers the safety rules in more detail.
Renters’ fixes
If you rent and cannot mount anything outside, you still have options. A simple wire FM antenna taped along a window frame or the top of a bookcase near a window can make a big difference, and it comes down without a trace. Many stereo receivers have an antenna connector on the back for exactly this purpose.
Check the obvious
Before blaming the signal, reconnect the antenna, make sure the radio is set to FM or AM as intended and try another station on the same band. If every station is weak, the problem is your setup; if only one is, it is that station’s signal at your location.
And remember that a better radio does not always mean better reception. A simple portable radio in the right window will often outperform an expensive set in the wrong room. Placement first, equipment second.
If you share a home, agree on where the good radio lives. The best spot for reception is often a kitchen or bedroom window, and moving the radio around every day undoes the work of finding it. A second small radio for the other room is cheaper than an antenna.