Mazda MX-6 Manual page 128

J94S.book Page 12 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Interior Comfort
Audio System
Signals from an FM transm itter are
sim ilar to beam s o f light because they do
not bend around corners, but they do
reflect. U nlike AM signals, FM signals
cannot travel beyond the horizon.
T herefore, FM stations cannot be received
at the great distances possible w ith AM
reception.
FM wav
AM wave
100—200 km (60— 120 miles)
A tm ospheric conditions can also affect
FM reception. H igh hum idity w ill cause
poor reception. However, cloudy days
m ay provide better reception than clear
days.
M u ltip a th noise
Since FM signals can be reflected by
obstructions, it is possible to receive both
the direct signal and the reflected signal at
the sam e tim e. This causes a slight delay
in reception and m ay be heard as a broken
sound or a distortion. This problem m ay
also be encountered w hen in close
proxim ity to the transmitter.
6-12
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
F lu tte r/S k ip noise
Signals from an FM transm itter m ove in
straight lines and becom e w eak in valleys
betw een tall buildings, m ountains, and
other obstacles. W hen a vehicle passes
through such an area, the reception
conditions m ay change suddenly,
resulting in annoying noise.
W eak sig n al noise
In suburban areas, broadcast signals
b ecom e w eak because o f d istance from
the transm itter. R eception in such fringe
areas is characterized by sound breakup.
_ .