{"video_id":"w3M4cqAMWQs","title":"AM and FM Radio As Fast As Possible","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2016-05-06T14:58:16Z","duration_s":422,"segments":[{"start_s":0.16,"end_s":7.44,"text":"Maybe it's just because I'm old, but even though Spotify, podcasts, and other","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":5.12,"end_s":11.679,"text":"forms of audio streaming seem to rule the day, there's just something","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":9.44,"end_s":15.44,"text":"comforting about the simplicity of turning a knob on the radio and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":13.44,"end_s":20.24,"text":"listening to what's happening on the airwaves. Even in the digital age, radio","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":18.4,"end_s":25.76,"text":"has maintained a fair amount of popularity since the first public","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":22.56,"end_s":28.8,"text":"broadcasts in the early 20th century.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.76,"end_s":31.199,"text":"But since radio has been around since","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":28.8,"end_s":36.8,"text":"long before we had things like digital decoders that turn electrical impulses","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":33.36,"end_s":39.36,"text":"into music, how the heck do simple cheap","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":36.8,"end_s":44.079,"text":"radios know how to convert an electromagnetic radio signal into a I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":42.32,"end_s":49.84,"text":"don't know, let's say a basketball game or a weather report or a you know Justin","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":47.84,"end_s":55.84,"text":"Bieber's greatest who put that crap in my script. Anyway, AM radio broadcasts","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":53.52,"end_s":62.32,"text":"showed up before FM. So, we'll start with those. An AM station will broadcast","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.879,"end_s":64.96,"text":"a signal at a constant frequency, but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":62.32,"end_s":70.72,"text":"will add the soundwave representing the actual audio to that base signal. It's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":68.24,"end_s":75.84,"text":"also called a carrier wave, resulting in the height or amplitude of the wave","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.28,"end_s":81.6,"text":"changing accordingly. This is where the term AM comes from, as it stands for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.799,"end_s":88.24,"text":"amplitude modulation. You can get your radio to play back this signal as actual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":84.56,"end_s":89.92,"text":"music or dialogue by tuning it to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":88.24,"end_s":94.96,"text":"whatever frequency the station that you're looking for broadcasts at. This","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":92.72,"end_s":99.84,"text":"makes your antenna resonate at the frequency and ignore everything else in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":97.52,"end_s":105.2,"text":"the air. So, very simple radio tuners are actually little more than coils of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":102.72,"end_s":110.24,"text":"wire. How many turns of the wire will determine what frequency you're picking","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":107.28,"end_s":114.399,"text":"up. Cool, right? The antenna actually creates an electrical current that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":112.079,"end_s":118.479,"text":"corresponds to the radio signal. This current is sent to other parts of your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.479,"end_s":123.04,"text":"radio that filter out the irrelevant parts of the signal and send it to your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":120.719,"end_s":128.239,"text":"speakers or your headphones as changes in voltage which drive those speakers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":125.68,"end_s":132.8,"text":"and produce sound. It's actually pretty remarkable that this is all done without","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":130.399,"end_s":139.76,"text":"any digital decoding by something like a a CPU. It's a completely analog process","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.04,"end_s":146.0,"text":"that made it possible for news, music, and entertainment to stream into homes","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.239,"end_s":148.16,"text":"decades before the internet or even TV.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":146.0,"end_s":152.239,"text":"FM broadcasting works somewhat similarly, though with FM, it's the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":150.48,"end_s":158.72,"text":"frequency of the signal that gets changed, hence the F in FM. FM radios","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":156.64,"end_s":164.319,"text":"have a special transformer inside them that basically sits idle as long as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":161.68,"end_s":168.8,"text":"exactly whatever frequency you're tuned to hits your antenna. But once it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":166.879,"end_s":173.04,"text":"detects a small change in that frequency, it outputs a voltage that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":171.12,"end_s":179.92,"text":"makes your speakers emit a certain sound. So let's say you're tuned to 99.5","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":176.48,"end_s":182.319,"text":"FM on your dial. Since FM works by using","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":179.92,"end_s":190.4,"text":"very small changes in frequency to carry a signal, you are actually tuned to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":185.28,"end_s":192.56,"text":"signals just above and below 99.5 MHz,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":190.4,"end_s":198.0,"text":"which makes that transformer send the voltage to your speakers. Now, although","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":195.36,"end_s":204.159,"text":"this process makes FM more complicated to engineer than AM, you often get a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":200.959,"end_s":206.4,"text":"much clearer, higher quality signal. FM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.159,"end_s":211.36,"text":"is less susceptible to interference as well because interference often","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.239,"end_s":214.4,"text":"manifests as amplitude spikes. An AM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":211.36,"end_s":216.4,"text":"radio would see these spikes as actual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":214.4,"end_s":220.959,"text":"sound to produce and it would end up coming out of your speakers while FM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":218.72,"end_s":225.76,"text":"cares about variations in frequency rather than amplitude. So an FM radio","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":223.44,"end_s":229.44,"text":"can just ignore that type of interference and the death metal you're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.76,"end_s":235.92,"text":"listening to will come out sounding just as clear and angry as ever. FM also has","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":234.159,"end_s":239.84,"text":"the advantage of having much higher bandwidth than AM due to the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.599,"end_s":245.599,"text":"mathematical properties of frequency modulation. This allows for lots of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":242.959,"end_s":251.599,"text":"wiggle room in the signal to create more sounds more accurately, making FM the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":248.72,"end_s":255.599,"text":"clear choice for music, while AM is often just fine for stuff where","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":253.28,"end_s":262.24,"text":"highfidelity isn't a big deal, such as talk radio. But if FM is so superior,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":258.88,"end_s":265.84,"text":"then why do AM stations seem to have so","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":262.24,"end_s":268.16,"text":"much better range? Well, it's because AM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":265.84,"end_s":273.04,"text":"wavelengths are much longer, meaning that they can move more effectively","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":270.96,"end_s":277.84,"text":"following even the curvature of the Earth and deal with obstacles like","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":275.52,"end_s":283.44,"text":"buildings, whereas you can quickly lose highfrequency FM signals if you start","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":280.56,"end_s":288.4,"text":"putting stuff in the way. AM frequencies also allow signals to cause free","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.68,"end_s":293.44,"text":"electrons in the ionosphere to oscillate at the same frequency as the radio wave","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":290.8,"end_s":298.479,"text":"that hits them. Meaning that AM signals can actually reflect off the upper","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":295.919,"end_s":302.479,"text":"atmosphere. At night, there are more free electrons hanging out in the sky,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":300.32,"end_s":306.96,"text":"which is why you can sometimes hear AM stations from hundreds of miles away","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":304.88,"end_s":312.32,"text":"after the sun goes down, as opposed to FM, which tends to go right through the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.52,"end_s":315.84,"text":"atmosphere. Of course, this may not seem impressive when the internet allows you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":314.0,"end_s":320.0,"text":"to listen to highquality digital broadcasts from the other side of the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":317.52,"end_s":325.44,"text":"world, no problem. But good old analog radio still has the distinct advantage","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":322.08,"end_s":328.4,"text":"of only requiring a $10 receiver with no","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":325.44,"end_s":333.039,"text":"subscription fees and very high ease of use, especially for people who might not","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":330.639,"end_s":336.96,"text":"be terribly tech-savvy. And of course, your radio will keep working even if","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":335.199,"end_s":343.44,"text":"your finicky internet connection goes out. Sometimes simpler is indeed better.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":341.52,"end_s":347.6,"text":"Speaking of keeping things simple, FreshBooks. Freshbooks is the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":345.52,"end_s":353.759,"text":"cloud-based accounting solution that helps you, you small business owner, you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":351.36,"end_s":358.0,"text":"keep organized, get more work done, and ultimately, well, make more money.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":356.16,"end_s":362.08,"text":"Because what FreshBooks does is it lets you track your expenses by taking","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":360.08,"end_s":366.639,"text":"pictures of your receipts, track your hours on particular jobs through the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":364.24,"end_s":372.0,"text":"cloud interface, send bills to your customers through the app itself, and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":369.68,"end_s":376.4,"text":"even take payments from your customers via credit card directly through","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":374.319,"end_s":380.639,"text":"FreshBooks. With all that stuff in one place, whether you're a plumber or a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":378.319,"end_s":385.68,"text":"small-time computer repair operator or you do, I don't know, TV installations,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":383.28,"end_s":390.08,"text":"whatever it is you're doing, it allows you to spend your time doing that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":387.919,"end_s":393.919,"text":"instead of staring at complicated accounting software at the end of every","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":391.68,"end_s":398.639,"text":"day when your brain is tired because you were working on other stuff and you just","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":396.319,"end_s":404.16,"text":"don't feel up to it. The best part is you can try FreshBooks for free for 30","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":401.36,"end_s":407.759,"text":"days by going to freshbooks.com/tequicky which is linked in the video description","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":405.68,"end_s":411.44,"text":"and entering techquicki in the how did you hear about us section. So thanks for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":410.319,"end_s":414.72,"text":"watching guys. If you like the video like it. If you disliked it, dislike it. If you want to check out our other","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":413.52,"end_s":418.0,"text":"channels, boom, we got a link right there. If you want to leave a comment with suggestions for future fastest","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":416.88,"end_s":423.199,"text":"possibles, you can do that below. And as always, don't forget to subscribe and follow and all that good stuff. See you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":420.72,"end_s":423.199,"text":"next time.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"Maybe it's just because I'm old, but even though Spotify, podcasts, and other forms of audio streaming seem to rule the day, there's just something comforting about the simplicity of turning a knob on the radio and listening to what's happening on the airwaves. Even in the digital age, radio has maintained a fair amount of popularity since the first public broadcasts in the early 20th century. But since radio has been around since long before we had things like digital decoders that turn electrical impulses into music, how the heck do simple cheap radios know how to convert an electromagnetic radio signal into a I don't know, let's say a basketball game or a weather report or a you know Justin Bieber's greatest who put that crap in my script. Anyway, AM radio broadcasts showed up before FM. So, we'll start with those. An AM station will broadcast a signal at a constant frequency, but will add the soundwave representing the actual audio to that base signal. It's also called a carrier wave, resulting in the height or amplitude of the wave changing accordingly. This is where the term AM comes from, as it stands for amplitude modulation. You can get your radio to play back this signal as actual music or dialogue by tuning it to whatever frequency the station that you're looking for broadcasts at. This makes your antenna resonate at the frequency and ignore everything else in the air. So, very simple radio tuners are actually little more than coils of wire. How many turns of the wire will determine what frequency you're picking up. Cool, right? The antenna actually creates an electrical current that corresponds to the radio signal. This current is sent to other parts of your radio that filter out the irrelevant parts of the signal and send it to your speakers or your headphones as changes in voltage which drive those speakers and produce sound. It's actually pretty remarkable that this is all done without any digital decoding by something like a a CPU. It's a completely analog process that made it possible for news, music, and entertainment to stream into homes decades before the internet or even TV. FM broadcasting works somewhat similarly, though with FM, it's the frequency of the signal that gets changed, hence the F in FM. FM radios have a special transformer inside them that basically sits idle as long as exactly whatever frequency you're tuned to hits your antenna. But once it detects a small change in that frequency, it outputs a voltage that makes your speakers emit a certain sound. So let's say you're tuned to 99.5 FM on your dial. Since FM works by using very small changes in frequency to carry a signal, you are actually tuned to signals just above and below 99.5 MHz, which makes that transformer send the voltage to your speakers. Now, although this process makes FM more complicated to engineer than AM, you often get a much clearer, higher quality signal. FM is less susceptible to interference as well because interference often manifests as amplitude spikes. An AM radio would see these spikes as actual sound to produce and it would end up coming out of your speakers while FM cares about variations in frequency rather than amplitude. So an FM radio can just ignore that type of interference and the death metal you're listening to will come out sounding just as clear and angry as ever. FM also has the advantage of having much higher bandwidth than AM due to the mathematical properties of frequency modulation. This allows for lots of wiggle room in the signal to create more sounds more accurately, making FM the clear choice for music, while AM is often just fine for stuff where highfidelity isn't a big deal, such as talk radio. But if FM is so superior, then why do AM stations seem to have so much better range? Well, it's because AM wavelengths are much longer, meaning that they can move more effectively following even the curvature of the Earth and deal with obstacles like buildings, whereas you can quickly lose highfrequency FM signals if you start putting stuff in the way. AM frequencies also allow signals to cause free electrons in the ionosphere to oscillate at the same frequency as the radio wave that hits them. Meaning that AM signals can actually reflect off the upper atmosphere. At night, there are more free electrons hanging out in the sky, which is why you can sometimes hear AM stations from hundreds of miles away after the sun goes down, as opposed to FM, which tends to go right through the atmosphere. Of course, this may not seem impressive when the internet allows you to listen to highquality digital broadcasts from the other side of the world, no problem. But good old analog radio still has the distinct advantage of only requiring a $10 receiver with no subscription fees and very high ease of use, especially for people who might not be terribly tech-savvy. And of course, your radio will keep working even if your finicky internet connection goes out. Sometimes simpler is indeed better. Speaking of keeping things simple, FreshBooks. Freshbooks is the cloud-based accounting solution that helps you, you small business owner, you keep organized, get more work done, and ultimately, well, make more money. Because what FreshBooks does is it lets you track your expenses by taking pictures of your receipts, track your hours on particular jobs through the cloud interface, send bills to your customers through the app itself, and even take payments from your customers via credit card directly through FreshBooks. With all that stuff in one place, whether you're a plumber or a small-time computer repair operator or you do, I don't know, TV installations, whatever it is you're doing, it allows you to spend your time doing that instead of staring at complicated accounting software at the end of every day when your brain is tired because you were working on other stuff and you just don't feel up to it. The best part is you can try FreshBooks for free for 30 days by going to freshbooks.com/tequicky which is linked in the video description and entering techquicki in the how did you hear about us section. So thanks for watching guys. If you like the video like it. If you disliked it, dislike it. If you want to check out our other channels, boom, we got a link right there. If you want to leave a comment with suggestions for future fastest possibles, you can do that below. And as always, don't forget to subscribe and follow and all that good stuff. See you next time."}