Clarion compact disc manual Fm Reception, The AM/FM Tuner, Signal Actuated Stereo Control SASC

10. FM RECEPTION

® TUNER

Understanding the Difficulties of FM Reception in Your Car

FM radio waves are transmitted in the very high frequency range (VHF). These waves move in straight lines, much like light. Tall buildings, hills and mountains, or other obstructions may cause “shadows” or loss of signal, noted by a momen- tary “hissing” noise in the reception.

These obstructions found in day-to-day urban travel can reflect or bounce the signal. When reflected and direct signals arrive at the radio’s antenna together, a similar noise problem may occur, called multi-path interference.

In addition, the vehicle itself can be the culprit, creating various types of impulse noise (usually associated with the vehicle’s ignition and/or other parts of the electrical system), which again will deteriorate signal quality.

The ® AM/FM Tuner

® combines both AM and FM tuners into one small, unique package. The design incorporates many advanced technolo- gies exclusively engineered to improve FM and AM performance.

Signal Actuated Stereo Control (SASC)

In weak signal conditions, the SASC circuit will provide optimum, low noise reception. As the signal weakens, stereo separation is smoothly converted to a monaural signal with a gradual “cut-back” on high frequency reproduction, mini- mizing “hiss” and noise.

Balanced Mixer FM Front-End – Dual-Gate FET

The balanced mixer pre-amp section is designed to provide a uniform signal to the tuner – creat- ing the best possible noise-free reception. A variable gain stage automatically controls the amplitude of the signal according to the incom- ing signal strength. As the signal deteriorates or weakens, the gain is “increased” to ensure the highest quality signal with the least amount of noise. When signal strength becomes very strong, the gain is reduced, avoiding unneces- sary distortion.

Triple Stage Narrow Band IF Filters

The new triple stage IF and ceramic filter system enables the tuner to “focus” on the selected fre- quency – ignoring stronger or nearer stations to prevent frequency “hopping.” With this type of narrow band filtering, the selectivity of the tuner can be increased.

English Owner’s Guide

31