Radio has been used for decades so people can listen to
music, get updates on current events, hear about sports news, get informed on
current traffic, receive weather updates, etc. Although it may feel like radio has been around forever,
there have been numerous milestones that got the radio world to where it is
today. Perhaps one of the most
significant achievements in radio has to deal with the invention of frequency
modulation (FM) radio.
Before the 1930s, AM radio was the only form of radio
available to listeners, but with AM radio came static. Edwin Howard Armstrong, Columbia
University engineering professor was the first person to make strides in the
issue of static. Before Armstrong, people had been varying the amplitude or
strength of the radio wave. For years, people thought that the
static was unavoidable. But, Armstrong decided to try something different. Instead of changing the amplitude, he
modulated the frequency, hence “frequency modulation”.
In 1934, Edwin Howard Armstrong used AM and FM radio to send
an organ recital from the Empire State Building to a friend in Long Island,
New York. He wanted to see the
effects of changing the frequency as opposed to the amplitude. The results were that the FM radio came
through loud and clear whereas the AM version was much more static. The Radio Corporation of America, which
was responsible for the sales of AM radio sets, was now threatened by the
possibilities that FM radio had because their business models were previously based
on AM radio.
Armstrong has problems with his former business partner, David Sarnoff.
David Sarnoff, a friend of Armstrong’s, was head of Radio
Corporation of America. Although
Sarnoff had wanted Armstrong to eliminate the static of AM radio,
when he realized how successful FM radio could be, he cut ties with
Armstrong. Sarnoff asked for more
tests of FM radio so he would receive the rewards for Armstrong’s
inventions. This is what ended up
happening, so Armstrong never received the compensation that he deserved for FM
radio and eventually committed suicide. Despite Armstrong not
receiving the payment that he should have, he is still the person recognized
for the invention of FM radio, which has many advantages over AM radio.
FM radio has several advantages over AM radio.
One of the advantages of FM radio over AM radio is that FM
radio operates on a wider frequency band, meaning that FM radio can produce
much of the sounds that humans can hear, called fidelity. Also, because of multiplexing, a method
where signals are combined into one signal, the FM operator can send more than
one signal simultaneously. Another
major advantage is that an FM station can serve a greater area than an AM
station with the same power. In
other words, a single radio station is available to a wider range of people
with FM radio than with AM radio.
Perhaps one of the largest advantages is that with FM radio, we only
hear the stronger station. AM
radio stations, on the other hand, often interfere with each other.
Armstrong’s invention of FM radio changed the radio world
drastically. Prior to the first
half of the twentieth century, more people tuned in to AM radio than FM
radio. But starting in the late
1970s, this reversed. This
invention is what is responsible for the majority of what most people listen to
while driving and in their homes.
Radio has been used for decades so people can listen to
music, get updates on current events, hear about sports news, get informed on
current traffic, receive weather updates, etc. Although it may feel like radio has been around forever,
there have been numerous milestones that got the radio world to where it is
today. Perhaps one of the most
significant achievements in radio has to deal with the invention of frequency
modulation (FM) radio. Before the 1930s, AM radio was the only form of radio available to listeners, but with AM radio came static. Edwin Howard Armstrong, Columbia University engineering professor was the first person to make strides in the issue of static. Before Armstrong, people had been varying the amplitude or strength of the radio wave. For years, people thought that the static was unavoidable. But, Armstrong decided to try something different. Instead of changing the amplitude, he modulated the frequency, hence “frequency modulation”.
In 1934, Edwin Howard Armstrong used AM and FM radio to send an organ recital from the Empire State Building to a friend in Long Island, New York. He wanted to see the effects of changing the frequency as opposed to the amplitude. The results were that the FM radio came through loud and clear whereas the AM version was much more static. The Radio Corporation of America, which was responsible for the sales of AM radio sets, was now threatened by the possibilities that FM radio had because their business models were previously based on AM radio.
Armstrong has problems with his former business partner, David Sarnoff.
David Sarnoff, a friend of Armstrong’s, was head of Radio Corporation of America. Although Sarnoff had wanted Armstrong to eliminate the static of AM radio, when he realized how successful FM radio could be, he cut ties with Armstrong. Sarnoff asked for more tests of FM radio so he would receive the rewards for Armstrong’s inventions. This is what ended up happening, so Armstrong never received the compensation that he deserved for FM radio and eventually committed suicide. Despite Armstrong not receiving the payment that he should have, he is still the person recognized for the invention of FM radio, which has many advantages over AM radio.
FM radio has several advantages over AM radio.
One of the advantages of FM radio over AM radio is that FM radio operates on a wider frequency band, meaning that FM radio can produce much of the sounds that humans can hear, called fidelity. Also, because of multiplexing, a method where signals are combined into one signal, the FM operator can send more than one signal simultaneously. Another major advantage is that an FM station can serve a greater area than an AM station with the same power. In other words, a single radio station is available to a wider range of people with FM radio than with AM radio. Perhaps one of the largest advantages is that with FM radio, we only hear the stronger station. AM radio stations, on the other hand, often interfere with each other.
Armstrong’s invention of FM radio changed the radio world drastically. Prior to the first half of the twentieth century, more people tuned in to AM radio than FM radio. But starting in the late 1970s, this reversed. This invention is what is responsible for the majority of what most people listen to while driving and in their homes.
